A new coalition aimed at increasing the use of CDs, DVDs and other optical media in direct mail was formed this month. DiscMail Direct, composed of manufacturers, packagers and creative service firms that work with optical media, will reach out to marketers and ad agencies to promote the value of their products for boosting response rates, as well as improving consumer analytics in direct mail campaigns.
Spearheaded by members of the Media and Entertainment Services Alliance, the coalition is working with the Direct Marketing Association on research showcasing the impact of CDs and DVDs in direct mail efforts, which will be published in several weeks. The group will also promote case studies that tout their optical media’s advantages over e-mail and search-based advertising, as well as a complement to traditional direct mail.
“We want to show that if you do more than four pieces of direct mail per year, you should add this to your arsenal,” said Guy Finley, director of DiscMail Direct. “When you compare discs to search engine, banner ads or e-mail campaigns, the response rate and the cost-per-response are huge: double digit response rates no matter what.” He also points to the data that can be gathered from specially-designed discs, allowing marketers to learn, “where is your customer going, what are they doing.”
DiscMail Direct’s steering committee is currently focused on building the coalition over the next several months, reaching out to other industry members through its website (www.directmaildirect.com) and other channels. It plans to begin targeting end users at October’s DMA 2010 Conference in San Francisco, offering educational discs that can be used as a tool for marketers to show clients or their bosses.
“There’s so much synergy right now with this product and what a richer experience it offers that it’s time to come out as an industry and promote this,” said Finley.
