Royal Mail is offering an online service that produces personalised direct mail campaigns in less than 30 minutes.

Mailshots Online is advertised as a cost-effective means for companies to market to existing and potential customers, with prices starting from 55p per item.

By visiting www.mailshotsonline.com, small businesses can design postcard or letter campaigns, incorporating their own logos, images and text in four straightforward steps. Royal Mail then handles the production and delivery of the campaign.

Royal Mail business customers can either use their own databases to target their mailings, or use Royal Mail data.

There is no minimum order-level for the service, which is being launched as Royal Mail shares the success stories and advice of 100 booming small UK businesses through www.royalmail.com/growth.

The only problem with the whole thing is that there is no evidence at all that company owners with no experience in copywriting and design can produce campaigns that are likely to work. Of course some will – because some products or services are truly innovative and needed, but these are a tiny minority. If you want to explore what makes one campaign work and another not, please do call HHM on 01536 399 000, or if you have a few days to spare, take a peek at www.theory.bz

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Hamilton House Mailings plc reg number 2444392 VAT 354907535GB. Phone 01536 399 000.