From mid-summer to mid-September, school districts across the US begin the process of posting their supply lists and every parent begins their planning. For each grade in every school district there are different requirements, from dress codes to classroom supplies. Getting in front of those parents takes a plan, and nothing works better than a campaign that puts your message into their mailbox.
Why jump on the Back-to-School wagon? Family school budgets were almost $800 per family last year, and that didn’t include approximately $45 in spending by teenage students for their must-have school items. That budget covers everything from school supplies to new clothes and new technology. The team at Mastercard Spending Pulse expect spending in 2021 to grow 5.5% from last year as spending requirements switch back to classroom need from home schooling.
One of the most effective ways to get into their mailbox is the USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) program. It’s the safest way to leverage the power of direct mail marketing without worries about opt-ins and permissions. EDDM gets you in front of both current and prospective customers—and their wallets.
EDDM programs deliver mail to addresses along postal carrier routes within a ZIP code. You might deliver your message to a home without school age children, but grandparents, aunts and uncles also participate in getting students ready for school. By selecting the routes that match to the schools and school districts, you can target messaging to land in the mailbox at the perfect time for all their buying decisions.
In the coming season, postcards, brochures, flyers, and catalogs will be the best tangible reminders to help parents plan their shopping, whether it’s online or in person. Talk to customers about their plans to support the season. What combination of routes and demographics are likely to produce the best revenue model? Is a postcard your best message delivery media, or should you consider a brochure or catalog? We can help you navigate!
If you’re new to this option, our EDDM Webinar is a great place to learn everything you need to know to get started with this easy-to-use option. With options for how many routes you want to target and what products will carry your message, you can make decisions that meet your budget. As always, our goal is to make marketing easy to plan and execute—in every season you want to help support your customers!
1 NRF Annual Back-to-School Spending Survey (2020) by Prosper Insights and Analytics