Christmas mailing – a super busy time of year claims mailing house Baker Goodchild

December 20, 2014 - Although reports show that direct mail from companies is in decline (apart from in the fund raising sector) according to Royal Mail, brands spend far more on direct mail at Christmas than they do on any other types of marketing including TV, radio and the internet.

Mail Industry Christmas Recruitment
But with so many brands using direct mail to target and engage with customers over the Christmas period, how are mailing companies coping? Well recently Royal Mail announced that it would be increasing its staff numbers over the festive period with news of 15,000 people being recruited in England, 1,100 in Scotland, 600 in Wales, 400 in Northern Ireland and 2,000 Worldwide, in addition to the company's 124,000+ permanent staff.

Independent parcel delivery firm Yodel have also hired around five thousand temporary employees in order to deal with increasing demand for their delivery services over the Christmas period.

Royal Mail Seasonal Offers
It is fair to sale that Royal Mail hasn't had the best year with recent news that the regulator has dismissed their claims that parcel delivery companies like Whistl are preventing them from being able to fulfil their universal service obligation. However it seems like the company is not ready to back down yet and has introduced a number of new beneficial services and promotional offers over the Christmas period in order to win back business customers.

Over the festive period, Royal Mail is reducing its 2nd class small parcels by £1.00 to attract more businesses to use it services. They are also offering Sunday deliveries within the M25 and are opening over 100 delivery offices on Sundays so customers can pick up their Christmas parcels early.

eCommerce Providers increase Direct Mail spend
But mailing service providers and delivery companies are not the only ones feeling the pressure. Ecommerce retailers face increased competition for customers' business during this super busy time of year, which is why many have upped their direct mail spend in attempt to generate those all-important sales.

According to Lorraine Burnell, Managing Director of mailing company Baker Goodchild, increasing spend on direct mail is not enough to win over customers, she said "If brands really want to get a step ahead of their competitors during the festive season, they need to find a way to differentiate their direct mail campaigns, whether that is with an innovative Christmas design or by integrating it with technology."

Trend towards buying by mobile
With 41% of people buying their Christmas gifts using their smartphones this year and a further 35% using their tablets, brands should be looking to capitalise on this by incorporating mobile technologies like QR codes into their direct mail campaigns. Providing prospects with something different, whether it is a USB stick loaded with Christmas music and promotional information or a mini Christmas catalogue complete with product QR codes, is the best way brands can make their direct mail campaigns stand out from the rest.

Previous Christmas Direct Mail Programs Success
Companies wanting to step up their direct mail campaigns over the Christmas period should also be looking at other brands' previous successes for inspiration. The likes of Littlewoods and Virgin Holidays, as well as charities including UNICEF and The Salvation Army have all had great successes with the direct mail campaigns they have run over the past few years.

Many may remember Virgin Holidays' cheeky burlesque Christmas campaign, which aimed to increase bookings over the Christmas period for holidays in May through to September. Burlesque girls were featured on the direct mail campaign covering up their modesty with sale offers. This innovative and exciting campaign saw improvements in brand awareness and is believed to have contributed significantly to the bookings for Virgin Holidays, which have increased 25% year on year.

Equally as successful was The Salvation Army's Christmas campaign, which ran by direct mail over the twenty four days leading up to Christmas. Direct mail shots featuring gritty images of the people The Salvation Army looked out for were sent out, reminding people of the reality of Christmas for many. The charity spent £1m on the campaign and received a whopping £10m return, which included 105,000 new supporters and increased donations from existing supporters.

What to do next
When it comes to creating the perfect direct mail campaign for the Christmas period, there's a need to think outside of the box and find a way to build an emotional connection with consumers and that is something Birmingham direct mail specialists, Baker Goodchild can help with.

Looking to step up direct mail marketing in 2015? Find out more about Baker Goodchild's direct mail fulfilment services at http://www.bakergoodchild.co.uk/services/direct-mail-fulfilment.

Contact information:
Telephone: 0800 612 1972
Fax: 0121 248 8550

Baker Goodchild
257 Great King Street
The Jewellery Quarter
Birmingham
B19 3AS

Image credits: D H Wright and HowardLake