Today's guest post comes from
Eric Smith, SVP of Growth at
Incremental Media.
Let's take a trip down memory lane to 2019. Post-purchase surveys were still in
their infancy, far from the ubiquitous tools they are today. My company,
Incremental Media, began working with a slew of DTC brands, focusing on package
inserts. For the uninitiated, these are printed offers from other brands that
you find inside a package you've received.
Historically, package inserts were a channel aimed at an older
demographic—those 55 and up. These campaigns often drove customers to call a
1-800 number, resulting in surprisingly high direct attribution. But then, DTC
brands, ever-hungry for new channels, started exploring the world of inserts.
As the largest buyer of package inserts in the U.S., we thought we had it all
figured out. But something wasn't adding up. Our core programs weren't
delivering the results we expected.
Then, after much brainstorming, it clicked. We knew that many people ignored
our promo codes, URLs, or QR codes. But without a matchback capability like
direct mail, how could we capture the halo effect? How could we prove that our
inserts were driving more conversions than just those people using the promo
codes?
Enter Fairing.
Fairing is our go-to post-purchase survey tool for the brands we work with. The
biggest challenge for package inserts—and all offline marketing, for that
matter—has always been attribution. Fairing has revolutionized our campaigns by
providing clear, actionable attribution data—simply from asking customers how
they heard about the brand at the point of purchase. Suddenly, "failing"
campaigns were smashing their CPA/ROAS goals.
The Fairing Effect: More Than Just Promo Codes
Imagine you're a brand selling dog food, health supplements, or a food
subscription service. Your package insert might look similar to the fictitious
example below for Incremental Media. Some people use the code "IM" or scan the
QR code, but many don't. They research the brand, decide to make a purchase,
and then convert. Once they do, they encounter the "How did you hear about us?"
question. We recommend including "Flyer In Package" as one of the options—it's
straightforward and easy for customers to understand.
On average, for every person who uses our promo code or scans our QR code, two
more say they heard about us from the "Flyer In Package." That's a 3x
multiplier, although it can vary depending on the brand and their sales
strategies. Real-World Impact: A Case Study
Let's look at an anonymous example of a subscription brand we've worked with.
Without the multiplier effect from Fairing's post-purchase survey, the campaign
missed its CPA goal. But with it, the campaign exceeded goals in some cases by
nearly 50%.
The Data Speaks Volumes
The evidence is irrefutable. If you're engaged in offline marketing and aren't
leveraging post-purchase surveys, you're essentially flying blind. You risk
misjudging potentially successful campaigns as failures. The resurgence in the
popularity of inserts, a topic I recently discussed with Marketing Brew, is no
coincidence. As the digital landscape becomes increasingly competitive and
privacy updates make social channels less reliable, brands are on the hunt for
new avenues. And with the surge in eCommerce, the opportunities for package
inserts have never been greater.
Why Inserts Are a Game-Changer
Let's talk numbers. Sending a piece of direct mail can cost a staggering
$500-600 CPM. In contrast, package inserts typically fall in the $50-60 CPM
range. That's a monumental cost-saving, and you still have the flexibility to
target your audience contextually. The achilles' heel of package inserts has
always been attribution, but those days are over. Now, we make it a point to
ask brands if they have a post-purchase survey in place. Without it, we're back
to square one, struggling to prove the value of package inserts.
The Uncharted Territory
While we've made significant strides, there's still work to be done. We believe
that many responses categorized under "Other" and "Mail" in post-purchase
surveys actually relate to inserts. These can take various forms—be it
blow-ins, ride-alongs, or billing statements. We're collaborating with Fairing
and our brand partners to include secondary questions that can offer more
nuanced data. While no survey can capture every format perfectly, having
concrete data that shows people chose "Flyer In Package" is a monumental step
forward.
The Final Takeaway
In summary, if you're running offline marketing campaigns without the ability
for matchback, post-purchase surveys are your lifeline. They provide the data
you need to prove that your channel isn't just driving conversions—it's
driving incremental conversions. You're reaching new audiences, not just
the same people you'd reach through other marketing channels.