Digital did not kill the direct marketing star — a.k.a. mail — as some might have predicted a few short years ago. Recent research reports indicate that direct mail is experiencing a resurgence among marketers as a go-to channel for driving response – the primary objective of direct marketing. There’s no denying its strengths. According to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail remains competitive with digital channels in its cost per order or lead, and response rates for direct mail are 30 times higher than those for email.1 At most turns, marketers are being reminded that people like print.
Consider:
• 70% of Americans, including 69% of 18- to 24-year-olds, say they prefer to read print and paper communications than reading off a screen.
• 61% of Canadians made an in-store purchase within six months of receiving an ad in the mail, compared to 34% by email and 30% on a website.
Still, any one channel can’t do it all. Teamed with today’s digital strategies and each playing to its strengths, a multi-channel campaign delivers the strongest performance.
