Small businesses can’t look at the results of direct marketing in isolation. Customers don’t; all communication a customer receives from a company, regardless of discipline or medium, adds to an overall image of the company. This includes the way your small business answers the phone, replies to emails received, the content in monthly newsletters and the packaging around its products.

The packaging of a small business’ products is often an overlooked medium to implement simple and effective direct marketing. It can easily build a list of (targeted) potential customers’ names and email addresses. Mattel runs an “exclusive” club called the “Barbie Friends Club” in the UK. Every package around a Barbie doll includes text that promotes a club customers can join by emailing their name to the company. By adding similar text on your small business’ products that advertises your “monthly discount email club,” your products’ packaging can help build data.

This form of direct marketing does not increase marketing investment, as it uses current infrastrucure that is already in place. This being said, considering it requires no additional marketing investment be made, direct marketing through product packaging is likely to be one of your small business’ highest-returning campaigns.