In a world where 75–80% of ad spend is digital, why is Digital Strategy Director at the7stars, Jonny Harrison, making the case for direct mail?
That’s because he’s seen how it wins the attention economy. For episode 20 of Mail Unleashed, Jonny has joined our host Rory Sutherland to break down:
- Why digital struggles to get creative right and how direct mail can help
- How “hand-delivered communications” can earn 90 seconds of undivided attention
- Why no media channel is truly expensive if it drives the right outcome
- Why precise geo-targeted marketing is often overlooked in digital marketing
- How programmatic mail bridges digital efficiency with physical impact
Plus, they reveal why the most underrated media channel could be the most effective one in your mix.
00:00 Intro
00:41 Welcome to Jonny
01:47 Why is Jonny, a Digital Strategy Director, making a case for direct mail?
04:21 Why do digital display ads struggle creatively? How looking at physical mediums can help
07:01 Marketing vs attention. Direct mail generates 90 seconds of undivided consumer attention
10:52 The rise of retail media and the opportunities mail can bring
13:34 The problem with relying on AI in digital marketing
15:18 Programmatic mail: why physicality is so important in today’s digital world
18:00 The power of geo-targeting in physical and digital marketing
22:48 Why digital-first brands benefit from using direct mail. Example from Ocado and Waitrose
24:27 Is any media channel actually expensive?
27:28 Outro
Jonny Harrison is a Digital Strategy Director at the7stars, the UK’s largest independent media agency. He focuses on driving advertising performance through data, technology and experimentation across channels.
Jonny also supports new business, leads internal events, and contributes to the IAB Mobile Steering Group and Performance Council.
Follow Jonny.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-harrison430/
Follow Rory.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/
X - https://x.com/rorysutherland
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rorysutherlandclips?lang=en
Watch the full episode.
Website - https://www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-unleashed/jonathan-harrison-the-7-stars
YouTube - https://youtu.be/PWZBmXejd58
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X - https://x.com/MarketreachUK
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