Dukky Launches Consumer Opt-In and Opt-Out Service

Posted on August 28, 2009 by Dukky

In keeping with our immediate goal of increasing response rates and our long-term goal of 100% redemption, Dukky just launched a method for consumers to opt-in and opt-out of our mailings.

Dukky is sponsoring Unjunk Mail, a site that provides consumers a way to control the deals they get from Dukky, connect with other top Do Not Mail sites, and learn, discuss (and vent!) about unwanted mail. Dukky and Unjunk Mail share a common goal: help consumers get more of what they do want (deals) and less of what they don’t want (junk mail). In the end, marketers win too.

Today, Triple Pundit did a piece on Dukky and Unjunk Mail and dug into the question of why a direct marketing company would sponsor a Do Not Mail service. Check it out here.

Tough Times for Direct Mail

Posted on July 23, 2009 by Dukky

By Brice Sanderford | July 23, 2009

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Tough Times

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times focused on the health of the direct mail market, and attacked the increasingly unpopular business tactic. The reporter, David Lazarus, took the time to go to the office of the main direct mailer in the Los Angeles area and interview the co-owner of the company that sends out 12 million articles of third class mail every month.

Lazarus found the building a bit despairing - in the midst of the recession the direct mailing company in LA followed the trend of many other businesses, and recently laid off nearly half of its work force. They aren’t the only ones suffering. For the first time in nearly six decades, the direct mailing industry has experienced a decrease in sales.

Lazarus didn’t disguise his contempt for the direct mail industry. Others are cheering its demise. There has been an uproar against the direct mailing industry due to its apparent disregard for the environment and its lackluster approach to reducing waste. There are reportedly 19 states that at the moment are trying to pass laws involving a do-not-mail registry, and more stringent restriction on the junk mail business.

Thing is, the direct mail industry is an important cog in our economy. Direct mailing companies in the U.S. alone employ about 1.2 million people, and indirectly employ another 9 million. It stimulates an estimated two trillion dollars in spending every year helping to keep small businesses afloat, drive major corporations advertising campaigns, and also keep the United States Postal Service running. An attack from the government may not be the most prudent solution…for anyone.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times focused on the health of the direct mail market, and attacked the increasingly unpopular business tactic. The reporter, David Lazarus, took the time to go to the office of the main direct mailer in the Los Angeles area and interview the co-owner of the company that sends out 12 million articles of third class mail every month.

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Should All Marketers Join the Social Networking Party?

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Dukky

by Kristen | July 16, 2009

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The beauty of social networks rests in their ability to filter the noise of the internet and surface high quality and relevant information.

For instance, on Twitter I follow people I trust who are talking about subjects of interest like online marketing, social media, finance, and journalism. My Facebook friends keep me updated on my social circles, even when I’m living on the other side of the country. And LinkedIn’s industry groups connect me with insightful articles and discussions.

Yet social networks are constantly polluted by voices that care little for quality or privacy. Overly eager marketers, spammers, and other wily strangers often infiltrate my personal streams of information. I have to work to keep all of my accounts spam free.

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Direct Mail and the Environment

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Dukky

by Brice Sanderford | July 2, 2009

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Lets face it, junk mail is a daily annoyance that drives many people crazy. However, the never-ending assault on people’s mailboxes has another dark side to it: its effect on the environment. It’s easy to forget that the catalog or letter that so often gets tossed into the trashcan unopened costs energy and supplies to make. Why are we sacrificing our precious trees, energy, and ozone to create something that many people don’t even want in the first place? Marketers can argue that direct mail is a successful advertising tactic, and that it’s more cost effective than both T.V. adds and radio adds, but the fact is that 44% of all direct mail gets sent to the dump unopened.

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Let's Get Rid of the "Junk" in Junk Mail

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Dukky

by Kristen Sullivan | May 6, 2009
Not all junk mail is junk.

A recent study by DMNews and Pitney Bowes shows that more than 75 percent of consumers prefer to receive coupons in the mail. Coupons delivered by email came in second, while newspaper inserts were the least popular of the three forms.

The study is another reminder that the quest to reduce direct mail waste must involve a thoughtful solution.

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Three Ways to Decrease Junk Mail and Save Planet Earth

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Dukky

by Kristen Sullivan | May 4, 2009
The average person receives almost 560 pieces of junk mail each year, according to The Privacy Council. That’s more than $55 billion marketing dollars spent on sending one million trees worth of paper to people who often couldn’t care less about the offers. (The Privacy Council also reports that on average, 246.5 of those pieces of junk mail will be tossed in the trash unread.)

You know what that equals? A whole lot of waste…and some messy mailboxes.

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