84% of marketers report that direct mail marketing provides the highest ROI of any channel they use, and this figure has consistently increased year-over-year for the last three. The power of direct mail marketing to reach consumers is a big reason why retailers leverage mailers as part of their seasonal marketing campaigns, especially now as brands look to communicate and position special back-to-school promotions and offers.
The ability to connect and engage consumers in a way that delivers results means more marketers are incorporating direct mail into their communications strategy — more than 80% of marketers increased their direct mail budget this year. This increased level of competition means marketers and designers need to think more creatively and strategically about how to make their mailers stand out.
With this in mind, let’s look at a couple of tips and tricks for retailers to differentiate their print marketing communications — including direct mail campaigns — from the competition, and ensure that they also provide a meaningful ROI.
Consider color (paper)
It may seem obvious, but choosing color paper for retail print marketing can be extremely effective in making sure your communications stand out from competing brands — printing on color paper can also help your direct mailers quickly capture a consumer’s attention, especially given the high volume of more traditional black and white customer communications in the USPS pipeline.
Plus, choosing color paper that reflects your brand guidelines can help enhance brand awareness, and bold uses of color can also increase the likelihood that your print marketing is shared in personal or professional networks — a recent report that 51% of consumers will share a piece of print marketing like direct mail with friends or family.
If your retail print marketing does include a direct mail component that requires an envelope, choosing a color paper for that envelope can help create a powerful first impression, and this can help create a stronger sense of connection and engagement right out of the gate.
Think about using a heavyweight paper stock
One of the biggest advantages of print marketing is that it’s tactile and sensory. It’s a physical object that consumers can hold and admire, and choosing a heavyweight paper stock can help marketers double down on this tactile appeal. What’s more, studies have shown that reading in print promotes better memory retention and recall, thus increasing the chance that customers remember and make connections with your branding or messaging.
Not only can heavyweight paper stocks help your print marketing materials stand out, but they can also help increase the durability of your communications, and this can be key for applications like direct mail or marketing materials where the objective is to drive in-store traffic. In both instances, a heavyweight paper can help ensure your print marketing has the maximum possible lifespan to help enhance ROI.
Additionally, heavyweight paper stocks are compatible with a variety of exciting finishing techniques that can help enhance consumer engagement and interactivity.
Focus on finishings
Not only do finishings increase the visual appeal, but the inclusion of finishing techniques can better engage your target audience and help ensure your print marketing has more staying power compared to pieces without finishings. There are a handful of finishing techniques that can help retail marketers take the look and feel of their communications to the next level, some of which include:
- Ultraviolet (UV) coating: UV coating creates a glossy, polished look that can enhance the appearance of your marketing materials, and it also protects them from any wear and tear. With UV coating, a coating machine applies a clear compound to printed paper, and then dries it instantly with UV light, leaving behind a coating fit to your specifications. This coating can be applied to the entire piece, or you can opt for Spot UV, where only certain areas of the printed piece are coated.
- Die-cutting: This finishing technique cuts and scores paper into custom shapes and designs. Die-cutting can help create interactive folds and tabs, realistic shapes, cut-out doors, and 3-D designs to better entice customers to interact with your print marketing. Plus, die-cutting can offer some practical benefits, particularly in the form of small or hidden pockets that can house other print pieces, like coupons or business cards
- Foil stamping: Foil stamping uses a sculpted metal stamp or die to apply metallic foil to paper via heat. This infuses print materials with a visual and tactile enhancement that can create more dynamic, engaging print. Some ways to incorporate foil stamping include using metallic colors, pearl or pigment foils, or even holographic foils to create a reflective rainbow effect.
Regardless of whether you’re printing fliers, catalogs, or direct mailers, these design tips will help ensure your retail print marketing has an edge over the competition. Accent® Opaque has a variety of premium paper options with excellent opacity and 97 brightness for almost any application, and Accent’s The Heavyweights is a high-quality, durable heavyweight paper stock that can help your print pieces finish at the head of the class.
Browse our Accent Text and Cover options, or learn more about The Heavyweights to find the right paper for your next project.
