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Snail mail good, email bad (apparently)

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Isaac

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User since: December 13, 1998

Last login: October 27, 2007

Articles written: 67

TheRegister has some information online about a recent report on customer preferences. Specifically, would they prefer to receive information regarding new products by email, or by post. The report results imply that email is the least favoured medium, with only 2% wanting to receive the info by email. At least 66% preferred traditional postal mail.

The report itself suggests that snail mail is a more friendly form, partially because consumers have the option of opening each envelope they receive. It appears that they've neglected to consider the action taken by a user when clicking an email subject in their inbox...

It's likely, however, that the report should be almost completely disregarded, having been sponsored by The Royal Mail who have obvious interests in pushing snail mail over email.

We can only guess what sample questions looked like:

Would you prefer to receive information about new products from companies:

  • by unsolicited, image-laden email which harvests your personal information, costs you time and money to download, could contain a virus, and might come from a paedophile?
  • by traditional post in an attractively printed, clean envelope?

As a consumer, which do you prefer and why? Which does your business use and why?

isaac
www.triplezero.com.au

Isaac is a designer from Adelaide, South Australia, where he has run Triplezero for almost a decade.

He was a member and administrator of evolt.org since its founding in 1998, designed the current site, and was a regular contributor on evolt.org's direction-setting discussion list, theforum.

On the side, he runs Opinion, Hoops SA, Confessions, Daily Male, and Comments, as well as maintaining a travel gallery at Bigtrip.org.

Submitted by MartinB on August 27, 2001 - 13:26.

It's particularly amusing because can you guess what format the press release went out in? You guessed it - email!

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yes... but

Submitted by danfascia on August 29, 2001 - 11:14.

You have to admit that e-mail has got an air of triviality about it. I mean... take me at University I get lots of shit, amongst which may be something very important but if that were to arrive by snailmail with IMPORTANT plastered on the envelope then I would stop and think twice...

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yes, but, but...

Submitted by isaac on August 29, 2001 - 17:43.

You mean like: "IMPORTANT - You may already be a winner!" ;)

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no buts...

Submitted by danfascia on August 29, 2001 - 18:56.

You are of course right... And sometimes you even get a nice golden coin or something in those envelopes ;-)

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Submitted by paulnattress on August 30, 2001 - 06:27.

It's a lot easier to reply to junk e-mail asking to be removed from the mailing list than what it is to do the same for snail mail.

The best technique I've found is to gather up all the junk snail mail you receive, select a random pre-paid envelope out of one of the mail shots, stuff the entire lot into the pre-paid envelope and pop it in the postbox.

The result? These companies that bombard you with "IMPORTANT - You may already be a winner!" will be paying to recieve all the other crap you've been sent. Gotta love it...

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Mailing Preference Service in the UK

Submitted by MartinB on August 31, 2001 - 01:19.

I can't speak for other countries, but in the UK, we have the Mailing Preference Service, which all reputable DM firms will cleanse their lists against before sending unsolicited mail. There aren't many disreputable firms who can afford real mail in bulk, so it pretty much stops junk mail.

We also have the Telephone Preference Service, which is similar, but carries the backing of law (the MPS is industry self-regulation).

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Snailmail creative treatments

Submitted by MartinB on August 31, 2001 - 01:24.

I've got to laugh at DM firms who think they can lift response rates with such cheap stunts as IMPORTANT - you may already be a winner. The research shows that of the elements of a mailing:

  • Creative
  • Offer
  • Targeting
  • Timing

creative treatment is the least effective in changing the response rate.

Think about it - if someone offers you something you don't want at the wrong time, you're not buying it, no matter how many gold coins are stuck to the envelope.

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