Saturation Mailing vs EDDM: A Detailed Comparison

When preparing a marketing campaign, you will likely have many different choices to make. Setting your objectives, selecting the right message and its presentation, and finally, choosing the right format and delivery strategy are among the most crucial ones.

In this article, we will dive deep into saturation mailing, EDDM, and all their intricacies, highlighting the differences between these two models to make your job a little easier. 

First on the agenda – let’s explain what saturation mailing and EDDM are exactly. 

Explaining Saturation Mailing and EDDM

Saturation mailing and EDDM are fairly similar to each other; hence sometimes they get confused as one and the same thing. And all in all, they do share some significant similarities. 

Both models offer a way for marketers and companies to deliver direct mail marketing materials to their customers and potential clients. However, while one requires a prepared mailing list, the other does not. And that makes a whole difference. 

Saturation Mailing

Saturation mailing is a rather simple concept. Just like the name itself suggests, it’s about saturating a region with direct mail marketing materials. Saturation mail can be sent out to all residents living in a particular zip code or postal route. 

But, unlike some other strategies (for example, EDDM), saturation mailing uses the benefits a quality mailing list can provide. What this means is that mail materials are not delivered to every single mailbox, as thanks to the list, companies are able to eliminate addresses that are vacant, outdated, or are included in the “do not mail” file, so they can avoid wasting resources and increase their efficiency and ROI. 

And as such, saturation mailing offers considerable benefits. 

EDDM

EDDM stands for Every Door Direct Mail, and it’s a program created by USPS. It’s a type of bulk mailing model that offers companies an affordable way to deliver their mailing materials to their prospective customers without the need to acquire a mailing list first.

EDDM poses a really interesting alternative for marketers and businesses that are looking for ways to cut the costs of their marketing efforts. This program doesn’t require you to invest in a mailing list, but you still receive a similar exposure to what saturation mailing offers. 

Key Differences Between Saturation Mailing and EDDM

Now that we have a better understanding of what saturation mailing and EDDM are, it’s time to discuss all the essential differentiating factors between these two programs. And we’re going to start with one of the most substantial determinants – the audience targeting capabilities these mail marketing campaigns are able to provide.  

Audience Targeting Capabilities

Saturation Mailing 

If your objective for the campaign requires more specific targeting, then your best bet would be saturation mailing. It’s because this program uses more precise demographic information, giving you the option to target your audience more accurately.

While constructing and adjusting a mailing list, you can choose to target your audience based on their age, income, household size, and more. It’s helpful when you need this type of flexibility in your campaign to reach a particular demographic with your message.

EDDM

While saturation mailing offers quite comprehensive targeting capabilities, the same cannot be said about EDDM. Every Door Direct Mail allows you to select specific postal routes or areas based on ZIP codes, cities, or neighborhoods. But since you don’t operate based on a very comprehensive mailing list, you don’t have access to more specific information, like age or household size.

For this reason, the EDDM program might be a better solution when you’re planning to target a wide audience with your campaign materials.  

Geographic Targeting Precision

Saturation Mailing 

Again, with saturation mailing, you have the option to target specific areas and neighborhoods. But unlike EDDM, you have much more freedom in selecting them, having the ability to include and exclude specific areas within zip codes. This makes it easier to reach your clients and maybe omit those who you’re not trying to target with your direct mail campaign.  

EDDM

EDDM offers you less flexibility in this department, giving you the tools to target areas based on zip codes, cities, and postal routes. However, you can’t really pick and choose the areas you’re targeting very precisely, which is why if you require geographic targeting precision, this might not be the best solution for you. 

Mailing List Requirements

Saturation Mailing 

As we’ve already mentioned a couple of times, what predominately sets the saturation mailing apart from EDDM is the fact that this mailing program oftentimes uses a mailing list. Mailing lists can be more general and include recipient names and addresses. They can also be segmented by the demographic criteria that we talked about earlier.

Such a list can be tailored to fit the particular objectives of your campaign, excluding recipients that don’t fit them. Thanks to this approach, you have more control over who receives your message. 

EDDM

And in contrast to saturation mailing, EDDM is carried out with a very general mailing list. This model focuses more on broad, geographically based targeting. This means it requires less effort and can help companies reach their audience in a shorter amount of time. 

You don’t need to acquire a list of individual recipient names or addresses to be able to carry out an EDDM mailing campaign, which is a crucial advantage of this program. 

Design and Format Considerations

Saturation Mailing 

One thing that may sway marketers and businesses towards saturation mailing is the fact that it offers much more in terms of designs and formats. You have the option to produce mailing materials in custom sizes and choose various available formats, like postcards, letters, brochures, and many more. 

Moreover, companies can customize the mail materials, including recipients’ names, which can improve customers’ engagement and increase the efficiency of your campaign. 

The creative freedom to design formats that will represent your company in the best way is something many businesses value very highly, therefore, they feel inclined to benefit from saturation mailing when this type of creative control is required.  

EDDM

If, however, your needs are not as comprehensive, EDDM may be a valuable option. You are limited to specific format and size limitations with this mailing model. Basically, you can opt for:

• a postcards (6.25" x 11" or 4.25" x 11") 
• and oversized postcards (8.5" x 11" or 6.125" x 11.5")

Mail materials need to adhere to standardized sizes and address requirements, which means designers don’t have a free range to create any type of postcard or letter. Many times, EDDM mail materials are simplified to fit the criteria imposed by the USPS. They are often addressed to "Postal Customer" or similar generic labels, offering very limited personalization and customization possibilities. 

Cost Considerations

Saturation Mailing 

Finally, let’s talk about money. As you can probably tell, the more expensive campaign would be the one using saturation mailing. This is clear when we look at what this model brings to the table.

Firstly, companies base their campaign on a specific mailing list that includes important demographic information. This in itself increases the costs of a campaign, as you need to spend resources and time to create your mailing list or purchase one.

Additionally, the more customization you’re incorporating into your mail materials, the more costly their production and distribution are going to be. You can, however, reduce some costs by decreasing the volume of produced mail materials and focusing on targeting specific demographics within your customer base. 

EDDM

EDDM was created as an alternative for businesses that were interested in reducing the costs of their direct mail campaigns. Thanks to a simplified mailing list and standardized mailing pieces, the costs of production and distribution of these materials are often lower.

Still, the overall costs of saturation mailing and EDDM campaigns will vary depending on a few factors, like the volume of mail materials, the intricacy of their design, and the inclusion of customized elements.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Saturation Mailing and EDDM

What should you consider when choosing between saturation and EDDM? 

Marketing Goals and Objectives

The first and most important question to ask yourself is, what are the objectives of my campaign? Do you want to reach a particular segment of your audience in the area? How important is standing out from the competition? Are you trying to inform your customer base about a new, widespread product, or are you focusing on generating new leads?

Setting your goals at the beginning should offer you a clear idea of what type of mailing model better serves its purpose with your goals in mind. 

Budget Constraints

Another important consideration is your budgetary limitations. The more complex and personalized your campaign is, the higher your costs will be. If you want to reach a considerable amount of customers within a smaller budget, you should consider the EDDM model. However, when you want to create mail pieces that will be eye-catching and will target specific target audiences, saturation mailing might be the better answer.

Geographic Scope

Both saturation mailing and EDDM offer great exposure within specified areas, zip codes, and postal routes. Companies that wish to target specific demographics within those areas should consider saturation mailing, as this model offers them greater flexibility in constructing their mailing lists.

Demographic Targeting Requirements

If you’re looking for ways to target people based on age, income, or household size, you also will benefit from the saturation mailing model. On the other hand, if your scope of operations is more broad, you’ll be happy with a more general EDDM approach. 

Design and Creative Freedom

And finally, you should take into account the type of mailing materials you want to create in order to best convey your message. Some campaigns require more personalization and benefit greatly from customizable elements, like non-standard sizing. 

But that’s not the case for every campaign. Companies that can compromise on design and adhere to standards introduced by USPS can reduce their costs while still delivering the expected results. 

Saturation Mailing vs EDDM – Conclusion

And that’s how we reach the end of this article. Hopefully, now you’re much more informed about the differences between saturation mailing and EDDM.

Both models present substantial benefits but also come with some limitations, whether they pertain to the customization of mailing lists and mail pieces or budgetary restrictions. 

The best piece of news is that you can choose the approach that makes the most sense for your current situation and objectives. Having both of these models ready to go can allow you to create the most cost-effective and profitable marketing campaign. 

And having one platform to carry it out from the very beginning to the very fruitful end is even better! Learn all about how Taradel can make your direct mail campaign run smoothly from the idea in your head to the moment your clients get your advertising in their mailboxes and beyond.