Letterbox drop
Written by Hylke Reitsma, co-founder of TouchDrop
A letterbox drop (or letterbox distribution) delivers unaddressed marketing material — flyers, catalogues, local offers — to every letterbox in a chosen geographic area. No names, no addresses on the piece: the targeting unit is the suburb or delivery round, not the person. In Australia the big distribution networks and Australia Post's Unaddressed Mail service carry these campaigns.
Letterbox drop vs addressed direct mail
| Question | Letterbox drop | Addressed direct mail |
|---|---|---|
| Who is selected? | Letterboxes in a chosen delivery area. | Named people at postal addresses from a customer list. |
| What customer data is needed? | No recipient list for the distributed piece. | A usable postal address for each selected person. |
| What can change by recipient? | The same piece normally goes across the chosen area. | The card can carry a name, QR code or offer assigned to that recipient. |
| What costs should you compare? | Design, print, distribution area and quantity. | Design, print, postage, platform charges and eligible card count. |
| What response can you observe? | Area-level sales changes or a campaign-wide response route. | QR activity, code use and later orders associated with mailed recipients. |
An associated order does not prove that addressed mail caused it. Compare mailed and held-out customers if you need an estimate of additional sales. Get quotes for the actual audience and quantity before deciding which format costs less for your campaign.
When each one fits
A letterbox drop suits local, geographic offers where anyone in the catchment is a plausible customer: a cafe opening, a trades service, a local gym. Addressed direct mail suits brands with a customer list: the value is in reaching the specific person who lapsed, abandoned a cart, or is due to run out — which a blanket drop cannot do at any price.
Which one is TouchDrop?
TouchDrop is addressed direct mail: personalised postcards to named customers from your Shopify, Klaviyo or Omnisend data, printed and lodged inside Australia, with per-recipient attribution. If your campaign is "everyone near the store", a letterbox drop is the right tool and Australia Post's Unaddressed Mail page is the place to start. If it is "my own customers, at the right moment", that is the direct mail automation for Australia page.
Related terms and reading
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