Direct Mail Is “Instrumental” in Driving Repeat Purchases for M&S Meats

TLDR: 

M&S Meats crushed BFCM with direct mail then immediately scaled up its program, making direct mail a key marketing channel in the New Year. 

  • M&S Meats turned to PostPilot due to high Meta/Google costs, the BFCM email free-for-all, and the need for a new, low-lift channel.
  • Over BFCM, M&S used direct mail to reactivate gift-buying customers and has subsequently launched several automations for hands-off retention and retargeting.
  • PostPilot was “crucial” to M&S’s 2x YoY holiday revenue and has yielded an average 15x+ ROI across all campaigns.

The Pre-PostPilot Challenge:

Like other brands reliant on digital channels and email during BFCM, M&S Meats faced a classic challenge: the need to break through customers’ ridiculously crammed inboxes. 

Luke James, Director of M&S Meats’ agency, Eljay Marketing, explained:

“We wanted to leverage existing customers and generate more revenue in that window. But we’re bandwidth-limited and cautious about adding additional channels.

PostPilot’s done-for-you service made it a great option—we wouldn’t have to manage anything.” 

The PostPilot Solution:

While email rightfully remains a core component of M&S Meats’ marketing strategy, it has its limitations. 

As James says, “Direct mail has more permanence. You’re in people’s homes. You’re on the kitchen counter. Postcards have a way longer lifespan than a link click in the middle of the workday.”

And there’s no better time to have more permanence than in November: brands need an edge to stay top-of-mind and drive sales over competitors.

The Gift of BFCM Meats

M&S Meats “wanted to lean into BFCM gifting” and had plenty of new product photography for the occasion.

Where better to show off the photos than in postcards?

The 4x6 postcard M&S Meats sent to drive gift purchases.

James focused on reactivating previous gifters and broke them into 4 segments based on recency (when they last purchased) and frequency (how many times they’ve purchased). The PostPilot dashboard allows them to easily track how each cohort performs to optimize targeting on future sends. 

“Interestingly,” James noted, “Many customers were reactivated, didn’t use discount codes, and purchased other products at full price.”

Ringing in the New Year with Full-Funnel Direct Mail

M&S Meats had a blowout BFCM. So, why not add more fuel to the fire?

James worked with the PostPilot team to use those BFCM learnings to build out a more robust direct mail program based on automations (i.e., sending individually personalized cards to customers and prospects as soon as they meet certain criteria), including:

  • MailMatchTM: Customers who signed up for email but who have never purchased. Brands can retarget customers based on their email addresses alone.
  • VIP Winbacks: High-value customers who haven’t purchased in 90 days.
  • Abandoned cart postcards: Customers who abandoned their carts ~1 week ago.

“We’ve been able to increase the number of campaigns over time and our Account Manager, Yekaterina, has kept me updated every step of the way. We have been able to pivot and adjust our campaigns based on the data.”

Results:

“December was truly an eye-opener for us. We kept checking sales throughout the day and telling each other we've not seen numbers like this, ever. Particularly after December 20, sales kept going and did not slow down like they would every other year.”

-Trish Nguyen, Owner, M&S Meats

Direct mail is more than “meats” the eye (not sorry): PostPilot was a “crucial component” of M&S Meats’ 110% YoY increase in holiday revenue

And it’s been bang for their chuck, too (a little sorry about that one). Across the one-off BFCM campaigns and active automations, the brand has seen an average 15x+ ROI

With direct mail as their new full-funnel marketing pillar, we’re excited to see M&S Meats have another banner year. 

Bonus question for M&S Meats: How would you describe PostPilot to someone who’s never heard of us?

“It’s the perfect additional channel for your marketing.”

Next Case Study

Kindred Bravely Powers Shared Mail + Full-Funnel Wins with PostPilot

The beloved nursing and maternity wear brand uses direct mail to acquire more customers, retarget them, and keep them buying.

Gozney Fires UK BFCM Wins with Direct Mail

Gozney leverages PostPilot to retarget and retain UK customers.

Direct Mail Is a Perfect Fit for T.M. Lewin’s UK Retention Program

The 126-year-old men’s formalwear brand uses postcards to win back UK customers at strong ROIs.

9-Figure Women’s Apparel Brand Uses AcquisitionAI For Best-in-Class Direct Mail Prospecting

PostPilot’s proprietary targeting tech drove 124% stronger results than the leading consumer data provider for a major women’s apparel brand.

Direct Mail Shines in Toty’s Marketing Mix

Sophia Vergara’s suncare brand is leveraging direct mail for retargeting and retention, at 4x+ ROIs.

&Collar Drives 6 Figures Sending Handwritten Cards to VIPs

As part of its full-funnel direct mail program, &Collar sends high-ROI handwritten cards as a special “thank you” to VIP customers.

Lo & Sons Leverages Segments Analytics & PostPilot to Drive Second Purchases

The travel bag experts mailed customers specific cross-promotions based on first purchase behavior, affordably driving repurchases.

Portland Leather Goods Bags 8 Figures with Full-Funnel Programmatic Direct Mail

PLG’s direct mail program with PostPilot drives major revenue and automates birthday offers to VIPs.

GOOD AMERICAN Makes the Switch to Full-Funnel Revenue with Direct Mail

The body-positive apparel brand switched to PostPilot to improve performance and unlock a full-funnel channel.

KURU Footwear Notches $2m+ with Full-Funnel Direct Mail

In their first year with PostPilot, the foot pain fighters drove 7 figures in revenue at a 10x+ ROI.

Taylor Stitch Automates Retention and Revenue with PostPilot

The responsible shirting brand has driven 7 figures in seasonal and programmatic revenue using direct mail.

HexClad Built a 7-Figure Programmatic Direct Mail Program with PostPilot

The cookware experts drove nearly $3M over BFCM and continue to expand their evergreen direct mail strategies.

Gozney Retargets & Converts Anonymous Website Visitors with Direct Mail

The outdoor pizza oven brand drove $100k+ in revenue and a 10X+ ROAS acquiring new customers with SiteMatch.

Mini Katana Activates AWOL Email Subscribers with PostPilot 

The viral sword brand uses MailMatch to reach prospects who aren’t reading marketing emails. 

Plum Deluxe Scales Handwritten Birthday Wishes with PostPilot

The community-powered gourmet tea brand adds a personal touch (at scale) for thousands of customers with PostPilot.

Bones Coffee Sees “Explosive” Results with Postcards

With their first two mailers, the company drove nearly $100k in sales and brought thousands of customers back into the fold.

How Direct Mail Became an Essential Marketing Channel for Dr. Squatch

The rocketship CPG brand chose PostPilot for its concierge service and superior analytics.

Pourri Smashed Its Black Friday Goals with PostPilot

Direct mail gave the home fragrances brand a 10% incremental revenue boost, outperforming every other channel.

WINPRO Pet Uses Direct Mail to Reach *All* Its Customers

The pet supplements brand knows that direct mail connects when email can’t.

Cardalogs: A New Acquisition Channel for Misook

The women’s fashion brand tried prospecting with a faster, more flexible alternative to catalogs. It got a 3.4x ROAS.

How HexClad Uses PostPilot to Convert Email Subscribers

The cookware brand’s direct mail campaign helped rack up $800k in sales from new customers.

Wine by Lamborghini Wins at Retention with PostPilot

Holiday campaigns and automated flows keep luxury customers coming back—generating more than 10x ROAS. 

Caden Lane Leans Into PostPilot for Cold Prospecting

Direct mail scored the stylish and fast-growing baby brand a 3.8x ROAS on a first-touchpoint campaign.

Rock City Lab Reactivates Subscribers with Postcards

The ecommerce marketing agency uses direct mail to bring lapsed subscribers back — at 7X the rate of organic reactivation.

Laird Superfood Supercharges Retention With Postcards

Laird Hamilton’s plant-based food brand reengaged thousands of lapsed VIPs and saw 12x ROAS on a single campaign.

Obvi Drives Profits with Automated Postcard Campaigns

The rocketship supplements brand wanted to offset high ad costs and reach dormant customers. They scored 1000%+ ROIs.

Ezra Firestone's BOOM! Achieved a 2600% ROI with Postcards

Ecom legend Ezra Firestone knows how to retain customers. Get his direct mail playbook to drive retention and profits.

Dr. Brandt Uses Postcards to Reach Lapsed Customers

The popular skincare brand relies on PostPilot to mitigate the high cost of online ads and email deliverability issues.

Grande Cosmetics Keeps VIPs Coming Back with Direct Mail

The cult beauty brand generated more than $276,000 from a single postcard campaign. Now, it’s going deeper.

Beardbrand Wins Back “Unreachable” Customers with Easy, Effective Postcards

The OG mens grooming brand needed a way to reach and reactivate top customers who didn't engage with email. They got buyers back and achieved a 10X return.

Promix Nutrition Uses Postcards to Get Into Customers’ Homes

Promix founder Albert Matheny was looking for more than ROI. He wanted to connect offline for stronger recognition, affinity, and credibility.

Orbit Baby Uses Postcards to Acquire High-AOV Customers

With MailMatch™, the DTC stroller brand could send direct mail based just on the emails of high-intent shoppers.

CYSM Hyper-Personalizes 100+ Direct Mail Campaigns

The shapewear brand uses direct mail for holidays, retention, VIP rewards, and more to Drive >10X ROAS.

Bulletproof Re-Engages Customers with Direct Mail + Email

Bulletproof solved the one-time-buyer problem by converting massive second-purchases and new subscribers.

Urbani Truffles Wins Back High-Value Customers with Postcards

Urbani used postcards to win back valuable customers they couldn’t reach online, and how they’re now integrating direct mail across their marketing strategy.

Oh!mino Uses Postcards to Get 60% of Customers Coming Back

CEO & founder Michael Maynard used automated direct mail to help lift reorder rates from 24% to 63%.

Privy CEO Ben Jabbawy on Driving 6% of Revenue with Postcards

Ben speaks with Jeremy Roberts, CMO of apparel brand Tradlands, on making direct mail a leading overall revenue channel.

Postcards Outperformed Email 18.5 to 1 for Morris 4X4

Studies show customers receiving direct mail marketing are more likely to spend more over time (higher LTV). Morris 4x4 put this theory to the test and the results were remarkable.

ATH Organics is Crushing ROI with Postcards

The supplements brand tests creative, offers, and personalization to optimize its direct mail campaigns.

Drag &
Scroll

5.0

Ready to increase your revenue?

Join thousands of ecommerce brands using PostPilot to acquire more customers & keep them coming back again (and again).

No contracts. No minimums.