Direct Mail Marketing

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that direct mail is a marketing approach in which potential prospects included on a list of names and addresses are sent information about a company or product; it is a controversial means of generating prospects but has been used effectively for years. The author points out that the telecommunications industry has typically used lists more oriented toward volume than quality, which is appropriate because telecommunications companies need a large volume of customers to impact their financial results. The paper concludes that the telecommunication companies have become very sophisticated in using direct mail such as enclosing a check, which could be credited against future billings, to motivate consumers to switch long distance carriers.

From the Paper:

"The cost of direct mail is high compared to other means of marketing. In addition to the cost of producing a letter, brochure or other material, the major cost of direct mail is postage. According to the United States Postal Service (USPS) web site, the cost can range from $.37 per item to $.12 per item. The discounted rate can be used if the sender is willing to perform some of the tasks the USPS performs, such as bar-coding and sorting. An annual fee is also required. There are also minimum amounts of pieces in order to qualify. However, the disadvantages of bulk mail (no correction of incorrect addresses, slow delivery, extra labor, lower response rate by recipients) can sometimes outweigh the savings."

More papers on Direct Mail Marketing:

• Essay # 51273 : "Business Marketing Communication"
• Essay # 28608 : "Marketing"
• Marketing Plan # 89409 : "Marketing for a Virtual Organization"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: