Why Mail Matters: Google Needs it To Sell On-line Advertising

 Heigi Toliver-Nigro in a post in the Digital Nirvana Newsletter provides another example as to why mail continues to thrive as an advertising media.   Google needs it to reach potential customers for its ad words and other on-line advertising services.

“If print is dead,” said Andrew Davis, owner of Tippingpoint Labs in his presentation “Positioning Print for Today’s Customer” (from which these examples were taken), “then why are Google and Yahoo! using direct mail to promote Internet search?”

Good point. As I sat in the presentation, I thought about the multiple direct mail pieces sitting on my own kitchen counter at home. They were from Google, with integrated cards inviting me to expand my AdWords account. Haven’t gotten anything from Yahoo! yet, but it’s probably a matter of time.
When I got home from the trip, I was going through my mail and I had to smile and think of Andrew. Yet another direct mail solicitation from Google.

Have you gotten direct mail from Google lately? If so, what does this say about the viability of print?


I have to say that I get Google's direct mail.  In fact, I think I have been getting a piece from Google nearly monthly.  I thank Ms. Toliver-Nigro for pointing me to an example out the importance of mail in a digital world that was just under my nose.

If Google believes that mail is important to grow a digital business, the the future of the Postal Service should be a concern to both firms that are primarily focused on print communications and those who see their future on web-connected computers or mobile devices.  Postal Vision 2020 will bring those that are working to understand how communicators have to adapt their current strategies to expanded communications options.  Among the speakers are Jeff Jarvis, author of What Would Google Do and Larry Webber, author of Everywhere: Comprehensive Digital Business Strategy for the Social Media Era .  They, and others will provide attendeees with a clearer picture of the future for  digital and print communications and those trends will affect the options that the Postal Service has to ensure a self-sufficient future.

Postal Vision 2020 will be held June 15, 2011 and the Marriott Chrystal Gateway Hotel in Arlington, VA. To learn more click on any of the hyperlinks.