This report sheds light on the experience of the Door Drop Media channel over the tumultuous period of 2020 and 2021. As such it becomes a story of the inevitable decline in the face of the pandemic, with distribution networks suspended, retail stores shut and marketing budgets frozen. And then recovery as restrictions were lifted and the high streets reopened and activity resumed once again.
It is a textured pattern with recovery coming at different rates in different markets, often reflecting localised relaxation of the defences governments erected to combat Covid-19. What is less visible is the changing make-up of the clients contributing to this recovery as increasing numbers of e-commerce businesses who discovered the opportunity of an audience at home during the pandemic and continued to develop their use of print media when normality was restored.
The pandemic saw heightened impact and effectiveness for door drops and while some traditional users have still not recovered their volumes, this influx of new volume is strategically important for the future of the channel. While the accepted wisdom that the pandemic accelerated digitisation is true, it is equally accurate to say that the adoption and the benefits of targeted print in the home by e-commerce brands was likewise accelerated. This is particularly important given the impending changes to digital marketing, compounded by the ongoing challenges by regulators about the way the Adtech industry operates and of course the approaching degradation of third party cookies which will increase the requirement for alternative channels that can provide cost-effective reach.
So with a focus on trust, transparency, results, reach and sustainability, Door Drop Media is extremely well-placed to continue the recovery we have witnessed in 2021, notwithstanding the challenging macro-economic factors we have witnessed since the pandemic began to recede.
2 January 2023: ELMA publishes today its 12th year analysis of European door drop media spend and usage across 14 countries.
- Doordrop Media is still strong and has received an influx of new volumes
- Total door drop volume across 14 markets is estimated at 97 billion items in 2021
- Total door drop media spend across 14 markets is estimated at € 2,7 bn in 2021
- Over the 12 year period of this study, we see a fall in volume of 30,6% and a decrease in spend of 18,5%
- 2021 saw a modest increase in volume of 1,4% as well as a small increase in media spend of 7,1% compared to 2020
The largest volumes by country in 2021 remained the same as they were in 2019 i.e Germany followed by France,The Netherlands and Italy.
During 2021, 2 Scandinavian countries allocated the greatest percentage of advertising spend for door drop with Finland at 5.24%, followed by Denmark (4.41%) and then Austria (4%).
For more details about our Census Report, please email mark.davies@elma-europe.com
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