In 2012, political candidates and their support groups mailed 2.8 billion * direct mail pieces.
To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of mailing every American 9 direct mail pieces, each.
The numbers are staggering for a variety of reasons. Direct mail provides huge visibility, forces physical interaction with the recipient, and most importantly, it works really, really, well.
According to a recent USPS® survey, 78% of recipients read or scan their mail daily. And 40% of 18-to-34-year-olds say they read their mail immediately and find it useful. Those are big, powerful numbers when it comes to political impressions and overall marketing value.
Additionally, direct mail is seen as the best form of targeted marketing for messages that contain deeper stories. nearly all mailpieces are at least viewed, and, mailpieces are often saved for future reference in the home.
Richard Thomas, a political consultant for Rich Capital, LLC noted that, "Every Door Direct Mail gave the opportunity to compete on both a cost and communication bases - we knew that it was the answer."
According to the USPS®, political candidates were able to mail their postcards and flyers for an average of less than 19 cents per piece in postage. The low postage rates are largely driven by Every Door Direct Mail®, a popular and affordable method of postal route saturation mailing.
Consider the results from the abbreviated case study provided below:
CASE STUDY: Richard Thomas for City Council
THE GOAL: To win the 2010 city council election
THE STRATEGY: Send mailings through Every Door Direct Mail® to staurate key voting distrcits with his message.
THE RESULTS:
• Richard Thomas won the city council election in his city by the largest margin ever, with 72% of the popular vote.
• He won 79% of the election districts that were targeted with Every Door Direct Mail®.
• He dominated the mailbox and spent only $2.40 per voter, compared to as much as $90 per voter by his opponent.
THE TAKE-AWAY:
The results of this election speak to the tremendous potential of Direct Mail and the impact it can have on a political campaign, especially when it is used in conjunction with services like Every Door Direct Mail® that can help you cost-effectively find the voters that matter most.
For more information on EDDM®, or to launch a political direct mail campaign, visit EveryDoorDirectMail.com
Source(s):
* USPS® PostalOne! Data, 2010.
† USPS® Household Diary Study, 2011.
USPS®. "The Benefits of Direct Mail." 14ADMASM758_The_Benefits_of_Direct_Mail. Adobe Acrobat Document.