Branching Out: Harlow Timber Group’s Marketing Modernisation with ZAP~POST & Dotdigital

For Harlow Timber Group, the challenge wasn’t acquiring customers - it was reaching their contacts effectively and in a way that resonated with them best.

Holly Unwin, the Group Marketing Manager, set out to build the first consistent marketing function the company had seen in over a decade. Digital became Holly’s focus - it was fast, trackable, and easy to justify in a traditionally ‘old-school’ industry. But a conversation with Eight Days sparked a thought: what if direct mail, done well, could reach customers that digital channels couldn’t?

And critically, what if it actually worked this time?

"We’d had bad experiences with print before… but this felt different."

- Holly Unwin, Group Marketing Manager

ZAP~POST were ready to help… We had the reputation of Direct Mail to improve! Historically, Harlow Timber Group weren’t the biggest fans of print - it was deemed as expensive, hard to measure, and previous campaigns hadn’t been targeted or well-designed.

ZAP~POST offered something new: small, hyper-specific segments + low-cost campaigns + measurable results. And with no risk to start, Holly made a decision that was to seriously pay off for the group.

Two audiences, two goals - one test that worked

 Harlow Timber Group were working with a unique business split and messaging that messaging couldn’t crossover. So Holly built two carefully controlled postcard tests:

1. Branch-focused postcards

A simple message: “Need timber? Pop in and speak to the branch manager.”
An exclusive discretionary offer was included, enabling their branches to re-engage local lapsed customers.

The results were clear and memorable: with many in-branch redemptions, all of £500–£1,000 AOV.

2. E-commerce reactivation postcard

For retail, Holly took a data-led approach. Customers who hadn’t browsed, opened an email, or engaged online in six months were the target.

Small audience. Cold leads. Simple creative. A personalised 10% code.

The performance surprised everyone.

The Results

• 20% conversion rate in month one
• 1:41 ROAS at peak
• 1:19 average ROAS over three months

"I was honestly surprised by how well the e-commerce postcard performed. These were customers who hadn’t engaged with us in months, and yet the orders that came through were really strong."

 - Holly Unwin, Group Marketing Manager

Orders weren’t small either - again, many were mid–high value.

"We chose our audience carefully, and it paid off."

- Holly Unwin, Group Marketing Manager

Holly is clear about why Direct Mail succeeded for the group:

1. Hyper-segmentation

Micro-audiences, segmented with intention. They were not bulk send-to-all campaigns (or ‘spray & pray’ as we affectionately know it).

2. Brand-led design

Historical, printed efforts weren’t showcasing the best, on-brand communications for the group. Using ZAP~POST this time round, their postcards were bolder, modern, and unmistakably Harlow.

3. Personalisation

Simply adding a touch of personalisation made the message feel more respectful - a huge factor in a trade-led industry.

"Even just adding someone’s name made a huge difference - it feels more respectful, especially in our industry."

- Holly Unwin, Group Marketing Manager

Together, these elements transformed print from ‘tried and failed’ to a channel worth championing. The results spoke for themselves - and leadership supported continuing.

Support that removes stress, not adds to it

ZAP~POST slotted neatly into Harlow’s small, fast-moving team.

"The ZAP~POST team have been brilliant. Someone’s always there when we need help — whether it’s tech questions, data quirks, or last-minute changes."

- Holly Unwin, Group Marketing Manager

The workflow was simple, the app intuitive, and last-minute changes never felt like a problem.

Even with legacy systems, manual uploads, and data quirks from their ERP, the joint support from ZAP~POST, Dotdigital, and Eight Days helped everything run smoothly.

Next up: dynamic content, smarter triggers & more branches

Now that the value is truly proven, Holly is ready to scale — thoughtfully.
On the horizon include dynamic content postcards based on Dotdigital segmentation, QR codes for branch lookups, abandoned browse postcards for longer-consideration purchases, and plenty more branch-targeted mailings.