In Focus | Direct Mail

Direct mail “has been around forever,” says Wendy Zajack, Faculty Director for Georgetown University’s graduate program in Integrated Marketing Communications. But is it still a useful tool? The answer, says Victoria Stephen, Director of Mailing Services for the U.S. Postal Service, is an emphatic “yes.” Every day, we’re inundated with thousands of digital messages, of which we remember maybe four, Stephen said. “Leveraging the mailbox and some of that powerhouse that comes with a physical, printed mail piece really helps people at any stage of their journey,” she said, whether it’s introducing a product, making a sale, maintaining relationships with existing customers, or getting referrals for new ones. Here, Stephen and Zajack talk about how this new generation of direct mail—often coupled with digital content—can send a powerful message.