IMPACT OF CORONA CRISIS ON THE ADVERTISING MARKET: DIRECT MAIL PROVED ITS WORTH

If the general memory of the year is the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, which also impacted the Estonian advertising market, then studies show that the negative effect of decline in turnover was smaller on direct mail than on other traditional advertising channels.

According to Omniva head of advertising solutions Kristi Purge, for direct mail, the most difficult periods were the second and third quarter of 2020 and the springtime shutdown of commerce made a significant difference. “Due to the harsh restrictions, many direct mail clients were forced to undergo major restructuring in their businesses. At the same time, the companies adjusted to the new reality because already in the fourth quarter we sensed the effects of the crisis mitigating and direct mail volumes started to recover,” Purge said, explaining the last year’s experience.

“We are happy that thanks to an affordable contact price, we were a valuable advertising channel for our clients, from which they got to forward information to our clients in difficult times,” Purge said. The pandemic had the smallest impact on web advertisements, which is probably due to the nature of corona restrictions – companies had to start putting more emphasis on their e-channels and their visibility. According to Purge, direct mail is the best partner for web advertisements, because they are united by an affordable contact price, wide distribution and the possibility to specifically target various interest groups.