Even in our rapidly-advancing society, a world of smart phones, videos, and instant access to information, some things never change.
Tarini Parti, a campaigns reporter for POLITICO, recently published an article titled, "An unlikely survivor in the digital age: Direct mail," which speaks to the thriving status of direct mail within the political sector.
While there is a strong general consensus that political campaigns need a healthy media mix, including both print and digital (such as social media, email, etc), the numbers don't lie. Direct mail is king.
Key takeaways and quotes from Parti's article:
- Campaigns, party committees and groups have spent $150 million on direct mail so far in the 2014 election cycle
- Expenditures categorized as “digital,” “online,” “web” and “email” together totaled about $70 million
- The candidate’s face on the piece of mail anchors the reader’s perception
- "...you can have five-to-seven screens in your house, but you still only have one mailbox.” -Kevin Mack of Mack Sumner Communications
- “Direct mail works. I’ve been doing this for 32 years. People keep saying ‘Mail is going to die.'" -Walter Lukens, founder of The Lukens CO., whose clients include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Tennessee GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander
- “Mail is the only communications method that can be targeted directly to the voter.” -Duane Baughman, president of The Caughman Co.
- President Obama's campaign raised $230 million from direct mail according to documents obtained by POLITICO
Try political direct mail today.
Source: Tarini Parti. POLITICO, 08/04/14. Online article. "An unlikely survivor in the digital age: Direct mail." Date of access 08/07/14. URL http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/an-unlikely-survivor-in-the-digital-age-direct-mail-109673.html