5 Eye-Catching Direct Mail Ideas

The very first thing that direct mail needs to do in the mailbox is catch people’s attention. Many times, customers need help to create the most effective direct mail. We can help them by making suggestions on ways to create an eye-catching mail piece. There are many options out there for you to choose from.

Five Eye-Catching Ideas:

1. Foil Stamping: In a study by the Foil and Specialty Effect Association they wanted to determine what would make products stand out on a shelf with similar products. This study works well to highlight visual ques that call out to people. The visual nature of direct mail’s first impression is very similar to shelf products. They used eye tracking in order to see what caught people’s attention the most. The eye gravitates toward the foil stamping quickly and stays there longer. They found that a package that attracted attention quickly had a strong influence on the consumer’s decision to buy.
2. Embossing: When you bring lift to your mailer with embossing you are able to add dimension and pop. “Embossing uses a specially-made die under high pressure to form a raised three-dimensional impression that allows you to feel the design.” It is possible to use embossing and combine it with foil stamping for an even greater effect.
3. Texture: There are many options for adding texture to paper. You can purchase paper that comes textured such as laid, linen, vellum and mottled. There are many more to choose from as well. The next option is to add texture with a coating. I find these to be really fun and attention getting. There its etch coat which can create very fine patterns. Scratch off is a fun option to get people curious. Sand paper has that really gritty feel to it. Then there are glitter, metal flake, tinted, UV, glow in the dark and so much more!
4. Smell: Adding scent can be really fun. Scent can easily trigger good as well as bad memories. By adding scent to your direct mail, you can create a lasting experience for recipients. The most common way to infuse scent is scratch and sniff. This drives interaction with your piece on more than one level. It is also providing an experience that is not possible with digital channels.
5. Ink: There is a wide variety of reactive inks now that can really catch the eye. A few examples are: Conductive inks: create a circuit and activate a device with lights or sounds. Leuco Dyes: change color with variations in temperature. Thermochromatic: These are heat sensitive dyes. Optically Variable Ink: contain metallic materials that change appearance when viewed from different angles. Piezochromic: change appearance under pressure. There are others too.

The imagination can run wild with all the creative things we can do to make direct mail that really grabs attention. You can really help clients play up the tactile nature of direct mail by adding any of the above items. When you are able to really take advantage of a marketing channel and pull on its strengths, you are able to draw the consumer into your message and have it resonate.

Creating eye catching direct mail that people want to touch and interact with is very powerful and persuasive.  Have you seen a great mail piece that uses one of the above methods or something else that really caught your eye? Get your clients excited about direct mail and increase their response rates! Are you ready to get started?