I was returning from my daily visit to the mailbox earlier this week when I heard a neighbor say “Oh great, the mail is here!” That caught me a little off guard. As someone who has worked in this business for over 20 years, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask why she was so happy to get her mail? “Are you expecting something special?” I said. ” No, not really, she replied. I just need a break from all the news and stuff.”
I know we all need to stay abreast of what’s happening today, but here was a person who was looking to the mail as a respite from the challenges of the day. A way to disconnect for just a few minutes and see what engaging information might be in her mail
Right now, consumers are looking for a diversion.
They are craving a distraction that will let them spend a few minutes with something familiar and comforting like the mail. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but think about it. The mail is the one constant that so many of us have been brought up with our whole lives. It’s a part of our shared experience. Regardless of age, income, ethnicity, or gender, we all have been surrounded by the mail for as long as we can remember.
We spend so much time looking at screens all day that the mail is a welcome way to tune out and engage with something tangible and real. Research indicates that there is a special and different response in our brains when we are reading and engaging with something tactile, more so than when we see it on a screen.
Researchers say there is better recall of the facts and surveys reveal that we generally find printed advertisements more trustworthy. Whether it be a catalog, a postcard, or your latest local coupons, people look forward to the mail.
Many of you have continued to be present in the marketplace in meaningful ways, and that’s good. Here’s a Forbes article that talks about the value of staying in front of customers during hard times and how it positions you for a stronger rebound. For some of you though, marketing just hasn’t been an option. We get that. But the important thing to remember is that soon this crisis will end, and people will be able to shop and dine out and will be looking for some semblance of normalcy in their lives. The businesses that engage consumers during this “time-out” will be the ones that see the fastest recovery.
Current events remind us that home is where everything important begins. And since most every home has a mailbox, there’s no better place to interact with your prospects than through the mail.
If you have questions we might be able to help out with, please call us. OK…, maybe we don’t know why a salad fork is smaller than a dinner fork, but we do have a lot of other info we can share. Seriously, if we can be of any assistance, please reach out.
Til next time.
