Some of you may fondly remember the old morning ritual—starting off the day with a fresh cup of coffee and a short walk down the driveway to pick up the morning’s paper. Or as a kid, anxiously waiting by the window each day for the mail carrier to arrive and bring a fun surprise to open (well, maybe our parents weren’t so excited to open the latest bill).

In today’s world, those morning rituals and moments of anticipation all seem to center around a glowing screen in our hands. As our devices gain the ability to do more and more each day, they have become the go-to hub for communication, entertainment, bill paying, reading, and more. We are able to consume news, make purchases and sign up for things all with a simple tap of the screen.

Naturally, this has created a wealth of new advertising opportunities that only continue to grow in number. Studies suggest we are now exposed to over 4,000 ads a day, a large percentage of those in the digital space. How will companies who rely on physical mail as a main revenue generator and customer acquisition tool keep up with this shifting landscape?

Well, there is some good news.

The staggering number of ads consumers are presented with on a daily basis certainly leads to fatigue, as we can all attest to from personal experience. A less cluttered mailbox can help cut through that noise—the average household only receives 12.1 pieces of advertising mail per week. Even those pieces of mail that make it into the circular file have to pass through our hands first, a tangible experience that cannot be replicated with digital and can lead to 60% better recall.

But what about millennials?

Contrary to what you might think, studies actually show that 84% of millennials still take the time to look through their physical mail and 64% would rather scan for useful information in their mail than e-mail. Perhaps this is why startups like Casper, Quip, Blue Apron and more are beginning to show up in mailboxes (often together in group mailers) to appeal to their key demographic. There is still a strong perceived value of physical mail that millennials recognize and the fact that they are responding is helping to keep mail relevant in this digital age.

Where do we go from here?

While the possibilities of digital marketing are nearly endless, physical mail is a critical piece of the puzzle that should always be considered when putting together a marketing strategy. Mail can work in concert with the latest and greatest in digital technologies, and can lead to an increase in ROI of 20% on average when integrated with digital.

Imagine a postcard or letter coming to life with video and animation with the simple scan of an app—all possible with things like Augmented Reality (AR). Or knowing exactly when your piece of mail will be placed in the mailbox and being able to send a follow up (or head’s up) via email directly to your customer to complete the sale. All of these tactics leverage the power of physical mail along with the latest in digital to create a truly memorable experience.

As your company looks ahead to 2019, consider the power of an integrated marketing strategy and how mail can be a powerful part of it. For help planning your next campaign, reach out to us today.