Letterbox drop
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
- Targeting — a drop reaches an area; addressed mail reaches a named person you already know, chosen from your own customer data.
- Personalisation — drop pieces are identical; an addressed postcard carries the recipient's name, a unique discount code and a QR code.
- Attribution — a drop is measured in aggregate (did sales in the area move); addressed mail attributes individual orders to individual recipients.
- Delivery preferences — unaddressed distribution honours "no advertising material" markings on letterboxes; addressed mail travels as ordinary letter mail.
- Cost shape — drops are cheap per piece and priced for blanket volume; addressed mail costs more per piece and earns it back through precision.
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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