The Benefits of Door to Door Media

What is door-to-door media?

Door-to-door media or door drop media enables brands to connect with consumers in their homes using insight and data analytics to target households who fit specific geo-demographic profiles. Through leaflet and unaddressed mail campaigns, brands and businesses can deliver a printed marketing message to millions of households, reaching potential customers within their homes.

This type of direct marketing is primarily used as a new customer acquisition channel, and a staggering 92% of people read the door drops delivered to their homes by Royal Mail. There is a range of benefits from advertising in this way including GDPR compliance, meaning you don’t have the hassle of dealing with personal data; format and creative flexibility, as designs can be tailored to your business’ needs; and it is a cost-effective way of driving brand engagement.

JICMail research shows high door drop interaction rates across all life stages, but one of the main priorities when creating a successful door-to-door campaign is targeting the right households to suit your business’ demographic.

Geo-graphical targeting 

At Whistl we can support the geographical targeting of postcodes in door-to-door advertising, making sure the appropriate households, more likely to engage with your business, receive your campaign.

With access to over 29 million UK households, your door drop strategy can be built by geographical areas, right down to postcode level, allowing you to pinpoint your key demographics of the most potentially prosperous households to receive your printed marketing materials. With access to industry-leading data tools, we look at common traits such as age, income, and presence of children. To create meaningful audience groups.

Integrating door-to-door with other media channels

A door-to-door media works alongside an already existing marketing campaign and when correctly scheduled. Campaigns that use door drops as part of the marketing mix can have a 90% acquisition rate, compared to 63% for campaigns with no accompanying door drop.

The increase in acquisition and sales rates shows how valuable this type of media is and door drop performance is improved by over 21% when it follows less targeted mass media including TV, Radio, National Press, and social media. 

Which sectors are utilising the power of print?

Door-to-door media is used across industries, and there are sectors that thrive from advertising in this way. Retailers and eCommerce companies and the Travel and Leisure sector are a few examples of industries that use door-to-door media to their advantage. In fact, Charities across the UK have used leaflet advertising and envelope formats to drive new donations for over 50 years and in 2019, 242 million charity leaflets were distributed to homes. Charites rely on door-to-door media to boost donations and inform prospective donors through appeals.

After 4 years, 80% of door drop customers are still loyal to companies and charities, compared to under 60% for online or TV customers and door drop customers are twice as likely to repurchase from brands in the future.

So how can you maximise the return on investment of a door-to-door campaign?

Be strategic with your door drop design and really consider which door drop creative format fits your business. A classic door drop campaign can be effectively executed, but other options include sampling door drops, localised door drops, multi-page door drops, partially addressed mail and more. At Whistl we can advise and support the design and creative solutions.

Door-to-Door Formats

Format flexibility gives your business and brand the opportunity to create a tailored campaign that fits your message and increases brand engagement as we know the brain responds more strongly to physical mail compared to email and social media. Pairing this with a strong call to action to your website or even physical store can increase brand engagement.

Increasing Door-to-Door Response Rates

Offering a discount or special deal is a great way to attract new customers and entice your door drop audience. By including a tailored promotional code, coupon, or special offer within your design depending on the user group or area, your campaign response could be increased and could offer you an opportunity to collect key insights from your target audience. 

Planning a campaign with targeted distribution turns a door drop into a mature marketing campaign and lets you strategize by choosing your target audience.