Response rates for direct mail increased to 5.1% in 2018, the highest level in ten years.
Part of the reason is that the mailbox is becoming less competitive. In 2017, 64 billion fewer pieces of mail went through the U.S. postal system than in 2006, but almost half of the 150 billion pieces mailed in 2017 were direct mail.
Response rates on direct mail are rising due to a combination of factors:
- Improved targeting methods
- Highly personalized messaging capabilities. For example, adding a person’s name and full color can increase response by 135%
- High brand recall, as much as 75% compared to digital – that is huge!
You can read more in this US Lead Generation Industry report by Colonnade Advisors
These increased response rates are reshaping how marketers are allocating their advertising spend. This is also based on how consumers are reacting to direct mail.
Consider this. Online juggernaut Amazon is relaying on direct mail to drive consumers to their Holiday website. As a matter of fact, the 2018 Holiday of Toys catalog was so successful, that Amazon is repeating the catalog campaign in 2019. The 2019 catalog is an incredible example of an omni-channel campaign. It’s smart and creative and uses all the bells and whistles that make consumers want to visit.
Bottom line, marketers who want increased response rates in their campaigns need to create intelligent, compelling, integrated direct mail campaigns, chased by digital, to create an omni-channel experience