Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing

• Smacked down by the triple assault of the recession, rising postage rates and growing marketer preference for low-cost digital communications, total U.S. direct mail spending declined sharply in 2008, down 3.0%.
• Now, for the first time since direct mail began to be tracked in 1945, figures show that both direct mail spending and volume declined sharply in 2008.
• According to “A Channel in Transformation: Vertical Market trends in Direct Mail 2009,” from the Winterberry Group, U.S. direct mail spending fell nearly 3% in 2008.
• Direct mail spending is expected to decline 8.6% in 2009, according to marketing consultancy Winterberry Group.
• Direct mail boasts target-ability and wide reach; however, these benefits are often elusive because: Many consumers consider direct mail “junk” and toss it before seriously looking at it, resulting in wasted money and effort.
• Direct mail requires a long lead time to produce and deliver to the consumer.
• In 2006, the Direct Mail Return Rate was 2.54%.