Royal Mail eyes online surge with 'Buy, Print, Drop' blitz

Royal Mail is aiming to capitalise on the huge surge in Internet shopping by launching a major integrated marketing campaign to drive awareness among marketplace sellers, SMEs and consumers of its Click & Drop online postage scheme.

Developed in partnership with creative agency MBA and media agency Arena Media, with out-of-home planned and bought by Rapport, the activity highlights how easy the Click & Drop service is to use to deliver and send parcels in difficult circumstances.

The ads, which carry the strapline “Postage that fits around you”, emphasise the benefits of the service, that enables businesses and consumers to pay online and print wherever they like, with the flexibility to drop parcels at 14,000 locations.

MBA has even devised a Government-style three word overarching message. Never mind “Hands, Face, Space”, Royal Mail wants everyone to “Buy, Print, Drop”.

Arena Media has selected radio and national press, supported by digital display, podcasts and social media, to unleash a series of messages designed to build awareness and ensure that consumers and SMEs understand the benefits of the service which – in the current environment – is claimed to be even more essential.

Rapport has developed an an outdoor media plan which targets key national locations, including spots near to key drop-off locations.

According to a recent survey of 5,000 consumers in Europe and North America by Selligenta, over a third (36%) of consumers now shop online weekly, up from just over a quarter (28%) pre-Covid-19. Some 29% of consumers say they now shop more online than in-person.

Royal Mail marketing and digital director Natalie Thomas said: “We have worked hard to respond to consumer and SME demand when it comes to parcel delivery, and this has become even more significant given that so many of us are spending more time at home now. We’re delighted to be launching this campaign and we hope it will encourage many more consumers and SMES to take advantage of this fast, easy-to-use service.”

The online shopping boom is certainly bringing much needed cheer to Royal Mail. In its most recent trading update, the postal operator reported that it had delivered 177 million more parcels in the five months to August 30, up 34% year on year, with revenues up 33%. This did partially offset a worrying decline in letter volumes, which were down by 1.1 billion, with revenues down 21.5%. Total revenues rose by £139m.

Click & Drop was first launched in 2015, enabling eBay sellers to print off labels and purchase postage at the click of a mouse, and ship parcels in the UK; international services are added later in the year offering shipping to 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Marketplace sellers can automatically upload shipping details including tracking numbers to the marketplace, which can help inform buyers their items have been dispatched. Senders can also access Royal Mail’s address look-up service to improve address accuracy and first time delivery success.

UK marketplace OnBuy.com signed up to the platform last year.