"...the political direct mail industry isn’t just still alive; it’s thriving."
According to
Politico, direct mail is a "YUGE" deal (sorry, I had to do that) when it comes to awareness building, voter perception, and overall influence.
(Politico is an American political-journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, covering politics and policy in the United States and internationally. Its website reaches over 16 million people each month.)
Despite our increasingly digitized lives, direct mail remains one of the most cost-effective ways to reach large numbers of people. More importantly, direct mail creates a deeper impression than digital communications, and forces the recipient to interact with a candidate's message.
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter whether a recipient "likes" the message or not, or whether they keep or discard a candidate's mail piece. With direct mail, the candidate makes an impression either way.
In fact, one might argue that in a "digital world," physical communications are more meaningful than ever before.
In 2014, Politico reported that over $150 million had been spent on direct mail, compared to only $70 million on all digital channels combined. That should tell you all you need to know.
In addition to the tangible benefits, direct mail has evolved with (not against) the digital revolution. For example, political campaigns can now launch "total saturation" direct mail campaigns, anywhere in the U.S., using powerful geographic and demographic filters.
Further, political campaigns save on costs using the ultra-popular Every Door Direct Mail® program from the USPS®. The EDDM® program enables political campaigns to reach every mailbox in a given market, or district, at discounted rates. From giant-sized flyers, to gorgeous postcards, political campaigns and party committees are flocking to this powerful marketing channel.
With things heating up in this year's election cycle, and with such high stakes, it will be interesting to see how direct mail continues to impact voters around this great nation.
If you work with a political campaign, creative group, or committee, you try EDDM® more at EveryDoorDirectMail.com.