Magnetic Messages: The Use of Magnets in Advertising

The ubiquitous magnet, it's a simple science of a group of elements creating a field to allow itself to stick to ferrous-based material -- like your fridge door. It's used in so many products, from magnet tags on the back of a children's ABC letter set, to the powerful magnet block in your subwoofer, they are useful in many aspects of daily life.

The one sector that has really capitalized on their use is in advertisement. You are probably aware of them in your mail from time to time. They make their way via post card magnet or mailer. And if you are like many consumers, you'll find that even if you don't care about the message you'll find a handy use for them pinning up your kid's finger painting or grocery list.

One industry that seems to have good success with this technique of using advertising magnets is the pizza business. Pizza is a prime example of how well the magnets work because they are providing a use and a constant phone reminder for take out with one of America's favorite foods.

Types of Magnet Advertisement

Magnet advertising is usually done through direct mail, a type of direct marketing. It's sort of the dispersal shotgun type of advertisement that seeks new customers or leads randomly through the mail. One common type of mailer with magnets is the post card magnet mailer.

The post card will come usually with a magnet mailer glued or under a seal stuck to the outside face of the cardboard. The use of this magnet in advertising has increased considerably, and for some companies has shown response rate increase as much as 50 percent.

The advertising magnet is also used for targeted mail as well. Targeted mail involves a more refined approach. With modern computer software analytics, marketers are able to find more of their niche consumer. So mail can be addressed to specific recipients rather than just thrown into the post system and delivered to geographic regions. For instance, someone who likes golf may receive offers specific to golf products or local golf courses. This is also known as database marketing.

Another type of advertising with magnets is within the political sphere. Those politicians who are running for office are often sending out a political magnet with their mailers or door hangers. Not only are the boosters supporting their candidate with this medium, but political messages are more ubiquitous than the bumper sticker because they can be reapplied to other various locations.