Consumers still value direct mail despite rising volume

Levels of both opening and reading have fallen, to stand at 60 per cent of items being opened and 40 per cent getting read. Despite this there has been no decline in the proportion of consumers who have ever responded to Direct Mail, which remains at 60 per cent, while 37 per cent have responded in the last 12 months.

56 per cent of consumers say they have purchased via Direct Mail. Warm mailings are the most effective, with 38 per cent of consumers buying from these mailshots at some point, compared to just 9 per cent buying from cold mailings.

Value for money and convenience remain Direct Mail’s key benefits for the consumer. For this reason Direct Mail remains the advertising medium through which consumers are most likely to have ever bought.

Consumers have also become more aware of where companies get their name and address. Just under one quarter recognise that mailers use commercial lists. 58 per cent of consumers know about opt-out boxes and half have used them at some point.

Jo Howard-Brown, DMIS Managing Director, says “The current high level of receipt is effecting the consumers’ treatment and attitude towards Direct Mail, but without necessarily diluting their responsiveness and purchasing from the medium. If Direct Mail users can maintain the relevance and quality of targeting, the medium can remain effective even as it becomes ever more crowded.”

Notes for Editors: DMIS has carried out research into consumer behaviour and attitudes towards Direct Mail every two years since 1985. The research is conducted on their behalf by BMRB International.