Feature: Direct marketing: The key to door to door

The door drop industry would not be around in its present form were it not for the competitive rivalry, half a century ago, of Procter and Gamble and Lever Brothers.

Locked in a battle for the UK household product market, Lever Brothers took the decision, following a similar success in America, to arrange house-to-house delivery of money-off coupons and samples on a large scale. Its innovative marketing drive was an instant hit.

Today, almost every high-street name you can think of is using a form of unaddressed mail service. The latest research from the Direct Marketing Association shows that 96 per cent of respondents are aware of receiving leaflets, free samples, circulars and free publications through their letterboxes.

This impressive statistic is maintained when the coupon market is put under the microscope and we find that 84 per cent of respondents and their families have taken action on receipt of a “money off” coupon, while free samples had prompted some form of action by more than 80 per cent.

But while the market is still popular, the time has passed when companies used to arrange door drop campaigns for millions of their coupons on a regular basis. Major advertisers are a lot more sophisticated now and, as well as the usual media channels such as TV, press and radio, the door-dropped coupon has to compete with more up-to-date techniques such as loyalty cards and the comparatively new phenomenon, e-coupons.

Companies are far more target-market oriented now, and the amount of marketing data available from companies like Experian enables the client to focus ever more closely on who their customers really are.

Furthermore, the green issue is driving a desire for tighter targeting and companies are receiving economic benefits as this minimises wastage whilst maximising return on investment. It’s a win-win situation for clients but the door drop industry will inevitably see volumes fall.

There is a bright side for the door drop market, however. Tighter targeting, coupled with increased accountability and effectiveness of door drop methodology, has opened up the service to advertisers who might not otherwise have been attracted to it.

Recent examples include the distribution of low-energy electric light bulbs, chocolate bars and packets of crisps. It will only be lack of imagination that prevents other manufacturers from testing the market.