Living in a digital world may mean dozens of channels for marketing communications, but it doesn’t mean physical mail is outdated. In fact, studies show that nearly three-quarters of all consumers look forward to seeing what the mail brings, and direct mail is read more often than email.

This makes sense, as many of us have email inboxes overflowing with unread promotional emails and spam. Digital campaigns launched by your dealership already have an abundance of other communications competing for your customers’ attention. That’s why the holiday season is the ideal time to send an impactful message to your customers that they’ll appreciate via direct mail holiday marketing campaigns.

Why Add Holiday Cards to Your Dealership Marketing Plan?

Making a List: Your Car Buyer Personas

Determining your target market for your dealership marketing campaigns is important to help get the most out of every message. While it might seem that younger customers are only interested in digital marketing, such as on social media, that isn’t the case. If you’re wondering if it’s only older customers who still enjoy receiving mail, you might be surprised to discover that direct mail is appreciated by several generations. According to a recent Generational Research Report by USPS*:

• Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) enjoy the daily discovery that print mail brings, including valuable offers
• Direct mail grabs the attention of Gen X (born 1965-1980) and helps increase purchase intent
• Millennials (born 1981-1996) have strong positive feelings about print mail and enjoy staying in-the-know
• Gen Z (born 1997-2012) feels that direct mail is highly personal and enjoys creative, memorable branding

As you formulate your car buyer personas, the target audience for your holiday mail campaigns, be sure to include each age group on your list for the most impact.

Composing a Message: Design, Deals, and More

Leave the generic postcard promos to your competitors—the holiday season is the time to send festive, fun holiday cards. Think direct mail pieces in greeting-card-and-envelope format, including themed imagery or featuring celebrations with friends and family.

Don’t hesitate to include an enticing offer as well. Whether you’re aiming for an upscale feel for your holiday marketing campaigns or a bright, cheery one, customers expect to receive special offers in the mail: over 70% of Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X customers and almost 90% of Baby Boomers are checking their mailbox for your promotions!*

Let them know of upcoming holiday sales events on your new vehicle lineup, send them reminders to visit for winter service before heading out for extra holiday travel—or simply let them know your team is there to help with any vehicle needs.

Start Off the Holidays with Attention-Grabbing Marketing

Hallmark isn’t the only holiday card pro in the business. Let our automotive experts help you keep your showroom and service lane filled with customers this holiday season with a collection of holiday marketing campaigns. Our Affinitiv Essentials solution helps simplify car dealership marketing with multi-channel options, targeted list building, and best-in-class support. Even better, we’re a MediaPost EIS (Email Marketing Excellence) award finalist for 2023. So don’t wait for the holiday rush—get started today or contact us for your live demo.

* USPS. Mail & E-Commerce Through the Ages, a USPS® Generational Study. Retrieved from https://www.uspsdelivers.com/2020-2021-generational-research-report/pdf/USPS_2020_2021_Generational_Research_Report.pdf.