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BULLETIN
14
Direct mail more persuasive
than email
Direct mail is more effective than digital
advertising in motivating consumers to
act, according to a new study that used
brain imaging and eye-tracking to assess
the impact of marketing material on
recipients.
Mirroring the findings of a separate report
by Royal Mail MarketReach, the Canada Post
study by neuro-marketing expert Diana Lucaci
underlines the emotional impact of physical
mail on understanding, persuasiveness and
recall.
Key findings are that direct mail is:
n
Easier to understand and more memorable
– physical media requires 21% less effort to
understand and creates a 70% higher brand
recall;
n
More persuasive – direct mail generates a
20% higher motivation score than digital;
n
Faster – direct mail gets the message across
faster, requiring just a quick glance and low
cognitive effort; and
n
More likely to drive consumers to act. In
a test examining the relationship between
persuasiveness (motivation) and understanding,
only direct mail passed the crucial threshold
necessary to trigger the desired action from the
consumer.
The study also found that direct mail’s
motivation score jumps when scent or
sound is included, with 'sensory' direct mail
outperforming standard direct mail and
achieving a 30% higher motivation score than
digital media.
Strong growth
underway in IT business
investment
by Andy Milsom,
Head of Partner
Training and
Development,
BNP Paribas
Leasing Solutions
Revised business data
for the performance
of the UK Economy
in 2015 has recently
been published by The
Office for National
Statistics and The Bank
of England.
The information
released makes happy reading for suppliers of IT
equipment. Business investment, to which IT makes a
significant contribution, has been growing strongly.
Total business investment between quarter one
and quarter two increased by 1.6% and was 3.1%
higher than a year earlier. However, investment in ICT
and other equipment and machinery increased by 3%
in the second quarter of the year and was 3.5% cent
higher than a year earlier, which shows an accelerated
investment trend in this particular sector.
Whilst some larger businesses have been using
cash reserves, built up by under-investment between
2008 and 2013, to fund their IT acquisitions, many
smaller businesses remain dependent on banks and
leasing companies to ensure that they have the
technology to remain competitive.
The Bank of England’s latest update reported that
credit availability and demand within the corporate
sector remained unchanged between Q1 and Q2,
but where smaller and medium-sized businesses are
concerned, both supply and demand for credit grew in
the early part of the year, a trend expected to continue
into Q3.
Regarding borrowing costs, the Bank notes there
was a significant fall in the price of loans to large
corporates, but no real change for smaller businesses
between Q1 and Q2. The Bank of England will release
its Q3 review within the next couple of weeks and
we will then see if the predictions for Q3 prove to
be correct, alongside the Bank’s forecast for the final
quarter of the year.
Leasing remains a highly attractive option for
funding IT investment and BNP Paribas Leasing
Solutions has seen a strong increase in the number
of ‘software-only’ deals being transacted. This
confirms an industry trend in which hardware is
rapidly becoming a less significant component of IT
expenditure. It is important that resellers and solution
providers make themselves fully aware of the flexibility
available within current leasing packages.
New technology division
Close Brothers has established a new
technology services business within the Close
Brothers Leasing & Rentals division. Close
Brothers Technology Services will be headed
by Ian McVicar and John Drake, previously
managing director and finance director of
Lombard Technology Services.
Informa Exhibitions has reacted to
criticism of last year’s IPEX and is
promising a new, improved tri-ennial
print industry exhibition when IPEX
returns to the NEC Birmingham in
Autumn 2017.
To this end, it has forged a partnership with
the NEC and print industry trade association
Picon and created a Joint Executive Committee
representing the interests of manufacturers,
suppliers, importers and exporters.
Peter Hall, Managing Director of Informa
Exhibitions, said: “We are taking a fresh and
collaborative approach to designing the IPEX
of the future. We recognise that several aspects
of IPEX 2014 were not successful, but we have
learned from these and will consult closely
with the market to ensure that IPEX 2017 is a
UK-focused, industry-driven event that appeals
strongly to exhibitors and visitors.”
Picon CEO Bettine Pellant said: “There
is a strong appetite from UK suppliers,
manufacturers and visitors for a major event
every three years which keeps pace with the
speed of change in the industry, does not
conflict with drupa and very much complements
a variety of annual UK signage, packaging and
print shows.”
Blake has designed its Autumn Winter
Collection 2015 (AW15) to add impact to
mailings. In addition to bright colours and
metallic/holographic effects, the collection
includes ‘sensory’ options like tactile velvet
and bubblewrap envelopes. Managing
Director Michael Barter said: “Using a stylish
and colourful envelope is proven to have a
40% higher success rate than a plain looking
alternative. First impressions matter and our
range of quality, coloured papers, envelopes and
postal solutions are guaranteed to make a great
impression.”
New, improved IPEX for 2017
Blake Envelopes
