Can physical marketing still drive real growth?
For companies focused on local acquisition, fast-growing subscription services, or retail, a flyer or direct mail piece is not “old media.” It is a tool for focused outreach that sidesteps digital fatigue.
The challenge is not in the effectiveness of the physical piece itself – 79% of households read or scan direct mail, and 44% of recipients visit a brand’s website afterward, according to B&B Press – but in proving its value with hard data.
For years, the use of flyers and direct mail was a volume game. Marketers would send out large batches and hope for a conversion rate of 1-2%. This approach was notoriously difficult to justify because the cost per acquisition (CPA) was estimated, not verified. Today, smart marketers have changed the process, merging the physical distribution with digital tracking technology to create what is often called “phygital” marketing.
What has changed in physical distribution?
The main difference lies in control. Traditional methods were often decentralized, relying on local teams with limited oversight. The modern strategy requires treating physical placement with the same precision and transparency as a paid online ad campaign.
This means moving beyond simple bulk drops and focusing on:
- Geographic Targeting: Using location data and demographics to identify the exact streets, buildings, or zones with the highest potential customer density.
- Execution Verification: Equipping distribution staff with mobile applications that use GPS to track their routes and log activity in real time. This replaces manual checks and ensures the materials are placed exactly where intended.
- Unique Creative: Every batch of material uses codes, URLs, or QR codes unique to that specific campaign and placement zone. This is the crucial bridge to digital tracking.
This level of operational discipline is what allows a business to confidently calculate an accurate ROI, moving the channel from a speculative budget line item to a performance-based one.
How is the ‘untraceable’ now measured?
The key to accountability is the unique identifier printed on the physical item. When a customer receives a piece of mail or a flyer and then uses the included unique code on a website, the platform immediately credits that conversion back to the exact distribution point.
This system provides a clean, verifiable data path:
- Offline Action: A person receives a flyer with a specific offer and a code like FLYER-CA-001.
- Online Conversion: The person uses the code FLYER-CA-001 at checkout on the company’s website.
- Attribution: The conversion is automatically recorded as being sourced from the “Flyer Campaign in California Zone 1.”
This process allows marketing managers to see which areas, which offers, and even which distribution teams are driving the most revenue. They can then stop wasting money in low-performing areas and scale up efforts where the CPA is lowest.
For example, a service like Oppizi focuses entirely on this logistical and technical synchronization. By specializing in the systematic management and tracking of physical marketing campaigns, they provide the data needed to evaluate the channel alongside any other digital source. They remove the guesswork and help make a tangible channel truly measurable. This is critical for businesses that operate on tight margins and need clear proof of performance from every dollar spent.
Where does this fit in the overall marketing mix?
The shift is not about choosing physical instead of digital, but about integrating the two for better overall performance. The vast majority of shoppers – 73%, according to a study cited by Harvard Business Review – use multiple channels to shop.
A well-organized physical campaign serves as an attention gateway. It captures attention in the real world, cutting through the common digital noise, and directs the customer to a trackable online path. This two-step process can build better brand recall and higher conversion rates than either channel alone.
Companies find that using physical mail for initial acquisition often results in a customer base with a higher lifetime value. The effort of redeeming a physical offer suggests a more invested buyer. When the physical distribution is managed efficiently and tracked reliably, it becomes a dependable component in an acquisition strategy. It provides a unique, targeted channel that can be scaled up or down based on verified performance metrics, giving marketers a complete, accountable view of their spend.