Mail Unleashed with Rory Sutherland Ep 7: From Screwfix to Trainline: Jo McClintock on growing brands with mail
Sep 10, 2025
Jo McClintock, VP of Brand & Marketing at Trainline with 18+ years' experience and past roles at Screwfix and Moonpig, discusses using highly personalised mail to build brands. She talks about catalogues driving discovery and higher spend. She explains segmentation, using mail to shift entrenched travel habits, and how printed mail can be efficient, sustainable and emotionally resonant.
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Screwfix Began As A Catalogue Business
- Jo McClintock started marketing at Screwfix managing a 25 million annual catalogue distribution to tradespeople.
- She learned segmentation and customer value by deciding who merited that costly catalogue mailing.
Catalogues Drive Discovery And Bigger Buys
- Rory argues removing paper catalogues can cut visible buying occasions and reduce discovery.
- Jo notes apps are sticky but catalogues raise average transaction value through browsability.
Moonpig Turned Cards Into Kept Gifts
- Jo moved from Screwfix to Moonpig to shift the brand from cards to gifting and deepen customer relationships.
- She valued that physical cards are kept and create lasting, personal direct-mail moments.