USPS: QR codes in direct mail redefine holiday shopping
The digital era is in full swing, and it's even affecting the way marketers use traditional methods of marketing like direct mail. The U.S. Postal Service recently said that emerging technologies like QR codes and augmented reality are increasingly revolutionizing the way direct mail is created, especially in time for the holidays. Direct mail enhanced with new technology is also a big investment for marketers, an investment best protected by address verification software.
Direct mail with augmented reality enables customers to see products in direct mail unlike ever before, giving them an all-around interactive view that is crucial to holiday shopping decision-making.
According to Gary Reblin, vice president for domestic products for the USPS, there are also more mobile-optimized sites for direct mail embedded with a shortened or personalized URL, making the research and purchasing process on customers that much easier. QR codes and near field communication (NFC) stickers are also big drivers of direct mail success this holiday season.
"Long lauded for its ability to provide consumers with personalized and tangible information about products, promotions and sales, today’s direct mail, combined with web technologies and smartphone apps, is offering holiday shoppers a media-rich experience that connects with them on a deeper, more personal level,” Reblin said.