Making every texture count: why thoughtful tactile decisions are key to successful collateral

I remember working on a direct mail kit for a financial services Client during the time of Covid. No way we could be in the room with them to present the thinking, and also no way a flat screen or PDF was going to tell the story we needed to tell. So we packaged up a mockup of the kit plus paper samples and shipped them to multiple Clients homes so they could literally feel the idea while we were presenting it.

The most important part of that? The paper samples. Because if you are a marketer who produces physical pieces you know that a piece of paper, isn’t a piece of paper, isn’t a piece of paper. Just writing that gives me flashbacks to my first job as an Assistant Account Manager and hearing terms like “120 lb. cover, matte” and “60 lb. text” for the first time and realizing that paper isn’t a one trick pony. The opportunity afforded marketers by getting your message on the right paper to tell your story is a significant one.

Marry story, form, and function

When designing for a piece that is going to be held in your prospect’s or customer’s hands, the first thing to ask is “what story does this piece need to tell?” followed by “how does the paper and printing choice help tell that?” For some Clients, a simple 2/c postcard on a standard stock is the perfect way to communicate your brand’s value and move people to action. For others, a piece that literally has some heft and feels luxurious in the hand, does a lot to subliminally communicate importance and prestige even before the headline is read or the piece is opened.

The same is true for an interesting or unexpected die cut or fold that reveals content in a new way…all of it tells your brand story arguably more effectively than the printed word. This isn’t about a crazy shape or printing technique just for the sake of being able to do it; rather it’s storytelling in its most basic form literally marrying your story to form and function.

Stand out in a crowd

And let’s face it…your brand communicates in a very crowded space. I always bring examples of direct mail pieces I receive at home to the office to share with the team and if I have less than five examples a week, it’s been a slow few days for the USPS. And that doesn’t even take into account the pile that lands on my office desk every day.

In a cluttered environment, like my kitchen island where the mail invariably ends up tossed in a heap, you need to use every opportunity to gain an advantage. Being thoughtful about the size of your piece, how it feels in the hand, how the ink grabs the attention…all that needs to be contemplated at the same time you’re thinking through the product details and offer to be shared. It cannot be an afterthought especially since a USPS study indicates that 98% of Americans check their mail daily. They will see your piece, and they will put their hands on it in some way. The obvious goal is to have the look and literal feel of the piece stop them from simply tossing it into the recycle bin.

What to do now

At the beginning of your next effort involving a print piece, be sure to do the following:

• Think about the experience you want your audience to have. Note the word “experience” …that’s different than what you want to communicate to them. How do you want them to feel when they hold your piece? Include that direction in your brief.
• Challenge your agency to think through the tactile experience with as much focus as anything else. Don’t wait to sign off on the final layout to ask about paper and printing technique; bake it into the creative reviews.
• Explore opportunities leveraging USPS incentives. If direct mail is the right channel for you, USPS offers a range of discounts, some tied to different form factors or printing techniques. When the discounts align with approaches that make sense for your audience, it is a great way to try something new with a lower price point.

Paper isn’t just paper. Sometimes it’s the perfect way to connect your brand with your audience in a meaningful, intimate way that no other medium can match.