Letter beats screen
After more than a year of the pandemic, which advertising channels are effective, and which are not? A study conducted by Intervista on behalf of Swiss Post aims to shed light on this question.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are once again paying closer attention to their spending—including in marketing: advertising budgets are being cut back, or more attention is being paid to the effectiveness of individual channels. To provide companies with the best possible support in allocating their advertising budgets, the market research institute Intervista has, in the A study commissioned by Swiss Post in February 2021 conducted. In a representative online survey, more than 1,000 German-speaking Swiss were asked how their needs and consumer behavior have changed as a result of the coronavirus—and, in particular, how they perceive advertising.
Fundamental Change in Consumer Behavior
Unsurprisingly, fundamental changes have taken place since March 2020. For example, 52 percent of respondents say they have significantly changed their consumption habits. Eighteen percent are looking for bargains more often, 20 percent are paying closer attention to quality, and 30 percent are buying more Swiss products. Forty-four percent of respondents also expect their consumption habits to change (further)—so this could be a lasting change.
Mailbox instead of screen
Working from home—which affects 53 percent of respondents—can, among other things, trigger other interesting effects. For example, more than half of 18- to 29-year-olds report feeling screen fatigue more often, while among 60- to 79-year-olds, it’s one in five. In response, 42 percent of younger people actively make sure they can enjoy screen-free time. One in three people in the older age groups does the same. One consequence of this screen fatigue: 19 percent now value reading on paper more than they did before the pandemic. In general, the physical is gaining importance—and with it, the mailbox. For 54 percent of younger people, mail has become more important during the pandemic, although packages were naturally the main focus. However, the increased importance of the mailbox also has implications for the effectiveness of advertising channels.
Most noticed: addressed direct mail items
Only 18 and 19 percent of respondents, respectively, pay attention to ads on websites or search engines. Social media also ranks only in the middle of the pack, at 26 percent. TV advertising is far ahead at 40 percent—another traditional medium that is primarily consumed at home. However, another well-known channel attracts the most attention: direct mail. Forty-eight percent of respondents say they pay attention to it. And when asked which form of advertising is most likely to inspire them to make a purchase, direct mail is also the most frequently cited, at 57 percent. «The current situation, in which the home plays a much greater role in people’s lives, opens up new opportunities to reach customers directly,» explains Oliver Egger, Managing Director of Media and Advertising at Swiss Post. «However, changes in consumer behavior and media usage require a shift in thinking when it comes to media planning,» says Egger.
«Significantly more points of contact»
Marianne Binggeli, project manager at intervista AG, sees further advantages to personalized mailings: «People pick up a personally addressed piece of advertising mail—for example, when they take it from the mailbox into their home. This results in significantly more active touchpoints than, for example, advertising via email newsletters, which disappears with a single click or swipe. Furthermore, with newsletters, you often only see the headline. With personally addressed direct mail, on the other hand, entire offers, images, and additional details are usually visible. That generates attention.»
