Direct mail

Direct mail has long been used by pharmaceutical companies to educate physicians and consumers about the benefits of their products. With something as important as healthcare information, direct mail and printed communications in general have been great tools for driving engagement and conveying all the important details of a company’s new drug. 

But is direct mail still as reliable – and relevant – given all of the digital marketing channels available to pharmaceutical companies? Can it be as effective as online advertising, especially when targeting the younger generation?

Below are just a few considerations when planning to use direct mail as part of your marketing mix.

Effective Across Ages

Physical Touchpoints in a Distanced World
Speaking of physical touchpoints, in March of 2020, pharmaceutical companies were forced to quickly realign sales strategies around the absence of face-to-face interactions with physicians and stay at home mandates. Direct mail communications became one of the few physical touchpoints available, and, according to our first-hand experience, led some pharmaceutical companies to rely more heavily on – and reap benefits from – this reliable, performance-based marketing channel.

Staying Power
Having a physical item to hold in your hands that you either read immediately or review at a later date creates the opportunity for a longer-lasting impression. Compared to an email that is viewed quickly and sinks lower into one’s inbox, a tangible mail piece can be pinned to a bulletin board or placed on a kitchen countertop to be seen again.

This “staying power” also helps increase top of mind awareness, so when patients see a corresponding brochure in a doctor’s office, they may be more likely to ask their physician about it, and the physician may be more likely to reccommend your brand or product because the patient is already informed of its benefits, or simply, its existence.

Personalized for Impact
With today’s digital printing and variable data technology, mail pieces can be completely personalized with both messaging and imagery based on the data you have on your target audience, including: age, location, clinical setting, previous engagement with your company, etc. This ensures that each person receives a relevant message that’s more likely to evoke a reaction and be remembered, creating a more targeted, impactful brand experience.

For example, a pharmaceutical company looking to increase awareness about a new respiratory drug among a broad range of consumers can turn a single direct mail campaign into many highly-personalized communications. Using variable content based on age and location, seniors living in Florida can see imagery of older couples walking on the beach, while millennials in Colorado can see images of young friends hiking in the mountains. Not many marketers take advantage of this powerful technology, so when used properly, it can really set your brand apart and demonstrate that you’ve put more thought into communicating with each person.

Action-Driven Trigger Mail

Trigger mailings involve an automated communication sent based on a predefined behavior or action taken by a physician or consumer, such as the passing of a certain amount of time or a request for more information. They can also be integrated with online marketing efforts or the company’s CRM system to be used as, for example, sales follow-ups to meetings with physicians. The most valuable part of trigger mail is that it can be measured, modified, and improved over time to drive greater results.

We’re Here to Help!
With Hatteras’ PharmaDirect, we offer a wide range of direct mail strategies and formats tailored specifically to pharmaceutical companies – from standard letter/envelope mailings, to postcards, to self-mailers with built-in pockets for PIs (Pharmaceutical Package Inserts), to dimensional mail pieces and sales kits designed for engaging opening experiences.

Every pharmaceutical company we work with is a little different. Our direct mail experts will work with you to understand your marketing goals and help you develop a program that’s designed for results and aligns with your budget. Hatteras is also fully compliant with HIPAA guidelines and is a certified USPS Full-Service Mail Service Provider, helping you deploy your campaigns in the most secure and economical way possible.

Here’s what one client had to say:

“Hatteras has been a great partner for Sun Pharma on our direct mail campaigns, especially through the pandemic when direct mail has served as a great follow-up tool for our Reps, yielding better than expected results. Their knowledge and expertise of all USPS guidelines has been instrumental in streamlining the process and creating cost savings. — Steve Patten, Senior Manager of Brand Procurement, Sun Pharmaceuticals

We’re living in a new world, at least for the time being. The Covid-19 pandemic has put many of our personal and professional routines on hold.

One change you may have noticed is a big drop in the volume of mail in your mailbox. Uncertainty has caused some marketers to put campaigns on hold. But while caution has taken over some, opportunity has been created for others – a tremendous opportunity to ‘own the mailbox’ and have your brand message play a starring role in someone’s day.

Direct mail remains one of the most trusted communication methods. It provides a welcome brand touchpoint that can complement online marketing strategies and, when planned carefully, can generate among the highest response rates of any marketing channel.

Especially in today’s environment of social distancing, direct mail can be used as a physical touchpoint to reconnect with customers, re-invigorate brand awareness, and even inform your target audience about your business’s re-opening plans as a way to build anticipation and reassure people about safety guidelines.

Even though we’re living in this new world, many of the long-standing best practices for direct mail success still apply.  Assuming you have a good, targeted list and a brand messaging strategy ready to go, below are five things to consider to help maximize success as you plan your direct mail campaign.

1. The Power of Personalization. One of the biggest drivers of a strong response rate is your ability to tailor a communication to the recipient. It all starts with good data and what you know about your customers or target audience. Using this information, along with the latest advances in digital printing, you can personalize each piece with a combination of customized imagery and text to create a true one-to-one brand experience.  
    
2. A Nice Touch. Imagine the feel of a silky-smooth rose petal between your fingers or running your hand down the butter-soft leather seat of a luxury car. The sensation of touch is the most basic of human senses. Adding a textural element to your mailing – such as a soft touch coating – could be just the element that gets you noticed and makes a lasting impression with your prospective customers. 
    
3. Form and Function. Adding some structure and dimension to your mail piece can create a sense of discovery for the recipient. Using creative folds, pop-outs, sliders, or interesting shapes helps to increase engagement and make your brand message more memorable. Be sure to ask your printer to produce prototypes that you can hold in your hand and ensure form and function come to together as envisioned. 



4. Integrate with Digital. Studies have shown that when direct mail and digital campaigns are paired together, response rates increase by as much as 118%!  Design your direct mail campaign to drive online results – and vice-versa.  Online shopping behavior can be used to send a highly personalized direct mail offer that lands in someone’s hands within just days – using timing and relevance to maximize results.
    
5. Postal Sense. There’s a lot of money to be saved in the way you have your direct mail campaign designed and delivered. Be sure to work with a printer that’s a USPS Full-Service Mail Service Provider that fully understands all the postal guidelines and the most efficient way to design and deliver your piece for maximum savings. It’s also important you bring your printer into discussions early on so they can guide you towards the right solution for your budget.

Incorporating any one of these approaches can help you see improved response rates from your next direct mail campaign. But leveraging all five should help you produce maximum results and return on your marketing dollars.

Hatteras has nearly 40 years of experience in providing smart printing and mailing solutions that help marketers meet and achieve their marketing and brand objectives. Let our team of experts help you engineer a direct mail program that’s designed for success and fits your budget.

Joining Hatteras in May 2019, Ryan DeVesty leads our Digital Printing Department – an area of tremendous growth for Hatteras, making his role very critical to the company. Ryan’s focus has been on streamlining our digital production workflows, particularly for print-on-demand and variable data programs, enabling us to scale while still meeting our clients’ expectations for quality, and delivering jobs on-time and within budget.

Ryan has more than 10 years experience planning, designing, and managing commercial print projects, and is known for his creative problem solving, insight into print design, and developing innovative solutions. Among Ryan’s accomplishments is his development of a digital print substrate needing to withstand extreme weather conditions, and was ultimately used for race bibs in the winter Olympics.

Hatteras couldn’t be more pleased to have Ryan on our team!

We are excited to announce that Hatteras recently became certified as a USPS Full Service Mail Service Provider (MSP). We are now one of only 53 companies nationwide to achieve this certification. Read about the certification here: Full-Service Certified Mail Service Providers (MSP) Information Sheet

In the past year, we have actively pursued this certification. To meet the high USPS standards, we made significant changes through software upgrades, more efficient data processing methods, and tighter controls over mail preparation and fulfillment departments.

Here are some of the criteria that we had to meet for at least 3 consecutive months in order for the USPS to consider our certification application:

• At least 90% of mail must be submitted as Full Service Intelligent Mail Barcode mailings (we submit over 99% of mail with Full Service Intelligent Barcodes)
• Errors must stay below a set of pre-established thresholds (which are measured on all live pieces in the mail stream – not just a small sample when we deliver to our postal acceptance unit)
• Mail preparation/bundling/containerization must match the electronic files we upload to the USPS
• All documentation and mail prep detail must be submitted via electronic files

Along with this certification, we have also been approved for the following USPS programs over the last several months: Co-palletization, eInduction, and Mail Anywhere

How does this benefit our clients?

Our clients can take advantage of many perks that come with our new certification. The following are some of the benefits of partnering with us. 

• Lower postage:  $0.003 additional discount for Presorted First Class, and $0.001 additional discount for Presorted Standard 
• Informed Visibility:  mail is prepared to higher USPS standards, which allows for increased visibility by linking pieces to bundles, bundles  to containers, and tracking the progress of containers through the processing facilities (in most cases)
• Ability to take advantage of high volume USPS programs, such as co-palletization, which results in significant destination entry postage discounts
• As a Full Service MSP, our customers to take advantage of periodic USPS promotions and incentives, which can earn either up front postage discounts or postage rebates at the end of the promotion period 

Here is the link to the current promotions: Mailing Promotions

With the recent stamp of approval from USPS, now more than ever, you can confidently seek Hatteras for all of your direct mail needs!