We live in an era of digital overload. Too many ads, too many notifications, too many banners that all blend into white noise. That is exactly why door drops – the physical leaflets, catalogues and postcards slipped through your target audience’s letterboxes are having a renaissance.
In this article, we’ll explore what door drops are, why they matter (especially when everyone’s turning off their phones), how to run them yourself or through a full-service partner, what benefits they offer, and the top tips to make yours work. Let’s crack open the possibilities.
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SEE OUR WORK →At its simplest, a door drop is any printed marketing piece delivered directly through someone’s letterbox — a leaflet, a postcard, a mini catalogue, or even a small branded mailer. Think of it as direct mail without the envelope. Remember when Argos used to send out their big glossy catalogues? That was the golden age of door drops.
Now, our consultants at JaDID suggest bringing it back. We’re sharing the power of door drops with clients who want to cut through the noise and land right where their audience actually lives — the doorstep. Because when someone picks up your leaflet, there’s no algorithm deciding whether they see it, no ad blocker hiding it, and no endless scroll to bury it. Just your message, in their hands.
Two-thirds of all UK households can be reached through door drop campaigns, offering massive scale without paying digital middlemen. In fact, door drops are now being described as a “time-tested strategy for targeted marketing” – a tactile way to cut through digital noise.
Before we get too romantic about print, let’s talk about why it’s coming back. Because digital fatigue is real, and audiences are quietly walking away from their screens.
Digital Fatigue and Ad Overload
You open Instagram and see ten sponsored posts. You check your email and half your inbox is promotions. You scroll for a minute and lose fifteen. This exhaustion has a name: digital marketing fatigue. It happens when people become numb to online ads and stop engaging (Oppizi).
Ad fatigue also ruins performance over time. The more someone sees the same banner, the less likely they are to click (Eskimi).
In the UK, Deloitte found that:
Studies show that overwhelmed users are scaling back their social media use altogether (Nature). Roughly one in three UK adults have cut down their screen time due to overload (Exposure Ninja).
Banner Blindness and Information Overload
Beyond fatigue, there is banner blindness – when users subconsciously ignore anything that looks like an ad (Wikipedia). Combined with information overload and media fatigue, it’s no wonder so many brands struggle to be seen.
Door drops escape all of that. They arrive directly, physically, and unmuted.
Here’s the practical bit – how a door drop campaign actually comes together.
Step 1: Design and Copy
You need a design that grabs attention. That means:
If you need help, JaDID and co. offer professional design services to make your campaign look and feel right.
Step 2: Print
Choose your format – postcard, folded leaflet, mini catalogue, or A4 sheet. Paper quality, finish and colour all affect cost and perception.
Step 3: Distribution
You can go two ways:
At JaDID and co., we facilitate both options. Pricing usually ranges between £1,000 and £10,000, depending on the number of postcodes or towns you want to cover.
Step 4: Track and Analyse
Add tracking tools like QR codes, unique landing pages, or promo codes to see what works. JaDID and co. can also build your landing pages, so you can clearly measure response rates.
Door drops are not old-fashioned – they are effective for real reasons.
High Engagement
Research from JICMAIL found that 95% of door drops receive some engagement, with an average dwell time of 56 seconds per leaflet – compared to just 0.7 seconds for a typical digital ad.
Algorithm-Free Reach
Door drops reach every household in a target area, without relying on algorithms, cookie tracking or ad auctions.
Tangibility and Memorability
People remember physical items more. A flyer might live on the fridge or get passed to a friend.
Predictable Costs
You set your print and distribution cost upfront. No hidden algorithm changes, no sudden CPC spikes.
Clear Differentiation
In a world obsessed with digital, receiving something tangible feels refreshing. It signals care, effort and personality.
Works with Digital
Door drops and digital can complement each other beautifully. A leaflet can drive a user to your website or landing page, where they can be retargeted later.
Now that you know the why and how, let’s talk about doing it well.
Tips for a Winning Door Drop
Reach audiences right where they live. We’ll design, plan and execute targeted door drop or leaflet campaigns that put your message directly into people’s hands — perfect for local awareness, launches or community engagement.
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