Junk mail? Bring it on!

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Kiwi consumers are coupon collectors, want to receive free samples and love reading junk mail – even in bed, according to a new study.

The Reachmedia survey investigated New Zealand attitudes towards unaddressed/junk mail, and despite our assertions otherwise, it seems Kiwis are actually fans of the much-maligned advertising medium.

More than 88% of circulars delivered are actually being read by someone in the household, with more than four in 10 (43%) so riveted by the bargain shopping content, they read it standing up or walking back from the letterbox.

But the majority (55%) of respondents like to “take their time” and read the circulars sitting down.

And sex? Four percent of Kiwis admit to reaching for the junk mail instead of each other, when it comes to bedtime.

Almost three in 10 (28%) of those surveyed said they liked the access to new product information provide in the circulars, with another 28% saying they liked to read material in their own time.

Interestingly despite Kiwis’ early adoption of digital marketing, 6% of those surveyed said they liked having a hard copy of information they could refer to.

Unsurprisingly, the most popular types of unaddressed mail were those that bought with them financial benefits or free samples for more than two thirds of consumers (67%) or coupons and vouchers with more than half (55%) of Kiwis.

Reachmedia CEO Greg Radford says despite common perception of unaddressed mail, it remains one of the most popular advertising mediums.

“As consumers much of the advertising messages we are exposed to is when we are on the go, or increasingly in a digital format which makes it hard to store and access when we need it. Unaddressed mail is one of the few mediums of marketing communication where we get take our time and absorb the information,” he says.

“The research showed that shoppers have a clear desire to remain informed. Whether it is about a new product release or a way to save money and make our lives easier, advertising does serve a valuable purpose in society,” he says.

The 2014 research which surveyed 1000 New Zealanders was conducted via an online survey by market research firm Ipsos. The maximum margin of error for this sample is ± 2.53% (at 95% confidence).

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