Nine ways GDPR will benefit direct mail

Marketers may be embarking on the biggest regulatory change they have seen in a lifetime, but rest assured direct mail can benefit from the new General Data Protection Regulations.

1. Consent may not be necessary

You won’t necessarily need consent for direct mail as you may be able to rely on legitimate interest, but you will need consent for some calls, texts and emails under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). That means you may only be able to reach some customers by mail because it’s subject to fewer regulations than electronic communications.

2. Fewer regulatory unknowns

You have fewer regulatory unknowns using mail unlike electronic channels. Mail is not impacted by the proposed ePrivacy Regulation, whereas electronic media are.

3. Getting consent

Direct Mail offers the ideal opportunity to get consent from customers. This type of mail is regarded as marketing activity, so you’ll be able to qualify for admail discounts.

4. Higher response rates

People respond to mail because it’s valued, unlike email marketing which is generally regarded as more impersonal, less relevant and often annoying.

5. Fewer penalties

So far, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has not fined anyone for promotional mail, however seventeen penalties were issued in 2017 for other media including text, phone calls and email.

6. Easy to stay in touch

While people are more likely to have multiple email addresses, they generally only have one residential postal address.

7. Don’t forget the power of doordrops

Doordrops enable you to engage with households without using personal data. Highly targeted and delivered with addressed mail, research shows doordrops stay in the home for an average of 38 days and are frequently referred to.

8. Mail works with other media

Studies show that mail works effectively with other media. For instance it’s likely you’ll benefit from better brand recall if the recipient has been mailed a week or two before.

9. Mail has evolved

Ground-breaking new reach and frequency metrics are now available to agencies and advertisers thanks to the recent launch of JICMAIL.  Find out more at www.jicmail.org.uk

For more information about General Data Protection Regulation visit www.whistl.co.uk/gdpr