“I’m a quick shopper, so if I bought a candle for example, I’d just search online for a candle and its scent online instead of the hundreds of candles The White Company sends me in a catalogue..” (Participant B, 26).
“I use social media for all communication and research when I can.” (Participant C, 18).
Other forms of digital communication frequently discussed include:
DIGITISATION ANALYSIS
Participants explored a diverse range of digital channels and comment favourably, with the marketing director also reporting a substantial rise in use of these tools, with marketers having to adapt their approach accordingly. However, as a cost-effective alternative, existing attitudes to Email are shifting, impacting Email’s purported position as a replacement for DM. In Appendix 1, for some case studies an abandonment of DM proved successful within ROI, despite Email being perceived as more intrusive. The majority of digital case studies demonstrate that for mass-market approaches, digital channels can be useful in improving brand awareness and visibility. However, as marketing strategies become increasingly digitised (Appendix 1), Email’s perception has suffered in consequence with strong attitudes surrounding spam, wastefulness and volume. This diminishes the assertion by much of the literature review concepts surrounding digitisation, which argues all other channels as supplementary to the internet (Christodoulides, 2009) and argues that traditional channels such as DM may still have some relevance. It is subsequently clear that Email cannot be regarded as a suitable replacement for DM in communication, owing to shifting negative perceptions which have arisen in consequence of digitisation and its oversaturation.
4.1.4. MULTICHANNEL CONSUMPTION
Interestingly, all participants conceded the value of Multichannel shopping and the integral role that DM has played in decision-making:
“They send me brochures and a 20% voucher when they have new ranges. So I have the choice of using this online or in-store and I never fail!” (Participant B, 26).
“Student finance is the best example, I rely on mail and then online tracking. That way I know where exactly my paperwork is.” (Participant C, 18).
“Home insurance… contents cover… upgrading to a rewards bank account… These are just some examples of where mail has led to me booking an in-store appointment with my bank and getting a great deal. This was really important when buying my first house.” (Participant E, 28).
The marketing director presents an noteworthy example of how DM can be utilised to combat some of the challenges involving digital in the Multichannel journey:
“For a skincare client, they wanted to market a new product via social media to a new audience. One of the challenges of such a physical product is that you can’t realistically prove from digital channels that it works. You have ads, but this is a matter of trust. So the solution is a DM info pack with free samples. You offer a guarantee and help to build credibility and a relationship.” (Participant A).
The sample present some useful insights into how digital channels cater for their limited attention span, but DM is useful for further relationship building:
“I saw a Tube ad briefly, but for some reason I thought the site was called Noodle. So I Googled Noodle… eventually found the company Noddle… they sent me a personalised information pack in the post. This helped to build my credit score.” (Participant B, 26).
“I clicked a social media ad for a new build development. I tagged my sister in the post as she was looking for a house but forgot about it… She filled in her info, they sent her a brochure in the post and she booked a showhome viewing and went for one of their properties.” (Participant C, 18).
“I booked a last-minute hotel experience through a Groupon Email and was a bit uncertain about what it entailed. I
