More evidence that print and direct mail still has a place in this digital world – and why businesses still turn to Magnetic Attractions for BigMag and Magnetic Postcard Mailers.    

1. $47.8 Billion was spent on direct mail by businesses in 2011.
2. 76% of small businesses agree that a mix of digital and physical (print) communications is the best way to market their business.
3. On average, those that receive a printed catalog spend 28% more money and buy 28% more items than those who do not receive a catalog.
4. Mail is growing in popularity with younger (more digital) age group.  18% of those 22-24 will respond to an offer from a standard mail piece.  That’s an increase of 12% from previous years.
5. 52.4% of consumers read direct mail from merchants & 53% found direct mail useful.
6. 98% of consumers bring their mail in the day it’s delivered & 77% sort through it immediately.
7. 79% of households read, or at least skim advertising received in the mail. (Only about 19% of commercial emails are even opened.)
8. 51% of consumers read postcards delivered by mail.
9. B-to-B mailers reported an average response rate of 4.54% to postcards mailed to their house files.
10. Those 18-34 years old are 2x to 3x more likely to prefer direct mail and newspapers over online sources for information about household and health products, insurance and financial services.

Even Though We Will Be Closed 12/26 – 2/2 for the Holidays

• Are you looking to order that end of year business card magnet, calendar magnet or any of our other promotional magnets?
• Do you need to order magnetic postcards for your January direct mail campaign? 
• Do you want to talk to a Magnetic Attractions expert about how refrigerator magnets can improve your next marketing campaign?

If the answer is yes, then let this be the nudge you need to pick up the phone and place your magnet order today.  If nothing else, you should check out the Magnetic Attractions Holiday Schedule to decide when your refrigerator magnets need to be ordered.       (more…)

For weeks, I was planning on writing a post on the benefits of the BigMag Magnetic Mailer for the pizza delivery game.  I wanted to highlight all the facts that show how magnetic mailers deliver results even in this age of iPads and Smartphones. Instead, I think I’ll share an experience that demonstrates the power of the magnetic postcard better than any statistic or chart.     

Last Friday night was another typical evening in our household.  My wife was working late, so I alone had to navigate the controlled chaos that’s our typical routine – kids at daycare, running kids to baseball and softball practices, and a parking lot for a freeway that pushed the stress meter off the chart.  Finally, at 6:00 I walked in the door to find my wife staring into the refrigerator.  I could tell from her blank stare that dinner wasn’t hiding behind the milk.  So, time to go with plan B.

“How about Pizza.” I said.  I know we have coupons somewhere.” (more…)

Do you know what God, the iPhone, New York Yankees and Magnetic Attractions all have in common?   Would you believe that we all now can attract loyal followers on Facebook?  That’s right, you can now like us online and become a friend of our promotional magnets and magnetic mailers.  

Now I know it will be hard to get as many friends as God, but if you’re looking for the latest deals on products like Business Card Magnets, Calendar Magnets or BigMag Magnetic Mailers, then you need to like us and follow us regularly.  You’ll never know what news, deals and other plesant surprizes you’ll find there. 

Go to Facebook and search for Magnetic Attractions, or click the link  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Magnetic-Attractions/252084231494082.

Magnetic Attractions recently returned from a little trip to Boston. No it wasn’t for the history or fall foliage, but rather to exhibit our magnets and magnetic mailers at the 2011 Direct Marketing Show. I’m not afraid to admit that I was a little worried about this show.  With this show geared toward digital marketing, I worried attendees might mistakenly view us as the big guy to your left.  

Then the show started, and I worred for nothing.  Sure search, mobile and social media were the hot topics driving the bus, but we still had plenty of traffic getting off at our booth.  They used direct mail because they had success with direct mail.  Here’s just a few reasons why.  I call them:

5 Reasons Mail & Magnets Can Thrive in the Digital Age

$47.8 Billion will be spent on direct mail by businesses in 2011

52.4% of consumers read direct mail from merchants & 53% found direct mail useful

98% of consumers bring their mail in the day it’s delivered & 77% sort through it immediately

79% of households read, or at least skim advertising received in the mail. (Only about 19% of commercial emails are even opened)

51% of consumers read postcards delivered by mail

Our BigMags historically have an average response rate between 8% – 11%.

Adding a magnet to a postcard increases readership by 52% compared to postcards without magnets

Magnets increase response rates by over 73%

OK.  I can’t count, but you get the idea.  Direct mail still delivers results and can live a long, healthy life (especially when working alongside a digital strategy).  Of course, add a magnet to the mail and really see results really take off.  Why not give it a try and see for yourself.

To learn more about our promotional magnets, magnetic postcards and direct mail solutions, please give Magnetic Attractions a call at (800) 521-4773 or visit our market solutions page for more details.

Magnetic Attractions has just launched  a new 4-color postcard mailer and it doesn’t include a magnet.  Now for a company named Magnetic Attractions, this can seem out of place - like offering peanut butter without jelly, macaroni without cheese, or Apple without Steve Jobs seems out of place.

So, why are we skipping the magnet?  The idea originated after we started talking to customers about their marketing needs.  They all agreed that the postcard & magnet combo was king when it came to generating repeat business and long-term brand recognition.  But, they had times when their campaign focus wasn’t long-term.  As a result, the magnet wasn’t as critical for success.  (Yes, it was also hard for us to believe at first.)

We heard about  ”now” events that need a fast-acting marketing effort.  After all, a marketing campaign doesn’t need to live forever when the sale ends this weekend.  So, we went bold and launched a new postcard mailer that focuses on the immediate.  You can save the magnet for a later mailing.

So, is your grand opening right now?  Running a sale or promotion now? Need to fill a seminar now?  Or, just need more customers now?  These are just a few examples of campaigns that can succeed without an affixed magnet.  Contact Magnetic Attractions at (800) 521-4773 and see what we can do for you. Or, you can click here to learn more about our new postcards.

 I was looking through the DMA 2011 Conference  brochure the other day.  We are an exhibitor, so I wanted to get a feel for what topics would be driving the show.  Nothing really surprised me.  Search, mobile and web were the big boys on the block, and I couldn’t help feet that ”traditional” marketing like print and mail has become the 75 pound weakling in the room.  This point seemed to be further reinforced by the news that the USPS is considering the elimination of 120,000 jobs.

Clearly, search keywords and “liking” a facebook page have, and will continue to, replace the mailer or magazine ad in most marketing budgets.  It’s a bandwagon that continues to pick up speed with each passing year, and it’s a little disheartening when you make and market promotional magnets.  So, I got to thinking about something my mom would say when I was growing up.

Whenever there was a toy, game or event sweeping through the neighborhood, I’d rush home begging my mom to break down and buy it for me.  Usually the response was a simple ”No. It’s too expensive”.  That’s when I broke out that famous argument used by generations of 10-year-olds.  ”But everyone in the neighborhood has it”.   Unfortunately, my mom had experience countering this  argument having heard it from my three siblings.  She would win the argument with one simple question:  “If everyone was  jumping off a cliff, would you follow them?”

Those words somehow seemed appropriate as I scanned the DMA sessions.  Just because most in the marketing community are silly for social and mad about mobile, doesn’t mean it’s the only game in town.  When done right, traditional marketing still generates big results, amazing brand recall and  an incredible value.

So, as you start planning your budgets for next year, I thought it time to re-plant the seeds of traditional marketing (and the voice of your mom)  into your imagination.  Naturally, I feel that magnets and magnetic mailers are the way to go because they continue to deliver results in today’s marketing landscape. Look at most any refrigerator to see what I mean.

So give Magnetic Attractions a call at (800) 521-4773 and let us prove the value of the promotional magnet and why they should be in your  2012 marketing budget.  Of course, if you’re going to the DMA in October, come by and we can talk face-to-face.   We’ll be in booth 1922.

Summer is always a great time to try new things – from that new summer blockbuster at the theater, to a menu of fresh-picked fruits and vegetables that only appear when the weather heats up – This summer, it’s time to add some spice to your marketing campaigns by adding QR Codes to any of our magnetic postcard mailers.

Now you may be on the fence when it comes to using QR Codes.  But, major brands like Starbucks, Pepsi and Ford already rely on QR Codes in their advertising.  You also can’t escape the fact that these 2-D barcodes are gaining popularity and can be seen almost everywhere you look.  Surveys show a 1,200% increase in QR Code usage during the second half of 2010. (more…)