In a marketing world obsessed with scale and speed, direct mail is front and center.
But it’s not the legacy channel most marketers remember—it’s modern, data-powered, dynamic, and deeply strategic. Paired with email, it’s becoming the not-so-secret weapon for brands looking to break through the noise and create omnichannel journeys that convert.
To unpack this transformation, Kara Trivunovic, SVP of Zeta Global, hosted a powerhouse panel featuring:
- Sarah Arango, CRM Manager at DSW
- Ryan Phelan, CEO at RPE Origin
- Phil Davis, SVP and Head of Sales at Postie
What followed was a masterclass in cross-channel strategy, customer-centric marketing, and myth-slaying insights. Check out some of the highlights below, or watch the recording in full.
The Resurgence of Direct Mail
Kara opened the session by acknowledging what many marketers are feeling:
“It’s not enough to evaluate email and direct mail in silos anymore. It’s about the customer experience in totality—how all channels work together to influence behavior.”
Ryan quickly made the case for direct mail as the “when-email-doesn’t-work” channel:
“Just because you have someone’s email doesn’t mean it’s the channel that converts. Smart marketers know it’s about using the right channel—not just the available one.”
Phil built on that with this breakdown:
“Direct mail isn’t replacing email—it’s complementing it. It fills the gaps when inbox engagement drops off.”
And Sarah brought the numbers to life from the DSW side:
“We have a huge part of our (CRM) file that only hears from us through direct mail. If we’re not mailing them, we’re not talking to them … Print has a different kind of magic… something that digital can’t replicate.”
For brands like DSW, direct mail isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have. Especially when the email channel gets saturated or when segments simply don’t engage digitally.
Channel Coordination & Measurement
Next came the big challenge: How do you measure omnichannel performance when every team wants credit?
Phil delivered a key framework:
“Incrementality tells you what your campaign actually caused—not just what happened while it was running.”
Instead of attributing all success to the last email click or the mailed promo, incrementality shows the true lift caused by each tactic—measured against a clean control group.
Ryan urged marketers to let go of the ego in attribution:
“You’re not going to get all the credit anymore—and that’s okay. It’s about the lift, not the ego.”
But getting buy-in for control groups isn’t always easy. That’s where Sarah’s grounded approach stood out:
“We always have a holdout—always. It’s the only way we can go to leadership and say, ‘Here’s exactly what this campaign delivered.’”
Kara chimed in with a sharp observation about organizational dynamics:
“The companies that embrace testing and holdouts often have CMOs who value long-term learning over short-term wins.”
When you have shared KPIs, centralized measurement, and team alignment, testing doesn’t feel threatening—it feels like progress.
Direct Mail Today is Fast, Personal, Always-On
One of the most powerful parts of the conversation was how direct mail has evolved.
Forget printing delays and generic offers. Direct mail today, with the right direct mail partner, is:
- Fast – campaigns can hit mailboxes in days, not weeks
- Personalized – offers, images, CTAs tailored by behavior or loyalty tier
- Triggered – just like email, mail can be tied to cart abandonment, inactivity, or lifecycle events
Phil put it plainly:
“A cart abandonment message can be printed and delivered in just days—with a QR code that leads straight back to checkout.”
He adds:
“Always-on isn’t just a buzzword—it’s how you build consistency, fill gaps, and keep momentum.”
And Sarah echoed that experience:
“We’re not waiting for the calendar to tell us when to mail. The customer tells us when they’re ready—and we send.”
DSW is still doing tentpole campaigns—like holiday and back-to-school—but now those efforts are supplemented with always-on tactics that fill the in-between with conversion momentum.
As Ryan summed it up:
“Tentpoles still matter—but always-on is what pays the bills.”
Myth-Busting: What Marketers Still Get Wrong
Kara pivoted the conversation to myths—and each panelist was ready to drop some truth.
❌ Myth 1: “Young People Don’t Respond to Direct Mail”
Phil hit this first:
“Direct mail converts with younger adults. Their inboxes are noisy—but their mailboxes aren’t.”
Digital natives block ads and skim emails—but a tactile, beautifully designed mailer? That grabs attention.
❌ Myth 2: “Direct Mail Is Too Expensive”
Ryan had no patience for this outdated view:
“People say mail is expensive. But if a $3 mailer delivers $50 in sales, who cares what it cost?”
It’s not about cost—it’s about return.
❌ Myth 3: “Mail Can’t Be Personalized”
Sarah set the record straight:
“We can do everything in print that we do online—first name, offers, recs, visuals, etc.”
Thanks to dynamic creative and automated workflows, mail is just as personalized as digital—and often more memorable.
❌ Bonus Myth: “Email is Dead”
Ryan laughed at this one:
“Email is essential. It’s alive and thriving—especially when paired with direct mail.”
Email remains the heartbeat of CRM. But when the inbox loses power, the mailbox can reignite attention.
Omnichannel Strategy in Action
“It’s about the customer experience in totality—how all channels work together to influence behavior.” – Kara Trivunovic
Here’s how to put everything into practice.
1. Audit Engagement Drop-Offs
- Identify where email no longer moves the needle (onboarding, win-back, post-purchase).
- Flag segments that never open, never click, never convert.
2. Model for Propensity
- Use AI or predictive models to find out which segments will likely respond to mail.
- Prioritize budget where mail can deliver lift.
3. Test in Email
- Try subject lines, timing, offers in email—it’s fast, cheap, and scalable.
- Take winning elements and translate them to mail.
4. Build Smarter Mail Campaigns
- Use dynamic creative for name, offer, imagery.
- Include QR or PURLs to drive digital reentry.
5. Use Holdouts Religiously
- Establish both permanent and campaign-specific holdouts.
- Present true lift, not just outcomes.
6. Create Shared Reporting
- Email and mail should roll into the same dashboards.
- Attribution should reward collaboration, not competition.
7. Shift from Tentpole to Always-On
- Tentpole campaigns spike awareness.
- Always-on triggers sustain performance year-round.
8. Repeat, Refine, Optimize
- Track what works, cut what doesn’t, and scale strategically.
The Final Word
If you’re still treating email and direct mail like separate teams with separate KPIs, budgets, and timelines—you’re behind.
This webinar wasn’t just a conversation—it was a wake-up call.
Modern marketing demands:
- Cross-channel fluency
- Measurement maturity
- Personalization at scale
- Collaboration over credit
So whether you’re sending an email, a postcard, or both—it’s all one conversation with your customer. One journey. One brand. One result.
It’s time to step into the omnichannel era—and lead.
Want a deeper dive? Check out the recording.
