Inevitability. It’s a sensation that’s become all too familiar, especially in times like these. It’s inevitable that things are going to get worse before they get better, whether you’re talking about the current economic crisis, an impending hurricane or tooth decay. But sometimes things don’t get better and that’s when you’re forced to adopt, adapt, improve or otherwise transform into something more suited to a particular application or to better serve a specific need. Take direct mail for example. In her blog post “More US Postal Service News“,
I do believe that direct mail will remain a viable channel for some marketers. However, I think that the trend of cutting mail volume is here to stay. Gone are the days of super-duper high volume direct mail, blanketing anyone who seems close to the target audience. DM will be used judiciously and only where it makes sense.
Let’s think about that for a moment and put it in terms of military strategy. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu counsels:
Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
And just like water, so are the economic conditions, mercurial interests and spending patterns of our target audience. As conditions change, we must vary our approach accordingly in a sensible manner. That is why targeted demographics, variable data printing and digital print-on-demand services aren’t just part of the future of direct mail, they ARE the future. And, unlike dinosaurs, we have the intelligence and technological sophistication to adapt quickly and avoid extinction. All it takes is the wisdom to know when and how to change. If you need a little help with that, we’ve got several wise guys here at QuantumDigital who would love to hear from you!
