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The Post as we know it (01/2009) |
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by Sophie Habermacher, Manager of the Centre for Research and Business Intelligence, Mail Management – La Poste.
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“Club Courrier” was founded in 2007 and is an umbrella group for the various players in the mail communications industry, such as those involved in database operations, paper producers, sorting, mailing and delivery operators…
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 “Club Courrier” has the task of promoting the mail communications industry, which is estimated to be 1.4% of French GDP. Club Courrier is involved in the promotion of responsible environmental support and, to this end, has signed the “charter of paper mail communications for the improved protection of the environment”.
Listening to the people we deliver to
For the first time in 2008, “Club Courrier" undertook a survey, which it has passed to l’IFOP (1), in order to improve the appreciation of the advantages of paper mail and to promote its use. With just over a thousand of people questioned, the survey highlights the following points (2):
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Complementarity of the postal and electronic communication services. Each has their own advantages, such as the personalised targeting or the possibilities for exploitation of the medium for the paper mail.
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Reception of mail in France continues to be a basic part of life. According to the survey, 7 out of 10 French people would find it inconceivable not to receive paper mail. For the official correspondence in particular, if these were no longer sent out in paper format a clear majority would see this as a decline in the quality of service provided by the company issuing the correspondence.
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Effectiveness of the medium, confirmed by the results dealing with publicity and paper mail: readership rate above 82% and circulation rate in the family home above 50%.
Identity, a key factor
Mail must provide value and be environmentally sensitive if it is to remain a successful and valued medium.
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The identity of the senders and an appropriate targeting are two key factors for ensuring the mail to be open and read.
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60% of small companies in France state that they communicate with most of their partners by Internet. However, they still wish to receive paper mail for certain kinds of communication, in particular administrative and contractual documents, or documents for business use, such as brochures, business information etc.
As with much of the other information contained in this survey, this makes us think again about certain assumptions in relation to paper mail. The attachment of French people to this form of communication is clear, as is their very rational expectation for new improvements.
Internet user, harder to please consumer
Internet users value paper mail just as much as more traditional publics. Overall they appear to be more demanding in terms of the quality and the use of the paper mail that they receive. They are especially sensitive to targeting and personalisation, but also to originality and graphic design. They are more aware of environmental issues and value environmental initiatives.
(1) Institut Français d'Opinion Publique (French Institute for Public Opinion)
(2) A telephone survey of 1,050 individuals, aged 18 and over, using quota sampling, and 402 people in companies with 0 to 500 employees, using purposive and corrected sampling.
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