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CAPABILITIES

Direct Mail Services

Drummond has run direct mail programs for over 80 years, for regulated industries and national brands alike. We print, personalize, fulfill and mail from our own facilities — fewer handoffs, fewer vendors, and one point of accountability for deadlines that cannot move.

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What are direct mail services?

Direct mail services cover the planning, data preparation, printing, personalization, postal processing and mailing of physical marketing pieces sent to a targeted list. A full-service provider handles the entire chain — list hygiene and targeting, creative production, variable data printing, postal sortation and presort discounts, mailing, and tracking — so a single partner is accountable from concept to mailbox.

Our direct mail capabilities

Variable data printing

Every piece can carry a different name, offer, image, address or call to action, driven from your data file. Variable data printing is what turns a generic mailer into a relevant one, and relevance is what moves response rates.

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)

Saturation mail to every address along selected postal routes, without needing a mailing list. EDDM suits geographic campaigns — a new location, a service area, a grand opening — where reaching everyone in a radius matters more than targeting individuals.

Postcards, self-mailers and envelope packages

Format drives both response and postage cost. We help select the format that balances impact against budget, then produce it at scale.

Direct mail automation

Triggered and recurring mail driven by your systems — onboarding sequences, renewal notices, lifecycle campaigns, new mover programs. Mail sends itself on your rules instead of waiting on a manual production cycle.

Direct mail fulfillment and kitting

Assembly, kitting, inserting, and distribution for programs that involve more than a single printed piece — welcome kits, sample packs, dimensional mailers, and multi-component packages.

Data, targeting and postal optimization

List hygiene, NCOA processing, deduplication, presort and commingling. Postal optimization is where a well-run program quietly recovers a meaningful share of its own cost.

Why direct mail still works

Direct mail response rates run substantially higher than email, and a physical piece competes for attention in a far less crowded channel. Mail is also uniquely suited to moments when a household or business is actively making a decision — a move, a renewal, an open enrollment window, a new location opening nearby.

The channel works hardest when it is paired with digital. Linking a mail drop to matched digital impressions, and measuring both together, is how modern programs justify their spend.

Measuring direct mail ROI

Every program should be measurable. Unique URLs, QR codes, call tracking numbers, promo codes and matchback analysis all attribute response to the mail that caused it. We build measurement into the piece rather than bolting it on afterward, so results are attributable from the first drop.

Industries we serve

Drummond runs direct mail for healthcare and pharmaceutical, insurance, finance and banking, retail and hospitality, CPG and manufacturing, and government, education and nonprofit organizations. For regulated industries we hold ISO 27001, SOC 2 and HIPAA certifications, which matters when the mail carries protected data.

Direct mail FAQs

How much do direct mail services cost?

Cost depends on format, quantity, personalization and postage class. Postage is usually the largest single line item, which is why presort, commingling and list hygiene matter so much — reducing waste and qualifying for postal discounts often saves more than shaving the print cost. We quote programs as a whole rather than per component, so the tradeoffs are visible.

What is the difference between EDDM and targeted direct mail?

EDDM saturates every address on selected postal routes and requires no mailing list, making it economical for geographic reach. Targeted direct mail uses a list to reach specific people or businesses, costs more per piece, and generally returns more because relevance is higher. Geography-driven campaigns favor EDDM; audience-driven campaigns favor targeted mail.

How long does a direct mail campaign take to produce?

A straightforward postcard program can move in one to two weeks. Programs involving data work, variable personalization, kitting or regulatory review take longer. Postal transit adds time after the drop — plan backward from the in-home date rather than forward from the print date.

What is variable data printing?

Variable data printing changes content on each individual piece — name, offer, imagery, address, call to action — from a data file, with no press stops between records. It is the mechanism behind personalized direct mail, and the reason a personalized piece can be produced at nearly the same speed as a static one.

Can direct mail be automated?

Yes. Mail can be triggered by events in your CRM or platform — a signup, a move, a renewal date, a lapsed account — and produced on a recurring cycle without manual intervention. This is how new mover programs, onboarding sequences and lifecycle campaigns run continuously rather than as one-off drops.

How do you measure direct mail results?

Through unique URLs, QR codes, tracked phone numbers, promo codes, and matchback analysis against your customer file. Matchback is the most complete method for programs where recipients convert through channels other than the one the mail pointed to.

Start a direct mail program

Tell us the audience, the outcome and the date it has to land. We will build the program around it.

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