Mail in the 21st Century – young adults

Author: Quadrangle
Date: 09 February 2009

'I don't get mail that often, obviously, but when I do it's often a surprise.'

Young adults love the internet – it’s part of their daily lives. But, contrary to marketing perceptions, they love mail as well – particularly when it's personally addressed to them.

Tech-savvy teens and twenty-somethings talk to us about the rare occasions when they receive mail, and how they look forward to it – proof that tapping into this undermailed group can pay dividends.

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Sian Housey: I think that the biggest different between being a teenager now and a few years ago, is the massive effect the internet has.

Ivan Colomer:  For me as a teenager, I’m quite technologically reliant.

Jo Flint: I use the internet every day, it’s a big part of my life. I use it at work and at home.

Joshua Sheridan: I visit the same four or five websites before I do anything.

David Slaughter: Well, once the internet was down for two days and I felt kind of almost lost as you might say.

Sian Housey: The reason I enjoy getting mail is because it’s sort of like getting a present. It’s like wrapped up and then you open it and see what’s on the inside; you never know exactly what it is going to be.

Ivan Colomer: I’m still at that age where I quite look forward to getting some mail. Because obviously I still live with my parents so you don’t get that same sense of independence. So when you do get a bit of mail, you think 'oh, that’s quite cool. Open the mail'.

Joshua Sheridan: Well, I don't get mail that often, obviously, so..., but when I do it is often a surprise. It's unexpected mail.

Sian Housey: I don’t get much mail so whenever I do, I get really excited and just want to open it and see what it is.

Ivan Colomer: I got a letter from HM revenue and customs, so that was quite nice to get. You know, it felt quite official and stuff.   

Jo Flint: I get money-off coupons through Tesco, that’s through my ClubCard which is always quite nice to receive to see how much you’re going to actually get. 

Sian Housey: Although getting a statement is nice to see how much money I’ve got. Not a lot but it’s something.

Jo Flint: I'm a member of a couple of night clubs as well so it’s quite nice when I get letters through from them, a little VIP ticket comes through, which are always quite good to receive because you think, 'I’ll go to that'. 

Joshua Sheridan: About a year ago, I got a free sample of aftershave through the post and I really liked it and it resulted in me going out and buying it. So I ended up getting it and I've had two bottles since. I've almost run out of this one so I will probably end up buying a third and I can say, honestly, that without having the sample I wouldn't have even heard about it.  

David Slaughter: Obviously this is from a museum and I would quite like to get advertisements from museums because when I go up to London I do quite like to go to museums with my family and with my friends, so I quite like to get more advertisements from the museums because I don’t actually get those so I'd be more interested in that actually because that is places that I actually go.

Sian Housey: Something I might be interested in getting is a catalogue. But obviously not from the type of shops that most people get catalogues from like Next and Ikea. That’s not something I’d be interested in.  

Jo Flint: Companies that you, you know, such as ASOS that have sent me a magazine, so it’s quite interesting to receive. So I like receiving that, it’s always nice to have a look through. 

Joshua Sheridan: Every couple of weeks, month, a catalogue or something that I was not expecting from something that I've ordered for in the past, from in the past. 

Sian Housey: If I got a catalogue from say Topshop or another one of those sorts of fashion shops then it might be quite interesting, and quite nice to receive in the post.  

Ivan Colomer: I’ve recently bought an Adidas phone. I love Adidas. Most of my wardrobe is Adidas clothing. I wish I got a catalogue or something from them or something. I would want a catalogue from Adidas. Out of all the catalogues.   

 

 

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