Neuroscience Used To Understand The Role Of Direct Mail

Neuroscience meets Direct Mail Marketing: “Tangible Materials Leave a Deeper Footprint in The Brain”

Forbes magazine featured and interesting article about the use of Neuroscience to understand the role of direct mail marketing on the human brain. Millward Brown in cooperation with the Centre for Experimental Consumer Psychology in the UK, used MRI scans to look at brain activity and brain reaction to print advertising. Study subjects were shown both digital advertising materials and advertising materials on printed cards that were held in hand. The MRI scans were used to evaluate how the brain responded to the marketing messages displayed by the two different medium.

“Physical materials produced more brain response connected with internal feelings, suggestion greater ‘internalization’ of the ads.”

Neuroscience of Direct Mail Marketing

 

Brain Response to Direct Mail Materials: The Results

It was found that physical materials stimulated sight and touch, and hence the ads presented on postcards generated more brain activity connected with memory and spatial 1501-children-and-lifelong-learning-with-brain-targeted-teaching-300x300networks. The sector of the brain involved in processing emotional stimuli and memory was much more active when the subject was handling the advertising card than viewing the digital ad. It was suggested that the physical card presentation generated more emotionally vivid memories that could be recalled at the time that product purchasing decisions would be made.

The Millward Brown study concluded that physical material such as the advertising card produced a stronger human brain response than the virtual representation. Physical media like direct mail marketing cards are better at becoming a part of the human memory and generated more emotion from the viewer. These marketing materials have a more personal effect on the viewer, and therefore may become a purchasing motivator.

Direct Mail and Brand Messaging

When it comes time to build your brand message, remember the Millward Brown study and what it reveals about consumer response to direct mail marketing. Direct Mail triggers a physical and emotional response to your brand message that potential customers will recall when it comes time to purchase your product. Direct mail will leave a brain image that can motivate consumers to become clients, and is one of the best ways to get your brand’s story across to shoppers in an efficient and cost effective way.

Direct mail marketing in the skilled hands of custom commercial printers like Southern California Graphics will maximize the physical opportunity to impress your brand message on consumers minds and emotions.  Partner with Southern California Graphics and they can design the best direct mail materials for your message and your budget, with powerful impact.  Learn about all that their creativity and technology can do for your branding, including 3D lenticular postcards. The Millward Brown study just proves what Southern California Graphics has known for a long time, printed brand marketing is a powerful purchasing persuader in the capable hands of Southern California Graphics.