People still read their direct mail
- Thu, March 01 2007
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
I’m in Alabama speaking at the state’s nonprofit association meeting, and so I can’t delve into this study to the depth I’d like. But it’s too important not to highlight.
On the heels of my post about how lots of folks under age 65 are giving online, comes a study from Vertis that Elaine Fogel called to my attention via an email newsletter. It says:
85 percent of women ages 25-44 read printed direct mail marketing pieces, despite the influx of electronically generated advertisements throughout the past decade.
Additionally, the study reveals that 53 percent of all women surveyed ages 25-44 who have access to e-mail, read e-mail advertisements, consistent with the 54 percent that did so in 2005.
Consumers of both sexes, not just women, said they loved mailed coupons and discounts (and that’s the direct mail I keep myself, especially if it’s from DSW), and significant percentages of people did the following: went to a store, visited a website or called an 800 number as a result of direct mail.
As much as I’m devoted to online everything, this is a good reminder that you should NOT stop mailing people. But you should also be emailing them - if they give you permission - and you should integrate the mail and email pieces of what you are doing. Oh, and you should PERSONALIZE them all.
57 percent of women ages 35-64 prefer that companies they express interest in, send follow-up communication through direct mail pieces personalized to their needs
45 percent of total adults are open to receiving personalized, follow-up e-mails, younger men and women seem to be more responsive to this medium
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Comments
Katya, glad you found that study useful. I agree with you. Connecting with our target segments using multiple channels is ideal. People still enjoy receiving good old-fashioned mail. There’s a good blog post on this subject at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix called, “The Twilight of Print.”
http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/02/the_twilight_of_print.html
It’s about print vs. electronic in general.
Everything addressed to ‘current resident’ goes right in the trash. Is AOL listening?
Wonderful content. I agree with you Katya. I think its multiple problems. I hope we return this problems very soon. Thanks!