Consumers 'put off' by poorly targeted direct mail

Poorly addressed direct mail correspondence can do more harm than good to an organization, new research has found.

A recent survey by direct mail specialists Onepost, W8data and Fast.map found that consumers are open to receiving correspondence from small businesses and non-profit and charity organizations.

However, if these materials are poorly addressed they may do more harm than anything else, with 15 per cent of consumers stating that they would not read the mail and ten per cent claiming that it would leave a lasting negative influence on their perception of the company.

The news may encourage a number of businesses and charities to find out more about how they can utilize address verification software in their direct mailing campaigns.

"With more than a quarter of respondents stating they were unlikely to respond to poorly targeted mail, it is imperative that charities have rigorous data hygiene practices in place and ensure marketing materials are targeted and relevant," Ross Caddy, research and insight manager at the Direct Marketing Association, said.

Posted by Richard Jones