Door to door distribution has proven itself to be a popular means of advertising over the past few decades. In fact, the medium outperformed total UK advertising expenditure during the late 1990s. However, many clients nowadays still wonder whether it’s worth investing in this type of advertising. Of course, it’s cost-effective compared to other ways of promotion, like TV commercials and radio ads, but will it pay off in the end? Let’s make a quick overview of some door drop statistics and find out!
Let’s start with volumes. It’s one of the factors that display how much people are still willing to invest in door to door distribution. And the numbers don’t disappoint: total unit volumes have remained relatively consistent, between 6.5bn and 8bn for the past five years. The fluctuation is dependent on various factors and doesn’t necessarily indicate a relaxation in demand.
Now let’s talk expenditure. How much do you actually spend for a unit of? A steady increase in the cost has been reported over the past five years and now is about £39.5, compared to an average of £28.5 five years ago. This is due to a reduction in the free newspaper coverage, as well as increases of fuel cost and National Minimum Wage, along with several other factors. The total revenue, on the other hand, has remained more or less the same and now is £259m (£256m and £266m in the two previous years). Such stable investment indicates trust in the medium and its effectiveness over the years.
While remaining the same at its core, door to door distribution has undergone several changes in the course of history. For instance, the average number of door drop communications delivered to the average UK household per week has fallen from 7.7 items to 4.8 items, although those numbers will vary significantly, depending on the household type. As for the average item weight, it has reduced by 17.33% over the last five years and stands at 14.88 grams today. That is great news for the environment, since the total volume of door drop communication material has fallen from 184,001 tonnes to 97,730 tonnes (a drop of 46.89%).
It’s hard to argue with facts. In this case, it is clearly seen that door to door distribution has been and still is an effective way of promotion, and not only cost-wise. Many businesses put their trust and funds into this medium for a reason. Perhaps you should consider giving it a try as well, if you haven’t already!