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Is All Direct Mail Junk Mail?
By Cynthia Fedor | January 19, 2009
The wonderful thing about art is that it has the power to spark dialogue and promote action.
On Friday, I made my way over to Flatbed Press in Austin, TX to see a new exhibit by artist Annette Lawrence. Through the exhibition, “Free Paper,” the artist comments on paper waste created by direct mail, or as she refers to it, junk mail. She collected 12 months worth of mail that made it into her mailbox and stacked them into piles, organized by month. The cross-sectioned mounds are beautiful, showing layers of color and texture. They are also overwhelming.
This exhibition got me thinking about a lot of things: the pros and cons of direct mail, the artist’s personal beliefs and feelings about direct mail, ethics and the environment as it relates to direct mail marketing, and so on.
Was it all really unwanted direct mail?
The first thing I will say is that, although it was amazing to see how much paper was collected by one person over 12 months, I wondered how much of it was really unsolicited direct mail. I noticed pieces included in the stacks that may not have been ‘junk mail.’ For example, I saw a hotel parking pass, trade magazines, and what looked to be invitations to other art openings. I’ll see if I can contact the artist to get more information. If I am successful, I’ll follow up next week.
Takeaways from “Free Paper.”
Not all direct mail is junk mail. Targeted direct mail with personalized messages and offers tailored to the recipient’s needs is not junk mail. A recent survey conducted by Prospectiv and published by Brand Week revealed that 39% of consumers wanted coupons delivered to them via direct mail. Also notable, 80% of consumers stated that personalized coupons tailored to their interest would increase the likelihood of coupon use. I think that if marketers are aware of their audiences’ needs and are respectful regarding the amount of communication passed to them via direct mail, a happy medium for both the marketer and consumer can be discovered.
Marketers have a responsibility to choose paper products from FSC-certified sources. They can also select vendors that practice environmental stewardship. Additionally, marketers can explore new tools, printing processes and companion marketing solutions that will help them be more targeted with direct mail campaigns while reducing paper waste.
Consumers can do their part by recycling unwanted paper waste rather than dropping it in the trash. Opting to receive digital versions of magazines and newspapers can help reduce paper waste too. They can also offer feedback to organizations that continually send unwanted direct mail.
What do you think? Do you consider all direct mail as junk mail?