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Here's my thesis: everyone is now so utterly overloaded with direct marketing messages that most people have stopped reading. Even when the message is beautifully presented and on topic there is still a big chance we won't read it.

Let me run this by you again. I am saying that even if I am really interested in the message you are sending me, I still won't read, because I'm just overloaded with direct marketing messages.

And that's the problem before you even think about trying to hold my attention. What I am saying is that it is incredibly difficult even to get my attention in the first place.

The issue is that the audience - the people receiving the messages - now perceive themselves to be in total overload. I used to tell people that the way to get direct mail read was to be relevant to my needs and interests - but then I found myself deleting unread emails from the football club I have supported all my life. I realised I had joined everyone else. I had stopped reading.

So a few years ago my colleagues and I started the hunt for a solution - a way to engage the readership when doing direct marketing. And I think we have just found the answer.

We've got a bit of previous at doing this sort of thing, and have now produced a short paper summarising our work. It's called, Getting more replies: solving the direct overload. A snappy title, I'm sure you will agree.

About the author

Tony Attwood is one of the best-known figures in the UK direct mail industry. As chairman of Hamilton House Mailings plc he has been at the forefront of the drive to help everyone using direct mail to understand the medium and get the best possible results from each mailing. He writes direct mail letters and brochures for a wide range of clients and oversees the Direct Mail Secrets newsgroup ? the largest direct mail discussion and newsgroup in the world.

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