To ask anyone who works in marketing etc to realise that printed mailshots are a waste of time, money & paper

[NoIDontWatchLoveIsland]

Every day we seem to receive an ever increasing pile of advertising crap through the post. A proportion is to the occupier but a hefty slug is organisations who have somehow got either I or DH name. We always try to opt out of marketing but seem to be receiving it anyway.

To all those of you who work in advertising & marketing, can I ask that you just stop putting out these campaigns? Please?

We don't even look at them. They are lost in a sea of junk that goes directly in the recycling bin. It's an enormous waste.

But

Companies aren't stupid.

They will have mechanisms to track increased interest in them toed into various marketing programmes. They must feel it is money well spent otherwise they wouldn't do it. Just because you don't respond, doesn't mean that others won't.

YABU. Companies use them because they work.

there'll be a return on investment or they wouldn't do it. just 1 in 100 or 200 would be worth it for some.

They do work though. I designed some for my Dad who is a builder to help him advertise when he moved to a new city. He gets 1-2 jobs per 50 fliers sent out so sends a small batch each month to keep work trickling in. 2.5k fliers cost under £50 to be made so it's a very cost effective way for him to advertise.

Maybe I should change how this is written....

AIBU to want a way to block all unsolicited mail through my letter box

^
They will have mechanisms to track increased interest in them toed into various marketing programmes. They must feel it is money well spent otherwise they wouldn't do it. Just because you don't respond, doesn't mean that others won't.^

The only thing I would say about this is having worked with our marketing team at work, they find a way to attribute all sales to their various campaigns, even with some completely bonkers indirect links.

I'm fairly sure the marketing industry has a vested interest in justifying its own existence.

ALilNonnyMouse
I actively exclude using any service provider who has spammed me in the mail. Your Dad could actually be winning 1 or 2 customers, but alienating 3 or 4 more potential ones, thus it could actually be having a negative impact overall.

It's the only advertising he does so customers are not coming from anywhere else. Every other job is from word of mouth from the flier customers. He once painted a house for someone on a flier and that turned into painting 5 more houses on the same street and the shop on the corner.

The fliers alone provide enough work for him to make a living so he doesn't really care about "potential loss". He just wants to cover his bills until he gets his pension next year.

The statistics prove that it works more effectively than other forms of advertising. I don't like the barrage of leaflets either, but their job is to make sales happen for the company.

Personally I wouldn't mind if it was banned on environmental grounds, but there you go...

Depends what it is. A nicely produced catalogue for something I'm interested in - yes, I'll probably flick through it where I wouldn't have clicked on it on a webpage.

Gaudy flier that is in a pile of other gaudy fliers - nope, all going in the recycling.

OP is the stuff you're getting addressed to you, or is it the sort that's put through every letter box (here we get Dominos, retirement village, etc)?

With the increase in the tidal wave of email communications and the ability to do everything online, what arrives on your doorstep is increasingly more effective as a marketing campaign

With businesses such as tradesmen, people keep those flyers.

Most of these flyers are produced on various grades of recycled paper.

You might have feelings about direct mail, many others don’t.

Some groups aren't going to see an Internet or TV ad.
They might not work with you but they do work for some products and services (especially local ones)!

Maybe put a sign on your door saying no junk mail?

According to the results when I clicked the poll, 38% think yabu.
I work in marketing. It depends what marketers are trying to achieve by the campaign, and what industry they work in, but I’d consider 38% a good result if even half of those ended up in a sale.

I don't like it either but it's true that people will read something that's paper more than yet another email.

Personally though I am more likely to use someone via word of mouth than a flyer.

"People keep those fliers".

No. They don't. I see the recycling in my street full of them every week. Tree surgeons. Gutter cleaners etc

Everyone I know only uses tradesmen on word of mouth recommendation.

Maybe put a sign on your door saying no junk mail?

I have. It is routinely ignored.

I would like to see a system where companies & tradespeople must evidence through positive opt in, that they have permission to send direct mail.

Most of these flyers are produced on various grades of recycled paper.

Better to not waste paper at all than to waste recycled paper.

They probably keep small print shops in business.

People do keep the fliers though. Mostly older people but it does happen. I deliberately designed the fliers to look pretty to encourage people to keep them. He's had calls 6 months after posting a street from people who kept them. One lovely older man said he kept it on his fridge because it looks pretty and then when his roof leaked one day he called my Dad.

He does tend to target streets with an older average age though as that's where it works more effectively for him.

It winds me up when they are that kind of plastic-type paper and I am not sure if they can even by recycled. I don’t even look at them - straight in the bin and wouldn’t trust a tradesman who used them.

I suppose what I really feel is that i should be able to choose not to be constantly marketed & advertised to.

I can choose not to watch tv & to block ads on my computer. But i don't seem to be able to prevent people pushing this stuff into my home.

OP you can opt out of Royal Mail delivered leaflets - 5 second google:

personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/293/~/how-do-i-opt-out-of-receiving-any-leaflets-or-unaddressed-promotional-material%3F

AIBU to want a way to block all unsolicited mail through my letter box

then sign up to MPS

It won't stop any mailers from companies you have bought from as they will presumably have gained your consent to continue, but it will stop most mass mailshots. I believe - but check - it doesn't stop the leaflets the postie delivers.

Note MPS doesn't work for B2B, it's only consumer mailings.

Well why didn’t you just say that, OP?

So, in summary:

1. Sign up to MPS
2. Sign up to theRoyal Mail Schemefor unaddressed mailing
3. Beef up any "no flyers" on your own letterbox, and/or complain to repeat offenders
4. Accept the fact that this form of marketing does work and won't stop, even if you personally dislike it.