Did you know that 83% of purchases are influenced by direct mail? (source: Pebble Post). For this reason, mailing directly is a key component of the media mix. To add perspective, here are additional facts and figures pointing to the power of direct mail.
While the U.S. does not have one federal law that regulates the protection of personally identifiable information (PII), PII is protected by several sector-specific laws. The major players are the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These are just some examples of laws that apply to customer protection, financial institutions, telemarketing, commercial emails, and European markets.
While there is much to consider, businesses in the U.S. can be data compliant by fulfilling the requirements of the GDPR, understanding state-specific regulations, creating a comprehensive and detailed privacy policy, and employing data encryption and security. Please find more detail on how to be a “smart marketer” below (including bonus tips!).
A recently released study of over 2,500 students from the University of Mississippi and Purdue University, conducted by MNI Targeted Media, reveals insightful nuggets about both the purchasing behaviors and media consumption habits of the post-millennial generation better known as Generation Z. Advertisers should pay close attention to this group, born between 1995 and 2012, that’s currently a quarter of the U.S. population and is expected to account for 40% of all consumers by 2020.
NEMOA, the National Etailing and Mailing Organization of America, brought together hundreds of e-commerce and direct marketing professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds for its annual Spring Summit in Boston last week. Media Horizons was pleased attend the conference as a gold sponsor.
A plethora of ideas were shared and discussed by many thought leaders.
Here are our Top 10 Takeaways from the Spring Summit:
It’s no secret that magazines and print advertising have been in a state of consolidation.
Jann Wenner just sold a controlling interest in Rolling Stone. Rodale was acquired by Hearst and Time Inc. was purchased by Meredith, with downsizing likely after both transactions close. And some of the best-known magazines around, including Gourmet, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Life have ceased printing altogether or been significantly refocused.
However, there are signs of life.
With the arrival of 2017, we look back and reflect on some of the defining marketing trends and media habits throughout the past year. While we saw a surge in influencer marketing, a shift in the landscape of streaming video consumption, and proof that consumers’ continue to place their trust in traditional media, one thing’s for sure: the marketing landscape is ever-changing.
But what strategies and tactics will influence marketing in 2017? A number of Media Horizons’ thought leaders share their perspective on what’s in store for brands and marketers in the year ahead.
Flashback to a decade ago and the term “subscription box” was essentially non-existent. At a time when the majority of retail existed through local brick-and-mortar stores and home delivery from postal-mailed catalogs, the explosion of online shopping has since transformed the industry, giving way to entirely new retail sub-industries, including the rapid emergence of the subscription box industry.
Something happened this past holiday season that retailers have never seen before. Consumers retreated in record numbers from stores and malls to shop online from the comfort of their home – and retailers took notice.
For the first time in history, online sales outpaced in-stores sales. Take a look at the stats: Cyber Monday was the biggest day in U.S. online shopping ever; e-commerce revenues were up 16.4% from 2014. Conversely, brick-and-mortar sales decreased 10.4% from 2014, according to ShopperTrak.