---
title: Go Big or Go Home
description: What do you think a good direct mail response rate would be? How about 100%? Would that be good enough for you?
---

[Blog | Spoke Marketing ](https://www.spokemarketing.com/blog)

# [Go Big or Go Home](https://www.spokemarketing.com/blog/go-big-or-go-home)

 Written by [David Meyer](https://www.spokemarketing.com/blog/author/david-meyer) | Aug 14, 2018 5:00:00 AM

What do you think a good direct mail response rate would be? How about 100%? Would that be good enough for you?

While people have been mourning the death of direct mail for years, it just ain’t so. According to the Direct Marketing Association, 65% of consumers have made a purchase as a result of direct mail. *

Traditional direct mail can be great, assuming you have a defined target, good list, and take advantage of personalization and timing based on buying triggers. But that’s not what this blog is about.

Think big.

My first experience with a high impact mailer came addressed to me from a freelancer I used who was on vacation in Florida. He blew up a giant beach ball, Sharpied a note thanking me for the work that allowed him to jet off to a beach, and sent it to me. That was nearly 20 years ago, and I remember it vividly.

High impact mail has been a favorite tactic of Spoke for a long time for one simple reason: it works. We’ve sent GIANT posters, custom bobble-heads, cardboard chairs, Mad-Magazine-style fold-ins, and bricks to name a few. Sure, the cost is higher per unit, but the results are always worth it.

With ‘traditional’ direct mail, we’re *thrilled* if we get over a 1% response rate (thrilled). While that is a good number, and depending on what you’re trying to achieve – can have a substantial return on investment. With *high impact* mailers, we’ve seen responses that range from 5% to (literally) 100%.

They’re called *high impact* for a reason. These items don’t get thrown away, they don’t get trashed by a gatekeeper, and they make a lasting impression. Plus, thanks to Big Data, most marketers know *precisely *who their target is, and what marketing action they want them to take (i.e., make a purchase, visit a landing page, request more information).

Next time you have a chance, trust me. Think outside the envelope.

 

*DMA Factbook, 2013

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