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Active Interest Media’s Purchase of Outdoor Guide Shows Direct Mail Marketing Still a Worthy Investment
Earlier this month, Active Interest Media, Inc. (AIM) pushed the button on a deal to purchase assets from Catalyst Communications. The assets include Outdoor Guide, a biannual outdoor and ski industry direct mail service containing close to 30 clients.
AIM already has a strong presence in consumer publishing and trade media (particularly niche enthusiast markets), reaching approximately 40 million consumers in more than 85 countries across the world. However, at a time when more companies seem to be turning to digital platforms for distribution and content consumption, this direct mail marketing deal may come with many questions.
But Kent Ebersole, general manager of AIM’s outdoor group, is confident in the purchase, stating, “it helps fortify ourselves and helps us be authentic in that market if we’re also in the trade part of the business.”
Why Direct Mail in This Day and Age?
Ebersole lists internal growth as one of the main reasons for the purchase, suggesting that AIM has had much success in the past utilizing direct mail to spur its growth. Ebersole goes on to say that because AIM is a database driven company, direct mail plays a big role in leveraging their database.
“As we get better and better at managing that database, direct mail is one of those levers we can pull to leverage it,” notes Ebersole. “Managing that database for other things—clients, retailers, vendors, marketers—that’s all a part of the bigger picture. We’re in that business and we believe in it, and direct mail is part of it.”
Direct Mail Marketing Works!
The idea that direct mail marketing will somehow disappear as the digital age takes over has already proven to be false. Some companies are in fact turning back to direct mail, primarily due to the success other companies have experienced by reaching their target audiences. Direct mail marketing lists can provide beneficial consumer income, including household income, age range, gender, and household buying habits. The fact remains that even with the introduction of digital platforms, people still have a need for the physical aspects that direct mail brings to advertising (i.e. being able to physically touch or sample a product). Having the ability to better trace the effectiveness of each campaign (e.g., by tracking coupons that are used) is yet another advantage direct mail offers.
Remember, digital and direct marketing can co-exist. In fact, many studies have shown that the most effective campaigns are done when both digital and direct mail campaigns are used in conjunction, with both methods feeding off each other.
Macromark has been successfully conducting direct mail marketing campaigns for over 25 years. We show our clients how to reach their target audience and successfully launch direct mail and e-mail marketing campaigns that work in today’s world. With more than 300 consumer and B2B clients across Canada and the United States, we are recognized as a trusted leader in the industry. Contact us today for details on what we can do to help you better reach your target audience.
David Klein