Letterbox Advertising Still Has A Place In The Marketing Mix

From social media to TV to banner ads, Australian marketers looking to drive engagement, enquiries and sales have more channel choices than ever before. With this in mind, the October 2014 Australia Post Consumer Survey focused on a traditional channel that might have fallen out of favour with some marketers – letterbox advertising.

More than 2,000 Australians were canvassed to find out how much letterbox advertising they receive, which industries use this channel and how people respond to the products and offers promoted in this way.

Australia Post spokesperson Mark Pollock, general manager – mail Products said, “The average Australian recalled receiving almost 13 pieces of letterbox advertising per week – so this channel is also still comparatively uncluttered, especially when you consider how much email people receive and how many TV, outdoor and radio adverts they are exposed to. Supermarkets, real estate companies, department stores, hardware outlets and local restaurants / takeaways were the most common advertisers, with supermarkets achieving readership levels of 77 per cent – a remarkable level of engagement for any advertising channel.”

“In terms of cut-through, when delivered with addressed mail by Australia Post, letterbox advertising is more likely to be taken into the house. In fact, 83 per cent of survey respondents brought letterbox advertising into the home with their regular mail. And, while some advertising channels are viewed as intrusive, letterbox advertising can be enjoyed by recipients at a time that suits them. 45 per cent of recipients read their letterbox advertising immediately, while 43 per cent read it in the evening, while relaxing,” Pollock added.

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For marketers, letterbox advertising offers great reach. In October 2014, more than 75 per cent of Australian households received letterbox advertising. In addition, 60 per cent of people said they shared the letterbox advertising they received with another household member – a distinct advantage that comes with using printed catalogues, flyers and brochures.

The survey confirmed that letterbox advertising not only engages readers, it can lead directly to enquiries and sales for advertisers. 42 per cent of respondents said they had made a purchase in the previous 12 months, after reading a catalogue. More than half went to a company’s retail store to make a purchase, while 20 per cent bought an item online.

For marketers planning advertising activity around Christmas or other key gifting celebrations, 58 per cent of survey respondents said they had used catalogues, brochures and flyers to plan their Christmas purchases, while 40 per cent had consulted these communications when considering birthday gifts.

When it comes to the format of catalogues and flyers, 45 per cent of Australians preferred to receive them via mail, rather than via digital channels.

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