There’s a hot new media channel being touted as the next best thing in direct marketing and revenue generation: insert advertising, whereby marketers place inserts inside customer product shipments or sell insert space in their own shipments. But the fact is, there’s nothing new about it. Insert media has been around for years. What’s new is the attention it’s now receiving as “unboxing” becomes an increasingly popular way of introducing new products and services to the public.
Unboxers have taken YouTube by storm, walking consumers step-by-step through the process of receiving a package, opening it, carefully removing its contents, and describing each element, while simultaneously offering an informal review by way of opinionated commentary. From technology companies, to meal kit delivery services, to perhaps the most dominant industry in this space – toy manufacturers – brands from all over the world have unboxers promoting their offerings, and an engaged audience of viewers watching with rapt interest.
Enter, or rather re-enter, insert media. With the continual rise of online shopping, more ecommerce packages are being distributed than ever before. And it’s abundantly clear that consumers are paying attention to what’s inside, offering a prime opportunity for advertisers like Boxed, HelloFresh, and Harry’s to capture a piece of that attention with a compelling offer. On the equally beneficial flip side, insert media creates an incremental revenue stream for brands like Barnes & Noble, Shutterfly, and Rue La La who accept inserts into their customer shipments.
When the digital craze hit, many marketers shifted their focus away from inserts and other traditional media that suddenly seemed antiquated in comparison. But PlusMedia was founded 20 years ago primarily as an insert media agency and we were determined to uphold its relevancy, even in the face of changing media trends. For two decades, we’ve leveraged this channel to great success for our clients, finding ways to reinvent it and integrate it as a core component of a strategic, multichannel campaign. In addition, with the launch of our insert management division ten years ago, we have consistently generated over $10MM a year in revenue for our clients by marketing and selling space in their customer shipments.
Today, our multifaceted knowledge of insert media continues to serve our clients well in their direct to consumer marketing efforts. If you’re looking to explore the benefits of insert advertising, partner with an agency who put down its roots in the insert media channel. While we’ve grown considerably beyond those roots – having expanded into direct mail, out of home, social media, search, display advertising, and more – we have remained loyal to insert media, learning every nuance of this tried-and-true channel and passing our well-honed expertise onto our clients. We want to share it with you too – contact us for more information on PlusMedia’s services.
