The Story

An article in the November 15, 2007 New York Times alerts us to the fact that the Royal Mail, the British postal service, has launched a new initiative. The program is aimed at business’ that use direct mail to reach potential consumers. The Royal Mail wants marketers to use scent, taste or sound in their mailings. We may not be in Britain, but you’ll definitely want to add this idea to your list of bank marketing strategies. Experiential branding and multi-sensory marketing are making headways in the financial services industry. For example, Lloyds Bank in London sent out millions of teabags in a direct mail campaign promoting its personal loan offering. Thirsty anyone?

One thing we can’t yet do with our mail on the internet is include the taste of beer or the smell of air fresheners. And, a service which has been hit hard by the downward trend of sending letters the old fashioned way is developing a way to bring back some business. But is it too late?

“This takes direct mail from a two-dimensional medium that turns it into a three, four – or five –dimensional medium”, says Simon Harrop, chief executive of Brand Sense, an agency in Oxford, England, that has developed the program with the Royal Mail.

The article goes on to say; “This is about reinventing mail,” said Anthony Miller, head of media development at the Royal Mail. “The mail of yesterday is not necessarily the mail of tomorrow.” Sounds, for instance, can be provided by tiny chips that reproduce a simple series of tones, like an ad jingle, for instance. Scents can be stored through microencapsulation, a technique that allows them to be released when an envelope is opened.

Ah sweet, sweet future!

You bank and credit union marketers might be wondering why reaching different senses is so important. Mr. Harrop said that the flourishes could make a big difference in whether a piece of mail gets a second. “Human relationships are build across all the senses.” He said. “So is loyalty to brands.”

Right on, Mr. Harrop, we should grab a Guinness next time I’m in Oxford! But please, don’t send me any mutton.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 5:12 pm and is filed under Bank Branding, Credit Union Branding, Bank Marketing, Experiential Marketing, Credit Union Marketing, Multisensory Marketing and 5 Senses Branding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.