Award Winning Direct Mail Campaigns

The team at Eight Days a Week Print Solutions were thrilled to pick-up three awards at the very first Strategic Mail Performance Awards last week. The awards took place as part of the annual SMP (Strategic Mailing Partnership) summit. Members met to swap news, advice and also hear from Royal Mail on how together they can shape the future of mail.

The Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) is a professional body that represents and protects the interests of mailing houses across the UK.

Supported by Royal Mail, the SMP is free to join and exists to raise standards in the mailing industry and promote better mail for all – from the senders and receivers, but more importantly, the manufacturers and mailing agents operating behind the scenes.

It was first established in 2008 to represent and protect the interests of mailing houses across the UK. It is chaired by the renowned direct mail and direct marketing expert, Judith Donovan CBE.

The SMP is the largest group in the UK of mail and print suppliers and service providers. Its members – known as ‘The Mailmakers’ – belong to the only known specialist supply chain network in post in Europe.

The SMP is currently made up of over 150-member mailing houses across the UK Both of our submissions gained one of the five 'Gold Envelope' recognition awards. To top it off Eight Days a Week Print Solutions were chosen as the recipient of the prestigious 'Platinum Envelope'. We gained top recognition for our consistent innovation and results in both of our submissions, confirming our desire to innovate - not just follow under instruction for our customers.

The SMP Strategic Mail Performance Awards Winners 2021. From left to right:

Lance Hill and Graham Thomas -Eight Days a Week Print Solutions, Judith Donovan CBE, Chair of the SMP; Alistair Ezzy - LetterShop; Jeremy Scott and Chris Ingham - Communisis

Award winning direct mail campaigns

Hiller Garden Centres campaign

Our first submission was based on the work we did for Hillier Garden Centres. It was for a new customer acquisition campaign targeting new build homes around their 18 store locations.

After analysing their current customer profiles, we were able to match look-a-like potential customers who had recently moved into a new home using Royal Mail's new build datafile. We advised on their mail-pack design to maximise postal discounts which resulted in an average ROI of 215% with one store achieving a ROI of 664%

Here's what the SMP judges had to say about it:

• ' Showed strength and understanding of what the Judges were looking for'

• ' Used data led Insights as a solution to a customer's challenge'

• ' Complete synergy of concept and creation'

Eastons Holidays campaign

Our second submission was from our work with Eastons Holiday - a coach travel firm based in Norfolk who wished to re-stimulate the Coach Holiday market post covid and revitalise the way their brochures were sent to potential customers.

First off, we suggested the client move away from their usual poly-wrap delivery mail-pack and opt for a more eco friendly paper wrap solution. This suggestion not only increased its immediate impact on their customer's doorsteps, but it also now benefitted from machinable and responsible/sustainable bulk mail postage discounts too.

We also suggested rather than sending brochures to all clients that a segmented database would be beneficial. That way they could send the relevant brochure to the potential customer based on their previous actions, interests and requests.

The results spoke from themselves with costs reduced by 50% with no negative impact on sales. The three newly separate mailings saw ROI uplifts of 20%, 50% & 60% respectively from the previous year along with an uplift of 400% in daily bookings after each mailing.

The SMP were impressed with: