Direct mail and out-of-home (OOH) advertising are proving they’re far from outdated. In this episode of Beyond the Billboard, hosts Charlie Riley and Greg Wise spoke with Mike Gunderson, founder of Gundir and PostReminder, to uncover why these traditional channels remain powerful tools in modern marketing.
Watch the full episode below.
Direct Mail: An Old Tactic with New Relevance
Mike Gunderson shared his journey into direct mail, starting as a designer over two decades ago. What drew him in was simple: the power of testing and results.
“I started in direct mail, gosh, almost twenty four years ago. We’re a large credit card issuer. I just absolutely fell in love with it. I’m a designer by trade, but the idea of doing direct mail, doing testing, and changing a color, changing a call to action, changing a format, and having huge implications on response is just awesome. It’s fascinating.”
Unlike digital ads, direct mail demands physical interaction. Whether recipients keep, review, or throw away a piece, they engage with it. This brand touchpoint builds awareness even if there isn’t an immediate conversion.
Why Startups Are Turning to Direct Mail
Many startups, especially in B2B SaaS, reach a ceiling with digital marketing. Rising costs and saturated channels force them to explore alternatives. Gunderson explained how direct mail fills this gap:
“I think a lot of times when we’re working with new startups here in Silicon Valley, they’ve kind of hit the ceiling. They haven’t really figured out a good way to expand or really grow their programs through digital channels without the additional cost. And so they’re starting to look for new ways to reach customers.”
Direct mail allows precise targeting, making it effective for reaching high-value prospects with personalized messaging.
Precision Targeting Makes All the Difference
Today’s direct mail isn’t about sending mass postcards to random addresses. Advanced targeting ensures each piece is relevant to the recipient.
“Utilizing address-based targeting. And then within that same exact address-based targeting, we’re using co-op lists, or we’re using modeling, or we’re getting that target market right where we need it to be. So the words ‘junk mail’ don’t exist because you may not be interested at this moment in time, but it is relevant to you.”
This approach reduces waste, boosts ROI, and integrates seamlessly with digital campaigns.
Combining Direct Mail with Out of Home for Maximum Impact
Direct mail and OOH advertising share a key benefit: they create unavoidable touchpoints. A billboard grabs attention during a commute, while a postcard demands interaction at home.
“When we’re targeting those folks with a direct mailer, whether it’s a postcard, self mailer, it could be a letter package, they have to interact with it. They’re physically going out to their mail. They’re grabbing it. They’re sorting it, and they have to do something with it. Even throw it in the trash, they have to interact with it no matter what. So there’s a brand or the byproduct direct mail, always say, there’s a really great byproduct, which is brand awareness.”
By combining OOH and direct mail, brands create multiple high-impact touchpoints that increase familiarity and drive action.
Creative Ways to Test Direct Mail Without Big Budgets
For marketers hesitant about direct mail’s costs, Gunderson shared practical advice: start small.
“If you wanna just dip your toe in mail, like, just try it out. Connect it directly to your digital campaign and do a retargeting direct mail postcard to somebody who exits on a certain part of your site. Basically, just sends them off a postcard one at a time, right, small budgets, and see if anybody transacts off that postcard after leaving your site or abandoning your cart.”
Sending triggered postcards to website visitors is a cost-effective way to test direct mail while boosting digital conversion rates.
Action Steps for Marketers
Here are three ways to leverage direct mail and OOH in your strategy:
- Integrate with digital campaigns. Use direct mail as a retargeting tool for website visitors to capture missed opportunities.
- Combine with OOH placements. Reinforce brand messaging by reaching audiences in multiple offline settings.
- Test small before scaling. Start with triggered postcards to evaluate impact without requiring a large upfront investment.
Conclusion: Embrace Traditional Tactics for Modern Results
Direct mail and out of home advertising remain effective because they create real, tangible connections with consumers. In a digital world filled with fleeting impressions, these channels stand out for their ability to build brand recognition and drive conversions.
Don’t overlook the potential of direct mail and OOH in your marketing strategy. Start small, test creatively, and watch how these timeless tactics can transform your brand’s reach and results.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode
For deeper insights and actionable ideas from Mike Gunderson, listen to the full Beyond the Billboard episode here. Discover how traditional channels can power your next marketing campaign.