Direct Mail Continues to Show Results in ROI and Response Rate

August 11, 2020

PFL Direct Mail Use Brand Representation Aug2020When it comes to a multichannel campaign, certain channels can prove more successful than others at reaching specific target audiences. But marketers should keep in mind the benefits of direct mail, with a 12% increase in good or very good response rates to multichannel campaigns reported when direct mail is part of the mix, per PFL’s latest report [download page].

As in 2019, postcards are the most frequently used type of direct mail, by more than half (57%) of the more than 580 professionals surveyed May through June 2020. About half also use letters (51%), with 4 in 10 (39%) using dimensional direct mail and 35% using oversized postcards. Oversized letters are the least used type, by 13% of respondents.

However, despite being only the third-most frequently used, dimensional mail reportedly is the best at representing brands, according to 88% of respondents. Oversized postcards were the next-most highly rated, followed by postcards.

Results from the survey indicate that marketers can look forward to a solid response rate when leveraging direct mail. With direct mail in the mix, respondents were more likely to report a good (69%) or very good (8%) response rate than they were without (62% and 3%, respectively).

Similarly, respondents reported an 18% greater likelihood of enjoying good or very good ROI when multichannel campaigns incorporate direct mail, with two-thirds (66%) seeing good (59%) or very good (7%) ROI from such campaigns.

That being said, despite these healthy results, just one-quarter of marketers are looking at an increased budget for direct mail in the next six months, outweighed by the 36% who are expecting a decrease, whether slight (18%) or significant (18%). Nonetheless, a plurality (39%) expect their direct mail budget to stay the same.

Last year, direct mail volume declined by 7.4%, according to a Winterberry Group report that also found a decrease in spending on the medium.

Read more about multichannel campaigns in the full PFL report here.

About the Data: Findings are based on a May-June 2020 survey of 589 respondents (majority marketers) from a variety of industries and company sizes.

45th Parallel Design Ad

Explore More Charts.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This