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The Winners of the Direct Mail Automation Awards 2025: A Look Back at Innovation and Success
The Direct Mail Automation Awards 2025 are officially over! After weeks of preparation, analysis, and exciting deliberations by our expert jury, we’ve honored five companies that have set new standards with their campaigns. These awards celebrate campaigns that thrilled us with their exceptional concepts, performance, or execution, proving that Direct Mail in modern marketing is anything but outdated. On the contrary, it’s a powerful, data-driven tool that, when used intelligently, creates a real competitive advantage.
We’re taking a look back at the five inspiring campaigns that showed just how versatile, creative, and profitable direct mail can be.
Creative Concept Winner: Hugendubel 📚
The first award went to a name that stands for both tradition and innovation: Hugendubel. The family-owned company’s mail campaign proved that creativity and customer focus can perfectly harmonize. Instead of using standard formats, the team developed a mailing based on seasonal interests and a deep understanding of customer needs—from in-store experiences to social media trends. Hugendubel showed how to create a genuine “wow moment” by being bold, knowing your audience precisely, and fully exploiting the possibilities of the physical medium.
Cross Channel Champion: grenke 🔗
In an age where the lines between online and offline marketing are blurring, grenke impressed as the Cross Channel Champion. The company proved with an automated, multi-stage campaign that intelligently connected email and direct mail how to reach even complex B2B audiences in a personal and scalable way. grenke used the strengths of both channels and orchestrated them perfectly. The campaign started in Germany and was successfully rolled out to two additional markets (Austria and France)—a prime example of a smart cross-channel strategy leading to higher relevance and better results.
Rising Star: apo.com Group 🚀
Sometimes, the most impressive factor is speed. The apo.com Group won the Rising Star Award by proving how quickly and efficiently innovation can be put into practice. The team not only implemented a new direct mail tool in record time but also put it to productive use immediately. This award honors companies that take a pragmatic approach to new processes and unlock the full potential of a solution in the shortest possible time. The apo.com Group is a true role model for other teams, proving that a proactive approach leads impressive results.
ROI Leader: Bergzeit 📈
Bergzeit more than deserved the ROI Leader award—they delivered a true success story. After an initial, less-than-convincing test run in 2022, the team didn't give up. Instead, they strategically revamped their birthday mailing concept: from audience segmentation to design and incentives. Their persistence and data-driven approach paid off. The mailing evolved into a top performer that impressed with a conversion rate of 7.5% and a ROAS of 19. This is clear proof that with the right approach, even initial failures can be turned into measurable successes.
International Growth Champion: Seidensticker 🌍
Direct mail knows no bounds. Seidensticker impressively proved this with their strategic growth in Switzerland and Austria. The traditional company used targeted and personalized mailings to establish its brand in new markets, win over the local audience, and boost sales. With their intelligent strategic planning and adaptation to local needs, Seidensticker showed that direct mail is an invaluable tool for a successful international expansion.
The Awards' Conclusion
The Direct Mail Automation Awards 2025 send a clear message: Direct mail is a dynamic, modern, and powerful tool. The winners have shown that it's not about quantity but about quality—creativity, data intelligence, and the ability to seamlessly connect offline and online channels. Congratulations to all the winners on these inspiring campaigns! You have not only raised the bar but also impressively demonstrated the potential of direct mail automation.
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