Why Direct Mail?

Recent research by the U.S. Postal Service reveals that recipients look forward to receiving and interacting with their mail, which makes the mail a memorable and valuable high-touch opportunity for businesses. The USPS survey explored attitudes about mail in the workplace and the home. Key workplace findings include:

• Mail reaches business professionals. Business mail doesn't get screened as aggressively as e-mail is filtered.
• Business people keep useful mail in a mail "library" - a file drawer, or on a bulletin board.
• Mail helps people make decisions. When it's time to make a purchase, find a supplier or attend a professional event or training, professionals may turn to their mail libraries.
• Mail communicates and generates response. It can drive Web traffic or allow recipients to respond offline with a Business Reply Mail card.

On the consumer front, a survey revealed the following:

• Consumers are eager to see what's in their mail. More than half the respondents said that receiving mail is a "real pleasure" and that they "look forward" to discovering what's in their mail: 98% bring their mail in on the day it's delivered and 77% sort it immediately. Home mail is handled and sorted by the household decision maker. The person who handles the mail is typically the principal grocery shopper (84%), the person who pays the household bills (81%) and the one who determines what mail to keep and what to toss (90%).
• People appreciate commercial messages that arrive in the mail. About 55% look foward to discovering what's in their mail, and 67% say mail is more personal than the Internet. They use it to learn about new products or services, to manage the household and to oversee their finances.