• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, 8 hours ago

It’s time to look at the precursor to email and just about every digital channel — good, old-fashioned direct mail.  

Younger consumers in particular prefer the channel, according to State of Direct Mail 2025: Consumer Insights Edition, a study from Lob. 

Of those surveyed, 85% of Gen Z and Millennials engage with direct mail. And overall, 84% of consumers read it the same day they receive it, up from 70% in 2024. 

Among Gen Z and millennials, 29% have purchased in response to direct mail, versus a general average of 23%. And 19% have done so at least once, in line with the average. But 41% of boomers have ordered at least once. 

What can consumers possibly like about the medium once called junk mail? They say: 

• It often includes helpful info (e.g., discounts, offers, important financial or healthcare details) — 42%
• I’m more likely to notice and remember it — 35%
• It’s a physical reminder I can keep or act on later — 34%
• It shows the brand made an effort — 31%
• I like getting something from the mailbox — 25%
• It stands out from the clutter of digital ads and emails — 23%
• It makes the brands feel more trustworthy and credible — 23%
• I enjoy having something tangible to hold — 20% 
• I like seeing brand design and packaging in print — 20%
• I don’t like anything about receiving direct mail — 14%

All that said, email is the channel most tightly integrated with direct mail. 

Of the consumers surveyed, 41% are more likely to engage with an email or text after receiving a piece of postal mail. The downside is that only 18% have signed up for an email list as a result. 

And, some aspects of direct mail turn people off. 

For one, many find it impersonal. Indeed, 52% say it sometimes looks like a scam or mass-produced material. And many are turned off by bad personalization. 

Case in point: 33% are offended when a direct mailer tries too hard to be personal, but feels fake. And an equal percentage dislike it when the piece “mentions info I didn’t knowingly share.”

In addition, 27% dislike it when a direct mailing tries to be personalized, but gets basic information wrong. 

That’s one advantage of email: it can personalize dynamically. 

In partnership with Kelsey White and PureSpectrum, Lob surveyed 2,000 consumers between April and May 2025.