About Insert Media
Reaching the Consumer in Today's Marketplace:
Vertis, a recognized provider of marketing technology, released findings of a recent survey: Consumers would rather receive advertising offers through direct response mail when compared to other media channels.
According to the survey, some 31% of consumers polled said they would prefer to receive a company's product or service information through direct mail. The consumers' definition of direct response included newspaper inserts (FSI's), catalogs, on-page newspaper ads, and other print media. E-mails were listed only by 10% of the responders as the contact of choice. Only 6% reported they did not want to receive any direct response vehicles.
One may safely conclude that consumers are interested in the marketer's ware. What appears to be the message is: Let me see the details in print; I will evaluate at my convenience and let you know.
Insert Media has reached its maturity as a marketing channel. As a result, there are more programs on the market than before. This growth offers more opportunities than ever before in targeting the best prospects with the most potential for responding.
In addition to the growth of program opportunities, Insert Media has also seen an expanding roster of media users. Many of these new users are, increasingly, multi-channel "branded" companies instead of the traditional direct-marketer. This has added more credibility to the medium, as well as an increased awareness from consumers.
Numerous factors have created an environment for this growth including:
The establishment of the FTC Do Not Call Registry is a result of the general public's distain for receiving marketing calls. This registry has placed huge limitations on outbound telemarketing as a prospecting tool.
The same amount of annoyance is building for email marketing due to an over-abuse by unethical marketers. Legitimate direct marketers have paid the price for this abuse and have decreasing options to prospect by email. (Furthermore, the proposed establishment of email distribution surcharges, for marketers, are being considered by large internet service providers, such as: Yahoo and AOL. Such surcharges will increase the cost of acquiring customer through this channel.)
As a reaction to these changes, direct marketers have turned to an increased use of solo direct mail. Many lists of qualified direct response buyers are being exhausted, with the same universe receiving competitive offers - with decreasing effectiveness because the prospect becomes desensitized.
In tandem with the decreased response of solo-direct mail is the increasing expense. With a 5.4% rate increase by the Postal Service, many direct mailers may need to reallocate their resources to other media channels.
These external forces will continue to make Insert Media a more attractive channel, but there are aspects intrinsic to the medium that are advantageous.
The concept of Insert Media was founded on the premise of cost-effectiveness because the medium itself utilizes pre-existing distribution systems to deliver advertising, sharing the cost of distribution.
Compared to Solo direct mailing, Insert Media requires a fraction of the investment. Direct response prospects are accessible without the cost of lists, postage, and mail preparation.
Insert Media programs have higher "opening rates" than solo direct mail pieces because the mail is expected or is sent by a known source. This increases the chance that the advertisement or offer will be seen by the prospect. Since the owner of the distribution (originator of the package, statement, etc.) must approve the advertisement prior to insertion, an implied endorsement is also created, giving the advertiser more credibility - especially, if it is included in a mailing by a trusted source.
Some Insert Media programs, such as package insert programs, create a positive-buying environment. There is a certain level of excitement that accompanies the delivery of mail order products. Two important things can be established: the customers are mail-order buyers and they are generally in a good mood when exposed to inserts included in package, making this is a time when they are most receptive to seeing offers that are relevant to their buying habits.
Insert Media also is not as obtrusive as other forms of marketing. Customers will decide under what terms and conditions their personal information will be given out. Personal information is shared willingly by the prospect because they are interested in the product, which creates a venue for that person to opt-in to other forms of communication.
This built-in privacy protection allows advertisers to have access the customers of a company that doesn't have their customer list available for rental. In fact, some of the most protected customer files - such as those belonging to banks or utility companies - may be reached through an insert program.
NOTE WORTHY: It is helpful for the direct marketer to understand the working of the industry. One of the often misunderstood or misinterpreted areas of a Data Card is the term Rate Card.
Rate Card: This is the desired Cost Per Thousand (CPM) value that the Program Owners want to receive from third party advertisers. This rate can be negotiable, but negotiation is dependent on multiple factors including (but not limited to): order quantity, frequency of placement, weight of the insert, space availability in the program, owner distribution costs, and competitiveness of the product or service.
WHAT CAN IT DO FOR ME?
As an insert, Insert Media can:
As a program owner, Insert Media can: