First of all, you don’t need a degree in cognitive function to create an impactful direct mailer. In fact, if you did have all that academic knowledge swimming around, then you may even over-think your marketing strategy and get caught up on the details, even before a campaign has begun. However, it’s certainly worth having a little reassuring knowledge as to how people react to direct mailers, in order to design your printed efforts effectively – here are the basics in direct marketing psychology.
Engaging emotional, egotistical beings
One of the greatest aspects of the human ego is it supports our belief that we are rational, logical, and completely independent in our decision making. In effect, the ego helps us to ignore the extent to which we are guided and influenced by our emotional state.
But research regularly identifies that both deep-seeded emotions, and fleeting feelings are both integral to the quality of our decisions. So, when we open a direct marketing mailer, the ego will always be stirred, at least for a moment, as we open or unfold the item of mail that’s been made just for us.
Targeting naturally terrified entities
On the other side of this coin, however, lies the natural instinct that tells us to watch out – for everything! Ultimately, we want to avoid risk, at least most of the time. So, the natural instinct is to quickly evaluate what’s in front of us, find a fault, and quickly get back to doing what we know works.
Plus, everything we see is always compared to everything else we know, and we do this without even thinking about it. So, even a completely new offer will be judged against something similar, and the quality of what’s in front of us is immediately measured against a lifetime’s worth of memory.
Presenting to people who adore people
If you think back to your maths class in school, you’ll recall that theory and equations were often presented in bizarre, real-life situations. And although you may never have since had to work out the volume of space below a window-cleaner’s ladder, you’ll have continued, throughout your life, to think in terms of people – as opposed to abstract ideas.
Ultimately, the brain is designed to help us succeed in two things; not dying, and succeeding in social situations. So, direct mailers that feature high quality images of people, names, quotes, and tangible, everyday benefits will fare far better than faceless promises from an inhuman brand identity.
Tangible benefits for touchy-feely fanatics
In David Linden’s book, Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind, he investigates the importance of the one thing that will always give direct marketing the upper hand over digital. His research has proven that touch is incredible for: “promoting trust and cooperation and thereby deeply influencing our perceptions of others.”
And this, more than anything, is why direct marketing will always be a wonderful option for businesses and marketers everywhere. Putting a high-quality product into the hands of a potential customer will also put it into their hearts and minds too. Marketers who send the highest quality mailers, using products like Duplo International’s direct marketing systems, will always have the opportunity to make their audience feel, remember, and emotionally react to their campaigns.
2018 ·