• June 2, 2010

Direct mail is on the rise and the insurance and credit card industries are the strongest drivers of this growth, according to Mintel Comperemedia, a service that provides direct marketing competitive intelligence.

In first-quarter 2010, 6.1 billion direct mail pieces were received by U.S. consumers, up from 5.3 billion in fourth-quarter 2009, representing a significant 16% increase. Credit card direct mail reached 1.2 billion pieces in the first quarter, a 36% increase over the 951 million mail pieces during the same time frame last year.

Meanwhile, insurance mail grew 8% from first-quarter 2009 to first-quarter 2010, but makes up a staggering 2.6 billion pieces of mail. Mintel Comperemedia tracks offers for new products and services as well as customer communications.

"A seasonal push for life and auto insurance and a more confident credit card industry are fueling this increase in mail," says Andrew Davidson, SVP of Mintel Comperemedia, in a release. "Offers for new credit cards have increased substantially compared to last year as the economy recovers and fewer customers default on their cards."