Erwin Busselot, Director of Business Innovation & Solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe, notes that the recent Mail: The Super Touchpoint report from JICMail, Great Britain’s joint industry agency for ad mail, found that performance marketing is struggling. Its effectiveness has declined over the last few years for several reasons, including reduced effectiveness throughout the customer journey following Google’s change of plans on third-party cookies. There is also the consideration that consumers are more price-sensitive and less loyal due to the cost of living crisis. Also, total ad saturation results in declining creativity and increased competition for consumer attention.

That is why marketers should be investing in super touchpoints to meet these challenges head-on, either explicitly or implicitly, in the way they connect with consumers. 

JICMail, with the DMA, spoke to advertisers, media agencies, the IPA, and Marketreach to define what a super touchpoint is. They agreed on something that enables marketers to merge audience-first planning with a cut-through behavioral or creative insight to deliver disproportionately effective outcomes for consumers and brands. Something that creates deeper emotional connections with consumers delivers a stimulating sensory experience that attracts attention, provides advertisers a platform for brand storytelling, and/or inspires consumers to start a conversation.

Any channel that conforms to best practice measurements has the tools available to create genuine and surprising customer insight and has the potential to drive impact at all stages of the purchase cycle, which can be a super touchpoint.

Read Erwin Busselot's insightful article here.