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Innovations in Print Newspaper and Direct Mail Marketing
What’s often goes unappreciated about direct mail marketing is just how flexible it can be. There are so many avenues you can take when deciding to send out a piece of physical mail, and being innovating leads to better engagement and conversions.
Nowhere is innovation more needed as it is in print newspaper. The digital ecosystem has forced many print newspapers to rethink and restructure their organizations. From that has stemmed some creative approaches to how these organizations function and earn revenue.
In Canada, one entrepreneur has added his own spin to direct mail and has made significant profits in the process. Meanwhile, the biggest stir has come recently out of the U.K., where the six media giants in newspapers are considering something that has never before been done before: joining forces.
Innovating Direct Mail Marketing
Ray Cao is the founder of a Toronto-based company called Exact Media. What this company does is use the empty space within e-commerce packages to include flyers or product samples from other brands. The brands pay Exact Media for the space, and Exact pays the e-commerce retailers for delivering the product within their package.
It actually works out well for both parties, and Cao says that Exact made $1.0 million in sales in its first 90 days of operation. That was back in 2013. Procter & Gamble was their first client; Pantene, Johnson &Johnson, and other big-name brands followed. The fact that Exact Media can skip the postal service and target both the retailers and the advertisers makes this model unique.
U.K. Newspapers Possibly Joining Forces
In what would probably be the boldest move in recent newspaper history, the six U.K. newspaper giants are considering teaming up. This would mean pooling resources to better leverage print ad revenue.
Right now, the idea is still in its early stages. The six papers have put money behind a feasibility study to learn more about the potential revenue outcomes. If this concept ever does come to fruition, it would mean advertisers would be able to purchase ads “cross industry.” This has never before been the case.
All of this matters because the future of direct mail marketing and print newspapers will depend on the ability to be consistently innovative. We at Macromark have long understood this reality, and we have continued to adapt and innovate in our three decades of delivering direct mail marketing services. We wouldn’t have been able to thrive as we are without our willingness to welcome new ideas.
Right now, many of our clients are seeing success through print newspaper advertising. This is because we understand that space and know how to get the most out of those placements. If your business is exploring ways to capitalize on newspaper advertising, give us a call at 1-845-230-6300 and let us provide our expertise.
Sources:
Adams, S., “The Airbnb of Marketing: Ray Cao Explains How Exact Media Is Trying To Reinvent Direct Mail.” Forbes, August 8, 2016; http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestreptalks/2016/08/08/the-airbnb-of-marketing-ray-cao-explains-how-exact-media-is-trying-to-reinvent-direct-mail/#7e2ca7d7293b.
Goodfellow, J., “Newspaper groups launch probe to gauge feasibility of pooling ad sales,” The Drum, August 2, 2016; http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/08/02/newspaper-groups-launch-probe-gauge-feasibility-pooling-ad-sales.
David Klein
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