As this year’s political season ramps up, local candidates and their organizations need to understand why direct mail is such an important part of any political campaign.
Direct mail passes the trust test.
After a hot governor’s race in Virginia, the USPS teamed up with the American Association of Political Consultants to ask Virginia voters about their sources for political outreach and information. The results were fascinating and they revealed the power of direct mail for local campaigns
Nearly 70% said mail sent to their homes was the most credible political outreach technique, in the top three with TV ads and home visits by campaign volunteers.
Sixty-six percent of female voters, 56% of millennial voters, and 57% of nonwhite voters trusted direct mail the most. Sixty-nine percent of college-age voters direct mail as most credible, while only 27% saw digital ads as the most credible source. Only 38% of millennials saw digital ads as the most credible.
In addition, most people visit their mailboxes every day and have positive associations with mail. Unrecognizable digital campaign messages may be seen as spam and deleted immediately or frustrating because of pop-up ads, digital information gathering, and relentless calls to action.
The survey also revealed direct mail in the top three most persuasive channels, heavily influencing voter decisions.
Variable Data Digital Printing is fast and targeted.
Time is critical in political and election mailings. Each campaign must be responsive to events, polls, breaking news, and its opponents’ operations. EMCO’s specialty is customizable direct mail, and we only use high-speed inkjet and digital presses, so we are always primed and ready.
Despite slowdowns in the industry, EMCO is fully supplied with paper, and we are experiencing no delays! We’ll hit your deadline every time.
With digital printing, we can upload your mailer design, match your brand identity, and have it ready for press in minutes, with no added press checks or the time commitment of offset printing. When they come off the press, they are sorted for mail immediately and go out at the next possible opportunity. We can work with you at the beginning of your campaign to optimize timing for scheduled mailers and make a plan for those crucial spur-of-the-moment responses.
Better still, digital printing is ideal for targeting voters and constituents through data. With variable data printing, you can easily segment your campaign as many times or ways as you need to and personalize envelopes, postcards, and letters—creating powerful, personal messaging.
EMCO is focused on data. A clean mailing list—free of duplications, incorrect addresses, and cancellations—is a must for a cost-effective successful campaign. We offer critical list management services, including duplication elimination and segmenting. List management and data hygiene reduce time spent and money wasted.
Direct mail can be inexpensive with the right programs.
Campaigns can choose from a variety of portal programs and services to get their mail out quickly and cost-effectively. But getting the most out of your direct mail campaign takes a breadth of postal knowledge and streamlined logistics to back it up.
We specialize in Intelligent Mail Barcoding, which allows mailers to use a single barcode to participate in multiple USPS programs simultaneously and expands mailers' ability to track individual mailpieces, and Every Door Direct Mail.
EDDM is a powerful USPS program that harnesses U.S. Census data to target localized campaigns. It is often used for national or statewide political campaigns that need to reach every resident in a single zip code.
This year, from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31, the USPS is offering a promotion in which Informed Delivery mailings will be discounted by 4%. Informed Delivery enhances the mail experience by providing eligible residential and personal PO Box consumers with a digital preview of their household’s mail.
With Informed Delivery, first-class mailers can engage users through an integrated mail and digital marketing campaign that generates additional consumer impressions, interactions, and insights. Registration period begins June 15.
Whatever you choose for your political direct mail campaign—wait, you don’t have to choose! You simply tell us what you need to accomplish, and we find the fastest, most cost-effective way to get your mail on the road to the win.
EMCO was founded 30 years ago as a commercial mail house, and over the years we have added print and finishing technologies to become a one-stop shop. Contact us today to hear how we’ve got you covered, from upload to delivery.