Package Inserts are a proven advertising form to grab Customer’s attention

Effective promotional measures contribute significantly to the success of a business  when they reach the right audience. However, many consumers feel annoyed by advertising. No wonder - when surfing the internet customers see banners flashing on all corners of the screen, which makes it difficult to focus on the content of the website. If you come home at night and empty your mailbox, you probably have difficulties in finding something interesting among the many leaflets and free newspapers. Or if you are relaxing in front of the TV after work to watch your favourite movie, most likely it will be interrupted every 20 minutes by commercials.


Many people simply do not pay attention to advertising and Advertisers ask themselves - “How can I reach my target audience more effectively?  How can I  ensure that the customer does not feel bothered by my advertising, but picks it up positively?”


A particularly eye-catching form of advertising are package inserts. Companies place their promotional material as inserts into the boxes of mail-order or online retailing companies. Key benefits of this method of advertising are, that the advertising hits the parcel receiver and potential customer in a positive mood which already increases the conversion rate. The reason for this is quite simple: The consumer has ordered something he or she would like to have and is happy about the package, which is why the content of the box gets observed in every detail – a bit like Christmas.


Since package inserts can be adapted by specific selection criteria for the target group on the basis of the ordered goods, the probability is high that the advertised offers within the package match the interest of the receiver. The precise localization of the target group creates an advantage for the advertiser as well, who hardly needs to worry about wastage. Customers also value the relevancy of advertising, especially if it adds value to the product they just received.

To achieve the greatest impact through a ParcelPush, you should consider the following:

1. Target Group

Advertise through parcel inserts, as if you offer someone a relevant coupon or sample that is relevant to what they are receiving from a store - a woman who has just bought a month's supply of  Nappies will probably not react too well to an offer of a car subwoofer...

It is important to know your target audience well and to know where they shop online, which the ParcelPush team is more than happy to work out with you. In addition to the mandatory socio-demographic data and their socioeconomic characteristics, personality factors and their communication behaviour provide valuable background information.

2. Form of Advertising

The variety of different advertising materials is huge: flyers, coupons, product samples, giveaways, stickers… endless options. While the success of each advertising medium depends on the target group, a few general statements can be made:  Simple Flyers are not grabbing enough attention in most cases (see best-practices here). Product samples and giveaways are always more successful in stimulating the customer and often remain in the customers memory for a long time “I owe them something”, which often leads to a purchase. However, they are lacking a call-to-action and work best in conjunction with a voucher. Vouchers or coupons are best suited to make a promotional statement. It is no surprise that coupons with a fixed value, such as a discount of $15 AUD are more popular than those that promise a percentage discount, because the price advantage is more obvious to the customer although the actual percentage discount may be worth more in the end.

3. Design

Well designed inserts are the perfect business card for a company. A clear layout, the proper placement of the heading and meaningful images plus a large dollar value provide the best results (read our previous blog post). Warm background tones convey a positive feeling - especially when they are printed on high quality paper, which gives a feeling of quality and desire. Also the print quality is essential which is why ParcelPush works with one of the best printers in Sydney. Blurred letters and blurred prints always look unprofessional.

4. Distribution Channel Partners

ParcelPush selects and manages the right Distribution Channel Partners with the right target audiences including quality control such as impromptu warehouse visits and test orders. We also conduct competitive analysis for both the Advertiser and Distribution partner in order to prevent marketing collaterals from going into boxes with competing products.

5. Reporting and Analytics

Performance is everything. Anyone who spends money on advertising would like to know what he/she gets for their advertising dollars. Our performance reviews include demographics, distribution and conversion data.

A very practical way to check the performance of the campaign, even in real time, can be achieved through the use of dedicated coupon codes or URLs. Thus, the success of the action may be directly identified. Especially if the campaign runs across various distribution partners and  the use of separate codes and URLs is always recommended.