Political Direct Mail is Here to Stay

Direct mail isn’t going anywhere yet. According to a recent report, the industry is continuing to grow year over year. And as more and more digital privacy laws take effect, some media experts are forecasting the rise of “old school” media tactics — such as direct mail — to reach their target audience.

In the political ecosystem, almost every modern campaign uses targeted direct mail for two reasons. It is the most cost-effective companion to your digital media and it is addressable.

Over the past decades, there has been a growing shift toward “addressable media,” as it is often referred to in political consulting jargon. A broadcast TV ad, for example, is by its very definition just that — broadcast. Anyone tuned into the channel at that time sees it: voters and nonvoters, people who live in your district, and people who are just visiting friends or family in your district. Mail can be targeted just to likely voters in your district, but beyond that efficiency, it can be targeted to people who are most likely to be persuaded by your message. (For example, you can send the mail piece about your commitment to funding public education just to likely parents in your district — and avoid reaching voters who won’t be moved by this particular message.)

The impact of direct mail is why our team wrote the free e-book: The Seven Key Components of Effective Political Mail, available here. In this e-book, we cover why direct mail works, and the seven most important issues to consider when creating direct mail for your campaign. If you’re thinking about launching a direct mail program for your campaign — we’d invite you to check it out to learn tested best practices around creative, messaging, and targeting.

Our team is standing by to support the candidates and campaign teams who are stepping up to run. Should you have any questions — or if there is anything our team can do to support your media planning — we’ve included the option to book a time to chat here: