• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, February 21, 2007

Deals and Coupons Spike Direct Mail Offers

Accorcing to the Vertis Communications Customer Focus Direct Mail study, 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.

The study found that marketers can increase the effectiveness of their direct mail campaigns by offering exclusive deals and coupons. Seventy-two percent of total adults surveyed said they have replied to direct mail containing a "buy one, get one free" offer. And, 63 percent of all adults indicated the have responded to direct mail collateral offering a percentage discount on merchandise, up from 54 percent in 2005.

Jim Litwin, vice president of market insights at Vertis Communications, said "While technology has significantly affected the way we work, (and) communicate... on a daily basis, ... some types of technology, such as e-mail marketing, (is) most effective when... used in conjunction with traditional methods of grabbing consumers' attention."

Additional findings contained in the report:

• Total adults who responded to direct mail via in-store visits, Web sites, 800 numbers or mail remains steady, with 47 percent in 2003 and 46 percent in 2007, but the number of Hispanics who responded to direct mail marketing jumped drastically, from 38 percent to 54 percent in the same period
• 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, though 38 percent of men 35-49 prefer generic direct mail when being contacted by a company in which they have expressed interest
• 52 percent of men ages 25-34, and 56 percent of women the same age, say that e-mail is an acceptable form of follow-up communication, though 45 percent of all adults are open to receiving personalized, follow-up e-mails
• Text messaging to be the most desired method of follow-up communication in younger men ages 18-24, with 23 percent desiring contact via text message from a company they are interested in, compared to 5 percent of women the same age, says the survey
• 40 percent of total adults in 2007 indicate they are not at all comfortable providing credit card information online, while at the same time, 42 percent of total adults report being "very" or "somewhat comfortable." In the last four years, however, discomfort has gone down and comfort has gone up

To view the full report with supporting charts, please click here