As we charge towards the end of 2021 the momentum we’ve seen build for insert activity shows no sign of slowing down.
Inserts into third party mailings and magazine subscription copies found an unexpected (and welcome!) niche during the early lockdowns. Delivered directly to the home, inserts offered certainty of reaching the target audience at a time when sales at the newsstand suffered. This unique advantage led to new clients testing inserts for the first time and existing clients increasing volumes. Here at AJ we’ve long felt inserts are not given the credit they deserve, often perceived by clients as unexciting (and dare I say it irritating…) so we are delighted so many new advertisers have tested this versatile medium. Strong results across all sectors have led to huge growth in insert volume and spend, with AJ client insert spend in 2021 projected to be triple that of 2019.
Aquability in particular have achieved a pretty impressive ROI from insert activity over the past couple of years. Aquability have been active in the insert market and achieving steady returns for a number of years but saw stronger than ever results in 2020 and 2021 is shaping up to be even better. In particular, inserts that ran in March, April and May 2020 were integral in keeping leads flowing when market uncertainty meant press and TV activity were scaled back. We don’t mind admitting even we were surprised by how good the results were, despite a country in lockdown there was still strong product demand and inserts running at this time generated some of the highest returns we ever had for insert activity. It’s not surprising that inserts have formed a key part of the Aquability media mix in 2021.
Continued client commitment to inserts in 2021 has paid dividends, with fantastic results from both banker mailings and test runs still coming in thick and fast. In fact, results are so strong that for the first time we are running a Q4 insert campaign. Q4 is traditionally a time when the traditional “big ticket” direct response advertisers step back as demand naturally slows due to consumer focus on the upcoming festive period but confidence in the Aquability insert performance is at such a high we have continued insert activity right up to December 31st. It’s fantastic to finish the year on a high but we’re not resting on our laurels – the insert planners are already working on Q1 2022 campaigns, so watch this space…
Helen Gower, Insert Media Planner/Buyer
Please contact Helen if you would like more information or to discuss your own requirements: helen@aja.co.uk