ROYAL MAIL, EUROPE’S LARGEST MAIL CARRIER, HAS OPENED AN OFFICE IN ATLANTA FOR THE SOUTHEAST U.S. REGION WITH THE PURPOSE OF HELPING U.S. COMPANIES FIND NEW CUSTOMERS ABROAD THROUGH ITS ESTABLISHED DIRECT MARKETING CAPABILITIES.
IAN CRITCHLEY, A NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER WHO HAS MOVED TO ATLANTA, TOLD GLOBALFAX THAT AS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE BRITISH POST OFFICE, ROYAL MAIL SERVES THE U.K., BUT ALSO HAS A DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THAT STRETCHES THROUGHOUT EUROPE.
AND BEYOND JUST DELIVERING MAIL, HE SAID, ROYAL MAIL PROVIDES DIRECT MARKETING ASSISTANCE THAT ENABLES U.S. COMPANIES TO BENEFIT FROM THIS EXTENSIVE EUROPEAN PRESENCE.
IRONICALLY, ROYAL MAIL HAS ENHANCED ITS DIRECT MAIL CAPABILITIES THROUGH A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH CHICAGO-BASED METRO MAIL. THE RESULT, ACCORDING TO MR. CRITCHLEY, IS A MATCHING OF ROYAL MAIL’S KNOWLEDGE OF EUROPE WITH U.S. DIRECT MARKETING TOOLS.
AS POSTAL REGULATIONS ARE LIFTED THROUGHOUT EUROPE, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIRECT MARKETING ARE EXPANDING, HE ADDED. HE SAID THAT 800 PIECES OF DIRECT MAIL ARE RECEIVED PER CAPITA IN THE U.S. COMPARED TO 87-90 IN THE U.K. AND LESS IN OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
EUROPEAN CONSUMERS, HE ADDED, HAVE BECOME LESS BRAND LOYAL, BETTER INFORMED AND MORE LIKELY TO MAKE INDIVIDUAL CHOICES, AND, THEREFORE, MORE RECEPTIVE TO AMERICAN PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WHICH CAN BE PROMOTED THROUGH CATALOGUES AND OTHER DIRECT MAIL PIECES.
ROYAL MAIL OPENED ITS FIRST U.S. OFFICE IN NEW YORK ON JULY 4, 1994 AND EXPANDED TO WASHINGTON, D.C., CHICAGO AND SAN FRANCISCO BEFORE COMING TO ATLANTA AND OFFICIALLY OPENING ITS OFFICE HERE OCT. 7. IT NOW HAS MORE THAN $20 MILLION ANNUALLY IN U.S.-BASED SALES, HE SAID.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, MR. CRITCHLEY MAY BE REACHED AT (404) 467-0892; FAX, (404) 467-1633.