The Visual Media Association (VMA) has launched a new insights program to promote the role of the letterbox, and the print within it, to consumers across Australia and New Zealand.
Following a collaborative approach from industry, government, Australia Post, and key stakeholders the VMA will lead the trans-Tasman project focusing on how Aussies and Kiwis use their letterboxes and the print they receive within it – from letters to bills, statements to catalogues, magazines to flyers.
The program, Open Up to Mail, will build quantitative metrics and qualitative responses developed from focus groups and consumer surveying. Research content will be developed and shared with government, brands, retailers, and Key stakeholders, providing insights into the role of the letterbox across societal balances and consumer trends through regular industry insight events being hosted across Melbourne and Sydney with livestreaming to other states and territories.
“We know from our recent focus groups that younger people now call ‘junk mail’ the emails they receive in their Inboxes, further, people working from home use the ‘trip to the letterbox’ as a ‘break’ from being inside,” said Kellie Northwood, VMA CEO.
“These shifting trends in media consumption are reflected in how we interact with the Letterbox, and as digital saturation levels are reached, the letterbox is a powerful and effective channel for government, banks, telcos, utilities and retailers to reach each and every home.”
The research will run across three years and be independently conducted by research agency, The Source, a market research company formed in 2010. The Source brings expertise in market research across the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, having worked across sectors including media, retail, government and telecommunications industry sectors.
Open Up to Mail will explore the views of cyber-security and digital scam concerns to personal information, the usefulness of catalogues and magazine advertisement through letterbox distribution, consumer sentiment to switch off from digital, and the societal balance the letterbox plays across Australia and New Zealand.
When exploring societal balance, the digital divide is most impactful to our most vulnerable citizens, particularly across low socio-economic groups. People living in public housing score 11.6 points below the national average in digital inclusion, and the elderly and those without secondary education are more likely to be highly excluded. First Nations peoples report a digital gap of 21.6 points compared to non-First Nations people. A significant number of these digitally excluded individuals express concerns about privacy and scams, leading to reduced internet usage.
“The industry has long been campaigning the benefits of the letterbox and never more so than throughout the consultation to the modernisation into the postal service,” said Northwood.
“This process working with government, Australia Post, and key stakeholders, identified the need to develop an exploration of the role of the Letterbox across our regional communities, educational channels, financial management and general societal balance.
“As we are overwhelmed by ever-increasing digital disruption to our communication channels, the Open Up to Mail insights program will provide just that, and we welcome the major mail users, customers, agencies and government stakeholders to register and attend the industry insight session in August.
“Our industry is one of the largest manufacturing employees across the country and a significant contributor to the economy across. We are sovereign manufacturers, delivering a 100 per cent recyclable product and proudly part of the societal schematic, we welcome the educational insights to share with major mail users and our communities as a whole.”
For more information or to register for the first insight session, click here.
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