TNT’s door-drop chief has pledged to spearhead the medium’s fightback against the rise of digital marketing, boosting the profile of the industry and its continued value to marketers.
The rallying cry comes as Mark Davies, managing director of TNT Post’s UK door-drop business, takes on the role of president of the European Letterbox Marketing Association (ELMA) and coincides with the publication of a new census which values the industry at €3.8bn.
Commenting on his appointment, Davies said: “Door-drop distribution is a significant employer and in my new role I want to raise the profile of the industry and its value to marketers in the 21 countries we represent in Europe.
“In the digital age, door drop is evolving and facing new challenges and opportunities. Working together across Europe we will be able to continue to demonstrate its significance in today’s marketing mix.”
ELMA has published the first pan-European census of door-drop media covering 20 markets. The research found that that an estimated 108 billion items were delivered in Europe in 2010.
Where comparative data exists, the research found that the market volume had increased by 0.5% and spend by 1.5% compared to 2009.
The largest volumes by country in 2010 were Germany (31.5bn), France (19bn), Netherlands (11.7bn ) Italy (8.1bn) and the UK (7.9bn). The average number of items received by households across Europe is 12, with 6 in the UK, although households in The Netherlands receive on average 37 items a week compared to Ireland and Romania who receive two.
Davies said: “The census reinforces the enduring cost effectiveness of the door-drop medium in Europe in a digital age, with its flexibility in responding to marketer’s needs being a key element of its continued success. Our findings show that the channel stabilised and started to rebound pretty quickly at the start of the recession, with the Eastern European countries showing sustained growth over recent years.
ELMA represents the leading pan-European distributors of print media, such as leaflets, flyers, catalogues, brochures, free newspapers and product samples. Over 132,000 people work for the companies within ELMA of which the vast majority are distributors.
