Modern marketing has many important facets. From email marketing, social media platforms, and website management, there are a lot of angles for small business owners to keep in mind. One marketing channel that can sometimes be overlooked is direct mail – yes, as in, actual “snail mail”! 

In the flurry of digital marketing, traditional marketing channels may not seem like they are worth your business’ time. But the reality is that physical mail marketing is actually still quite effective. 

To launch a direct mail marketing campaign, most businesses will turn to a professional service in the industry. One popular option is Gunderson Direct, one of the largest direct mail firms in the US. Gunderson is based in Hayward, California, and is among the most popular direct marketing agencies in the United States. 

For more than 15 years, Gunderson Direct has been helping businesses of all shapes and sizes launch and manage effective marketing campaigns. They help handle all aspects of the marketing process, from thought leadership and creative brainstorming, all the way to the actual production and mailing of direct mail pieces. 

This Gunderson Direct review will explore the company in greater detail. We will cover costs, features, pros and cons, and much more. 

What makes Gunderson Direct different

There are many direct response companies to choose from – what sets Gunderson Direct apart from the rest? 

Strategic expertise – Gunderson Direct has experienced strategists and analysts who can help plan, produce, and monitor direct mail campaigns. By drawing on industry insights and decades of experience, the team at Gunderson can help drastically improve the effectiveness of your next direct mail campaign.

All-in-one services – Unlike many competitors, who focus on a single facet of the mail marketing world, Gunderson offers it all. They can help strategize and plan, design and produce, launch and monitor campaigns – all in a single suite of services.

Insightful analytics – After a direct mail campaign, Gunderson provides detailed analytics that can help entrepreneurs gain insight into the effectiveness of the campaign – and how to improve for future campaigns. These features can help monitor and improve the ROI of marketing efforts across the board.

Check out our roundup of the Best Direct Mail Marketing Companies

Who is Gunderson Direct best for?

Gunderson Direct serves businesses of all shapes and sizes. They work with massive brands including PayPal and Personal Capital but also help small business owners achieve their marketing goals. Here are a few groups of people that could benefit most from Gunderson:

Entrepreneurs wanting an all-in-one mail marketing suite. If you don’t want to use several different companies to plan, design, and implement your next campaign, Gunderson Direct is a great option. The time and cost savings from this bundling of services can be significant. 

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. One of Gunderson Direct’s core business specialties is in helping SaaS companies find new leads and customers. Gunderson knows that the SaaS market is crowded, particularly when it comes to digital marketing, so they help startups and established firms seek leads through the traditional means of direct mail. 

Business-to-business (B2B) firms. Gunderson offers both B2B and B2C mail services, but their specialty is B2B. They have the expertise and knowledge to obtain high-value leads in the business world, as well as extensive databases for customer leads and information. 

Pros and cons of Gunderson Direct

With so many different direct mail firms out there, it’s wise to look at both the advantages and disadvantages of any company you are considering. 

Pros

• All-in-one suite of services
• Strategic expertise
• Ongoing project management
• Advanced analytics
• Specializes in B2B direct mail
• Handles all aspects, from design to production to mailing
• Experience with large and small businesses
• Offers an easy to use ROI calculator on their website 

Cons

• Primarily works with larger companies
• Minimum order may be higher than some competitors

Gunderson Direct features

Gunderson Direct can help with every aspect of a direct response mail campaign. From initial strategy to design, printing to shipping, Gunderson can help on every step along the way. 

The solutions that Gunderson Direct offers are customized to the specific needs of each customer. Because of this, it’s difficult to maintain an accurate list of the features that they offer. With that said, here are some of the flagship features and services that Gunderson Direct provides:

• Graphic design and creative services
• Strategy and implementation of marketing campaigns
• Precise project management during campaigns
• Creative thought leadership
• Efficient production and mailing
• Useful analytics
• An ROI-focused approach
• Responsive data and lists
• Option to use internal or external data and mailing lists

For business owners curious about what Gunderson Direct offers, it’s best to explore their website or contact them directly for a custom quote. 

Gunderson Direct pricing

Gunderson Direct does not publicly list pricing. Quotes are customized to fit the needs of each specific client. 

We can get a very rough idea of the cost-per-piece pricing offered by Gunderson by looking at their ROI calculator. On this page, the example used indicates a cost of $0.54 per piece of mail sent. Of course, that’s for an order of 100,000 pieces, bringing the total to $54,000 for the campaign. For smaller orders, prices may be higher – and Gunderson may have a higher minimum that’s not clearly stated. 

There are many factors that will likely affect the cost of a campaign with Gunderson. This includes:

• The size of the campaign
• The complexity of the marketing strategy
• The type of pieces of mail you wish to send
• Whether you’re using your own list of addresses, or purchasing/renting one
• Whether you’re designing your own assets or using Gunderson’s design team

For best results, businesses will need to contact Gunderson Direct for a custom quote on their next campaign. Once you get a quote, you can compare Gunderson’s pricing to competing direct mail agencies, or use the USPS calculator to estimate what it would cost to conduct the campaign yourself. 

Gunderson Direct customer service

Gunderson Direct has quality customer service, available via phone or email. The company has good feedback on sites like Clutch and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).