- What was the main reason for organising the Letterbox Consumer Survey?
With this survey bpost wanted to get an update on the value of the letter and the mail moment (for the connected consumers) in the digital environment.
- Which mail products were measured in the study and why?
This study measured the addressed mail product. Primarily, we did this study to measure the impact of mail (readership and reaction) on Belgian consumers and to understand how the addressed mail medium is experienced in comparison to other media. At the same time, we wanted the study to be aligned with the recognised media measurement standards.
- How was this established?
We asked the Belgian Direct Marketing Association (BDMA) to gather a technical commission of media and direct marketing experts to write up the specifications, develop the most relevant methodology for this study and select the market research institute. After a two-round process, TNS was selected.
- What was the methodology of this study?
It consisted of two parts, one being face-to-face interviews and the second being diaries kept by panels of respondents, who had to measure the impact (readership and action) of each mail piece they received during five different periods (or waves) of the year. As a result, 3,000 diaries were collected, covering data on more than 12,000 addressed direct mail pieces.
- What was the main message that comes across from this survey’s results in your view?
The key message is that there is still place for the mail moment in advertising. Regardless of mail volume in the letterbox, 87% of addressed mail is read. With 91% of people emptying their letterbox daily and 70% of them being curious to discover what is in it, the mail moment offers a positive and awaited marketing touch. Further analysis proved this is also true for heavy web or social media users.
- And how does addressed mail’s average volume compare to other media?
The average amount of addressed mail advertising pieces was a surprising 4.1 per week, not even one per day. When we look at other media and at how many times consumers are exposed to them on average, the case for mail becomes even stronger. During an average week, Belgian consumers are exposed to 330 online ads, 226 radio ads, 203 TV ads and 26 email ads which renders addressed mail an advertising medium with the smallest advertising clutter.
- Reading rates may be high for addressed mail, but what measurable action does this medium generate?
The Letterbox Consumer Survey looked at this as well and the letterbox medium was reported to have resulted in an action with a direct or indirect sales impact among 23% of the respondents – 10% performed a ‘pre-sales’ action such as online/offline search or traffic at a point of sales and 13% resulted in sales. In some sectors such as clothing, the numbers were even higher, with 44.4% who had already or had the intention to react to an addressed mailing piece. Lastly, mail drives consumers online, as 50% of the respondents visited a website after receiving a mail piece.
Learn more and access detailed results of the survey here.
