lady and girl looking at mail in a kitchen

Partially addressed mail

Reach relevant new audiences, even if you don’t have a rich database. Partially addressed mail uses postcode data to target the right audience for your brand.

What is partially addressed mail

Partially addressed mail is a highly targeted way to reach new customers, even without first-party data. Instead of addressing mail to individuals, you can attract new customers by targeting small groups of households based on their postcode.

Whereas direct mail is addressed to a specific household or individual, partially addressed mail works by sending mailings to groups of relevant households instead of individual prospects. Catalogues and brochures can be sent as part of a partially addressed mail campaign.

What are the benefits of partially addressed mail?

With increasing concerns over data privacy and the complexities of GDPR, brands are finding it harder to reach new customers. Partially addressed mail is the perfect solution.

Boost your chances of attracting new customers with postcode data

Partially addressed mail leverages postcode data to maximise your reach. You can either “top up” postcodes where you already have a strong customer base, or target “lookalike” postcodes that match the characteristics of your existing customers. Using both methods gives you broad yet precise coverage for maximum campaign impact.

Precision targeting that drives results

Rather than sending mail to individual customers, partially addressed mail reaches small, specific groups of around 15 households per postcode. This targeted approach ensures your message resonates with the right audience. Plus, you can personalise your messaging (e.g., “Dear Fitness Enthusiast” or “Dear Coffee Lover”) to further engage recipients and boost response rates.

Great value for money for budget-conscious brands

Partially addressed mail offers incredible value for money. You can reach 30% more households than with fully addressed mail, all while sticking to the same budget.

Drives action and ROI for lasting impact

Partially addressed mail isn’t just about reaching people—it’s about getting them to act. 26% of recipients of partially addressed mail take commercial actions, such as making a purchase or visiting your website. By including engaging calls to action, like QR codes or special offers, you can encourage even more conversions and brand interactions.

Stays top of mind

Unlike digital ads that are often skipped or ignored, partially addressed mail has staying power. On average, recipients keep the mail for a week and revisit it up to four times. This gives your brand multiple opportunities to make an impression and drive action, even after the initial delivery.

Supercharge campaigns with higher engagement

With 88% of recipients interacting with partially addressed mail—whether it’s reading, opening, or saving it for later—this type of mail ensures your message is seen and engaged with. Plus, 9 out of every 100 items are shared, extending your reach organically.

How does geo-targeting boost your partially addressed mail campaigns?

With partially addressed mail, you can zero in on small, highly targeted groups—about 15 households within a specific postcode area. By leveraging the Postcode Address File (PAF) and matching it with your existing customer data, you ensure you're reaching fresh prospects, not your current customers. There are two powerful targeting options: "Topping up," where you add new leads to areas with existing customers, and "Lookalike" targeting, which focuses on postcodes that share characteristics with your current customer base. Combining these strategies helps you craft a laser-focused, high-impact campaign that drives results.

How to create a successful partially addressed mail campaign?

Define your campaign goals

Objective setting: Determine what you want to achieve with your partially addressed mail campaign—whether it’s acquiring new customers, promoting a specific product, or increasing brand awareness.

KPIs: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response rates, conversions, or ROI to measure success.

Identify your target audience

Geo-demographic data: Use geo-demographic data to define your target audience. This could include household characteristics, interests, or behaviours in specific postcode areas.

Data segmentation: Break down your customer base or potential market into segments (e.g., high-value areas, “lookalike” postcodes, or areas with similar demographics to your existing customers).

Select the right targeting strategy

Topping up: Focus on areas where you already have an existing customer base and target similar households in those postcodes to increase your reach.

Lookalike targeting: Identify and target postcodes that share characteristics with areas where your best customers currently live.

Combine strategies: Often, using a mix of both strategies will give you the broad coverage and high-quality prospects needed for a successful campaign.

Create compelling, relevant content

Personalisation: Although the mail isn’t personally addressed, you can make it more relevant by tailoring the content to specific interests (e.g., “Dear Outdoor Enthusiast” or “Dear Coffee Lover”).

Clear call to action: Include strong, clear calls to action that encourage recipients to take the next step—whether it’s visiting your website, signing up for a promotion, or making a purchase.

Visual appeal: Ensure the design is eye-catching and professional, with engaging copy and visuals that align with your brand's tone and messaging.

Make sure your content is engaging

Incorporate QR codes: Including QR codes or other scannable content is a great way to drive recipients online, enabling them to take immediate action or access more information.

Incentives or offers: Consider adding exclusive offers, discounts, or incentives to make the mail more enticing and encourage recipients to engage.

Choose your mailing list and data provider

Postcode Address File (PAF): Work with a reliable data provider to access up-to-date and accurate postcode-level data. This ensures your campaign reaches the right households.

Clean and segment your data: Remove any duplicates or existing customers from the list to ensure you’re only reaching new prospects and not wasting budget.

Design and produce your mail pieces

Format and size: Choose the appropriate format and size of your mail pieces (e.g., postcards, brochures, or catalogues) based on your messaging and budget.

Proofing: Ensure all content is proofread and that the mail piece meets quality standards before printing to avoid errors.

Select your distribution method

Delivery timing: Decide on the best timing for delivery, whether you’re coordinating with seasonal campaigns or a product launch.

Partner with a mail provider: Choose a trusted mail provider to handle the distribution, ensuring that they have experience with partially addressed mail campaigns and can guarantee accurate and timely delivery.

Launch the campaign

Track and monitor: Once the campaign is live, monitor the delivery process and ensure the mail is reaching your target audience. Stay in contact with your distribution partner for updates.

Measure and analyse results

Engagement tracking: Analyse response rates, QR code scans, website visits, or any other data to evaluate how well your campaign performed.

Assess ROI: Compare the cost of your campaign with the results to determine the return on investment (ROI). Look at metrics like conversions, new customers acquired, or overall sales.

A/B testing: If applicable, test different variations (e.g., messaging, offers, designs) to see which one performs best and apply those learnings to future campaigns.

Refine and optimise for future campaigns

Feedback and learnings: Based on campaign performance, refine your targeting, content, or offers for the next iteration of your partially addressed mail campaign.

Continuous improvement: Use the insights from your campaign to continuously improve and optimise future partially addressed mail efforts, ensuring even greater effectiveness and ROI in future campaigns.