Many feel brand marketing and direct mail are separate concepts, but the two have the potential to go hand in hand. Brand awareness can be enhanced through direct mail and can greatly enhance a reader’s impression of the brand. There are a number of ways to do this that include using color the right way and keeping your message consistent. It is important to fully understand your target market before engaging in brand awareness and direct mail marketing.
What is brand marketing? Brand marketing strives to unite a product and a brand as one in the same. Brand marketers work hard to turn their products into household names and to make them go-to products of choice. Brand marketing works to establish big names with big budgets, while direct mail works on a much smaller scale. The question is whether brand awareness is more important than direct mail marketing. Which is right for your business?
Direct mail and brand awareness both have similar end goals. They work to increase awareness and sales. The downfall with brand awareness is that it’s hard to measure. This is where direct mail comes in. Direct mail is much easier to measure, and with sales being the end-goal, measurement is an important part of the industry.
Importantly, direct mail and brand awareness have the potential to work together. If you push your brand through direct mail, you will eventually reach “TOMA,” or top of mind awareness. People will think of your brand first when the subject arises, and that’s what we consider brand awareness, brand loyalty or brand effectiveness.
Direct Mail Tips
Direct mail can increase your image, but it can also be ignored or annoy consumers. To have effective direct mail and build brand awareness, consider the following:
- Understand Colors: Different colors evoke different emotional responses. Some bring out calmness while others induce anxiety. Consider how you want customers to feel reading your material and the impression you want to leave. If you want to be seen as professional, go with dark blue; if you want to be seen as fun or personable, go with a lighter color.
- Be Consistent: Strive to keep your direct mail consistent. If you are going with a serious approach with your material, stick with that. If you want to take a more lighthearted approach, stay true to that theme. The important thing is to choose the image you wish to project and remain consistent throughout direct mail marketing.
- Know your Target Market: Establish your target market before investing time in direct mail marketing. Studies show young families, people with time constraints, those who dislike marketing, or people who feel they are experts on the subject don’t respond well to direct mail. Brand users, bargain hunters and organized consumers respond much more positively to direct marketing.
Brand marketing and direct mail have the potential to increase awareness and increase sales. The combination can put you well on your way to enjoying a positive marketing experience.
