These days, you can barely move for some company, department store or counter wanting to sign you up for some loyalty card or programme or other. I think most of us would have signed up or provided our personal details for something or another on the basis that more points = better chances to redeem something (nevermind that we may not quite care for the point redemption in the first place)
Often, we’ll then find mailers arriving in our postbox as new promotions pop in in store or at the various brands that we have signed up for. I’m curious as to whether you pay attention to these mailers, or do they just go into your junk mail pile? Do you even read them?
In my case, they usually go into the junk mail pile. The only time I pay attention is when I receive the Crabtree & Evelyn notification of their annual Christmas sale so I can pick up their cookies (too stingy to pay full price :P). Other times, I don’t pay very much attention to these flyers or mailers at all.
I thought about this, because last week, I spotted a little envelope from Chanel and tore into it quite eagerly (no, they weren’t sending me a ‘We Miss You’ gift voucher, darn!) but I then realised that on the high quality glossy card, was a fragrance sampling promotion…. back in November 2012! LOL!
I had apparently received it, tossed it aside and never bothered about it again until 5 months later. So, yeah, I suppose these mailers are quite lost on someone like me. When I’m asked to fill up customer profile forms these days, I usually opt for email notification. Save the earth and all that. Doesn’t stop the mailers coming though 😛 Oh and those emails that do come in? I don’t even read them 😛
I suppose I operate on a “need to know” basis. If I’m curious enough about something, I’ll go and find out about it at the counter. Besides, with the fast paced information available at the tips of our fingers these days, I think mailers are quite redundant although I can see how they can serve as a reminder to someone less web-savvy. Mailers for promotions and sales will likely grab my attention better than the announcement of a new collection or product. As for sampling programmes, my last experience with a Chanel mailer for their CC Cream (with poor/insufficient information) left me fuming. So I’m not even that keen on mailers for sampling anymore either.
Do these mailers grab your attention and do you find them useful?
I have to say they do grab my attention when I see them in the post box, and I may give them a cursory glance, but I rarely act on them unless they are offering some no-strings-attached freebies. That said, I received a mailer from Dior yesterday informing me about an upcoming beauty workshop with an international makeup artist. I don’t usually go for these a lot, but I did share the info on my social media channels (so check Twitter or Facebook if you missed it – all promotional announcements are made there) because I know some of you may be keen! Don’t get me started on promo text messages. I always just delete those 😛
Paris B
I do get these but it’s mostly meh for me, as I only believe in a select few clinically trialed-and-tested active ingredients (which aren’t new/have a mystical backstory revolving).
I only keep a lookout for any promotions/gift sets. And those Crabtree & Evelyn cookies are yummy! I got some as a Christmas present. 🙂 I didn’t know they sell those outside of the holiday season.
It sometimes amuses me to read the wonderful claims the brands make -90% say it made their boobs firmer! That sort of thing LOL! But ultimately, its junk mail to me. Oh and Crabtree does have cookies at normal times. They have special sets at Christmas and some special Christmas flavours but the regular cookies are available all the time – they just don’t talk about it 😛
I signed up some sites on my boyfriend’s mail and oh, boy! What a junk he gets 😀 The worst is Estee Lauder, some mails per day. Chanel messages contain usually pretty pictures or videos so I will look at it.
The only loyal programs I read/care about is Sephora (-10,-20% yaay) and Jo Malone (their cocktail for Sugar&Spice was quite lovely).
Hahaha your poor boyfriend! 😀 I have an email account just for signing up for these junk mail things. At least I know nothing important goes in there 😉
Nope, mailers don’t interest me and I actually really dislike them as they are a huge waste of resources. Crabtree ones always look gorgeous as do those from most cosmetics/skin care brands but … what the heck do you do with them afterwards? I must prefer receiving updates (and vouchers for samples!) via email.
To take this a bit further, I especially LOATHE those flyers that they put under your car windshield wipers! Do those even work anymore??? Apart from creating a whole mess of paper flying all over the place eventually??? I’d purposely avoid any company/product that does its advertising this way. Yes, that is how much I hate under-the-wiper-flyers.
I just toss them unless there’s a voucher in there that I can use 😛 Oh and I hate those under windshield flyers too! OMG! I don’t get many of them but they irritate me because its always for something really silly or a restaurant that is a million miles away. I also hate it when people think that just because you have a post box, they can stuff it with their pamphlets and flyers. I just toss them straight into the trash without even reading.
Hmm, I always opt for emails and I find most of the mailers a waste of good paper. I agree with your “need to know” policy because I’m like that too.
Yeah, no need to bug us, if we can bug you! 😀
Yes, I open them, take a cursory glance and toss them out if it’s not for me – be it text, email or snail mail. After I obfuscate name and address on the snail mail ones, that is.
I’m practically getting spammed by Anya Hindmarch Malaysia – mail, email and text! – getting me to RSVP to their private events at the KLCC store which I usually can’t be arsed to go unless it’s on a weekend and I don’t have anything else on. I thought the definition of RSVP is for them to assume that if they don’t hear from me, I’ll be there and not vice versa? Oy vey.
I rip out the name and address labels and tear them up into tiny bits before throwing LOL Yes, I’m paranoid 😛 Goodness, Anya Hindmarch must REALLY want you to go! I got a flyer once but I didn’t open it till it was over. Oops! They didn’t spam me though – guess my presence wasn’t required on the day LOL!
I look at the mailers I received and then it ends up straight in the dustbin. It is such a waste of resources especially since it is made from those high-quality glossy paper. I think when I was in my twenties, I used to use the mailers which came in nice cardboard type material as bookmarks. At least it was put to good use. LOL.
Yep, some of these papers and cards can’t even be recycled! Clever idea using them as bookmarks. I sometimes use them as makeshift table mats or to put fish bones on when having dinner LOL!
Mailers! I used to love oogling at the beautiful floral prints of L’occitane and Crabtree’s mailers but there’s never really anything interesting in these. Other than that I’d just pop all other mailers into the recycling bin.
I know! You’d think they could tell us something more in there (or at least include a voucher eh? 😉 ) Mine always end up in the bin too. Along with everyone else’s I notice!
i usually don’t look at this mailers…or open the envelopes to look. If it’s a postcard type higher chances of me reading it, but i find those mailers to be quite useful for misc uses like base for icy cold water to protect my desk, or….when i walk the dog and when i need to pick poo pooo…
Dog poop scooper! Genius!!!
Junk mails unless there’s some good promotion going on. I am opting for electronic mails these days too. It’s easier to trash email than actual junk.
I even set up an email account just for all these sort of sign ups. This way, even if they bombard me, I don’t have to care LOL!
Even though I’ve chosen only to get e-mails from L’Occitane I still get their newsletters via post. There’s so much paper waste! I was miffed that they didn’t offer either a Calendar or Notebook as gifts with purchase this year. So, I wrote to them that they should save the paper to produce their Calendar or Notebook for next year 🙂
hahaha I like your sass Ginger! I hope they listen to you!
I don’t get much mailers at home because I usually just use my PO box address when I sign up to different stores. But when I do pick them up, they usually go to the recycle bin. The only mailers I pay attention to is, like you, the Crabtree & Evelyn ones because of their discount notifications. Another one would be MYER. They do have quite nice pictures in their mailers and sometimes I get 10% off cosmetics.
These days, most mailers come via email and they’re a lot easier to manage. I think companies should switch to emails instead because realistically speaking, who keeps them? They always end up in the bin one way or another. Such a waste of paper and plastic. On the other hand, I’m not keen on emails that require you to print out and show them to get discounts. Why can’t I just show them the email? Again, waste paper. Tsk tsk.
Okay, I’ll get off my high horse now. 😛
Clever idea to use a PO Box address! I suppose my office address is that PO Box for me LOL! Easy to toss out immediately. For discounts, I’ll agree. We should be able to just show them the email on our mobiles and be done with it. The only difference would be if there were limited number of redemptions that may require the store to keep track then yes, printing out will then make sense. That said, having seen some of the aunties that go to collect free samples and the like from mailers, I think its working… for a part of the population 😉
sometimes, yes, it gives me the info that I want and would like to try, but most of the time, by the time I get those mailers, it’s either nearing expiry or I just don’t have time to bother with it.
i much prefer emails actually! although some can be quite “spammy”.
I think most emails are spammy haha! I have a dedicated email for these “spam” and clear it out occasionally. Usually by hitting the select all and delete button LOL!
Hi, i do get these very often, it really depends on the brands. if its brands which i do keep a look out for i keep them for awhile or redeem them for samples. some of the samples are really good for traveling / staycation and going to the gym
Oh if they offer samples, I’m usually more than willing to hold on to them 😀 I had a horrible experience with Chanel because they said I had to bring the mailer when the mailer didn’t say I had to. But most companies do specify quite clearly what needs to be done. Still, I would prefer that brands/companies didn’t just give samples to those with mailers. Other people may want to try the products too!
i throw away.=P unless there is useful promotion or samples going on.
Sounds like most of us do that!
I am usually excited about mailers from brands I like but as of late these mailers have gotten more useless- like the glossy perfume ad mailers I get from Chanel. The last one I received was one for a Chanel men’s fragrance, lol. And to think I was excited that it may have been something like a sampler for once!
The L’Occitane mailers notifying promos or sale events are usually welcomed and I appreciate the birthday cards from Chanel- the one I got 2 years back was thoughtful and I still have it with me 🙂
I do feel bad for tossing out so much paper…wish I could tell them to only send me mailers that I will find useful (samples!/ member-only sales!)- and perhaps via email instead.
I know what you mean, Vanessa! I sometimes get hefty looking lux envelopes, only to open it and find a piece of card with just a few words on it telling me to check out something new, but with no offer of a sample (or even a gift voucher which is of course, wishful thinking hehe…) I think locally, somehow the physical mailers still work. Perhaps its because not everyone may use email?
I am signed up for a few mailings, and luckily here in Spain the ones I am signed up to are quite modest in their frequency. They only send me mailings (whether by email or post) generally only when theres a launch or an offer, so thats ok with me. 🙂
That’s considerate of them, Sofia! Maybe I just signed up with too many companies LOL! 😀