Direct Mail Still Favorite, Despite Growth in Online Ads
By Chuck Alsdurf, Vice President
Direct mail remains popular with advertisers, new research finds.
Mail remains popular with advertisers, despite inroads from online and email advertising, new research from the Postal Service has found.
Direct mail spending rose 4.2 percent in 2014 — the only non-Internet advertising medium that increased, according to the study.
The weak economy constrained growth in total advertising spending in 2014, while a 15.4 percent increase in Internet advertising siphoned funds from most traditional advertising methods.
“Despite the sway of online advertising, direct mail’s share of total ad spending has held steady for decades,” said USPS Financial Economist John Mazzone.
In fact, direct mail has represented between 10 and12 percent of all ad spending for more than 20 years, Mazzone said.
What explains mail’s steadfast appeal?
Proponents say it offers businesses an efficient, targeted way to reach customers.
Additionally, tracking for direct mail response rates is far more precise than for television commercials or magazine ads.
The new research, which is part of the Postal Service’s latest household diary study, also found that direct mail often complements online advertising by directing potential customers to company websites.
Source: PCC Southwest Florida
