Marketers worry that rural customers won’t get their orders in, lowering response rates
Dead cows rarely feature in direct marketing. Apart from the odd wacky creative, or in mailings for Texas T-bone steaks, that is. Yet cattle, lambs and pigs could all have a significant impact on DM in the United Kingdom.
The issue arises because of the outbreak of the virulent foot-and-mouth disease on farms. With more than 400 reported cases, the U.K. government has acted to prevent further infection by closing down large portions of the countryside. Footpaths and access roads near infected farms have been closed, while many unaffected farms have gone into self-imposed quarantine.
Foot-and-mouth can be carried on clothing, shoes or vehicles, as well as being airborne. And every day U.K. postal service Royal Mail makes deliveries to all 26 million addresses in the United Kingdom. Of those, 5 million are in rural areas at the heart of the agricultural industry.
What worries DMers is that direct mail won’t get delivered and response rates might crash because rural consumers won’t be able to get their orders in. The U.K. Direct Marketing Association has even considered setting up a
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