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Direct mail: A future of opportunity

In an era when digital distraction is almost crippling, marketers are finding the need to be more in tune and connected with their customers. Direct mail is a powerful tool for making that happen.

Icon of a laptop mostly filled with red apart from the top 21%

21% Less

Direct mail takes 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital marketing because it’s tactile and “real”, which leads to longer-lasting emotional connections and brand recall.1 In addition, it has longevity. Recipients tend to keep it around.

Red and white envelope icon

6 out of 10

These benefits are amplified when print includes relevant, targeted personalization and embellishments. This explains why six out of ten marketers still prefer direct mail over other offline channels and continue to include it in their direct marketing strategy.1


Print Providers Are Embracing Digital Enhancements — for Good Reason

Icon of a man filled with blue from the bottom up to 37%

37%

more excited

37% of consumers are more excited to receive their mail each day, compared to before the coronavirus pandemic.2

Clock icon showing 30%

30%

more time

30% of consumers are spending more time reading marketing or promotions that arrive in their home mailbox compared to before the coronavirus pandemic began.2

Calendar page icon showing 17 days through the month

17

days

The average lifespan of an email is 17 seconds. Direct mail’s average lifespan is 17 days.3

Mailbox icon showing 75% full

75%

brand recall

Only 44% of people can recall a brand immediately after seeing a digital ad compared to 75% of people who receive direct mail.4


Personalization makes it easier to maintain a 1:1 connection — while adding strengthened relationships and increased loyalty for brands and increased productivity and profitability for you.

Bank note icon with blue shading

Lifts revenues by

5-15%

Personalization lifts revenues by 5-15% and increases the efficiency of marketing spend by 10-30%.5

Icon of a house with a blue window

6.6%

household response rate

At 6.6%, oversized envelopes have the greatest household response rates, followed by postcards at 5.7% and letter-sized envelopes at 4.3%.6


Going Beyond CMYK increases impact even further. Metallic and neon inks, textured stock and other embellishments help direct mail pieces stand out and captivate attention.

Top 5 reasons marketers desire printing enhancements7

Flipboard icon with red chart

77%

Give brand a premium look

64%

Capture the attention of recipients

63%

Differentiate from competition

56%

Enhance brand image

41%

Increase response rates

Personalization + Beyond CMYK =  MORE IMPACT

Combined with digital, direct mail packs an even greater punch. In fact, a combined physical and digital presence can increase impact by 32%.8

Icon representing a chart trending upwards

Website visits up

68%

Response rate up

63%

ROI up

60%

Leads up

53%

The results are irrefutable. Direct mail still outperforms other media time and again.

  • 60% of catalog recipients visit the website of the company that mailed them the catalog.

  • Direct mail recipients purchased 28% more items and spent 28% more money than people who didn’t get that piece of direct mail.

  • Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails.

  • The response rate for direct mail is up to 9X higher than that of email.

  • Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment

The Bottom Line: Advances in data collection and analysis, machine learning and AI have revolutionized direct mail.

Xerox technology has upped the direct mail game, and the rewards that come with it. With specialty inks, personalization and automated workflows, its impact and ROI are greater than ever.


Make the most of the Direct Mail opportunities with Xerox

Xerox® Baltoro® HF Inkjet Press

Inkonomics amplified

Xerox® iGen® 5 Press

Be ingenious with advanced automation, an optional 5th print station, and extra-long sheet capabilities up to 35"/889 mm.

Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press

Print like a pro in seconds. End-to-end automation nails the basics. Inline speciality embellishment options add profit-driving “wow.”

XMPie® Personalized Communications

Ready to take personalization to the Nth degree? XMPie makes it easy.

Direct Mail in Action

  • Happy woman opening mail

    Purposeful Personalization with Triggered Direct Mail

    Learn more about how triggered direct mail marketing solutions can capture the attention of prospects and drive customer actions with personalized messaging.

  • Mother reading to child

    Mailer Delivers 2,200% ROI

    See how Partou Childcare significantly boosted enrolment rates with a highly personalized direct mail and web campaign.

  • A bee landing in a purple crocus

    Making Dorset Buzz Again: Bees and Technology

    XMPie® allowed the Dorset Wildlife Trust to send relevant communications based on demographic data and user behavior. And messages were made to fit the unique needs of social media, email, and printed materials.

Sources:

1. Canada Post

2. Valassis, 2020 

3. RetailWire, 2017

4. Marketing Profs, 2017

5. McKinsey & Company

6. DMA, now part of the ANA

7. Napco Research, Adding Value to Digital Printing - Ways printers are going beyond CMYK

8. “Direct Mail Conversion Research,” USPS, February 2019. Please note: All statistics were based on a survey of 75 marketing decision-makers.

9. United States Postal Service

10. DMA, now part of the ANA

11. Marketing Charts

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