What is tangible marketing? In a nutshell, it’s the use of physical objects to communicate a message or promote a product or service.

There are several reasons why tangible marketing is such a great tool.

#1. It grabs people’s attention. We live in a world where most of our communication is digital, so when we see something physical, it stands out.

#2. It creates a connection between the customer and the brand. By giving people a physical object to interact with, you create an opportunity for them to learn more about your company and what it represents.

#3. It helps people remember your brand. Studies have shown that when people interact with a physical object, they’re more likely to remember the message or product it promotes.

A typical business person receives more than 100 emails a day, which can make it difficult to have a real impact when using only digital outreach (many cold outreach emails get filtered or go to spam!). In our age of digital communication and information sharing, receiving a special package in the regular is rare and so, it grabs attention: no wonder that direct mail has a better open rate than email.

MailChimp Holiday Socks tangible marketing example

According to the Data & Marketing Association, “The average B2B direct mail open rate is 21%, compared to just 2-5% for email.” So, if you want to maximize the number of people who hear your message, direct mail is the way to go!

Like in our personal life, an emotional response keeps the message and the messenger in the receiver’s mind. Receiving a nice gift right at your desk in the middle of the work week is memorable, and shows that the sender made the effort to do something different.

There are many different goals your company can accomplish with tangible marketing:

• To build brand awareness
• To warm up cold leads
• To invite to connect (webinars, stopping by the booth at a show, etc.)
• To reactivate lost opportunities
• To follow-up after an event/connection made

It is personal, it is tangible, it is targeted and it is memorable!