Direct Mail Marketing Continues to Thrive in the United States, Reports Winterberry Group
In a time when traditional media channels are declining and marketers face challenges with digital media, U.S. brands are still investing in direct mail marketing to acquire and grow customers. According to Winterberry Group’s latest white paper, “Delivering Performance | Direct Mail in the United States 2023,” direct mail expenditures in the United States are expected to exceed $39.3 billion this year. While this falls short of pre-COVID spending levels, it represents an increase from 2020.
Direct mail’s resilience can be attributed to its unique capability as a performance marketing channel. Marketing practitioners are recognizing the power of direct mail in delivering curated, personalized messages based on data triggers. This capability supports customer acquisition, incremental sales, and other key marketing objectives. As a result, direct mail is likely to remain at the forefront of the marketing mix in the future.
The research for “Delivering Performance” was conducted by Winterberry Group in partnership with the United States Postal Service. It involved interviews with thought leaders and survey responses from more than 500 enterprise and middle-market brands and agency executives. The research spanned from November 2022 to August 2023.
Tom Foti, Vice President of Product Solutions at the United States Postal Service, highlights the growing importance of direct mail in omnichannel campaigns. He states that direct mail’s tactile nature makes it more memorable and generates higher response rates compared to digital channels.
The white paper identifies six overarching trends that contribute to direct mail’s prominent role in the U.S. marketing mix:
1. Embracing the omnichannel philosophy: Brands are integrating all marketing channels, both digital and traditional, in a diverse media mix.
2. Prioritizing performance: Marketers are focusing on achieving specific, incremental objectives such as customer acquisition and sales.
3. Addressing the challenges of digital media: Growing costs and addressability issues are leading marketers to explore alternate channels like direct mail to support their growth ambitions.
4. Integration of data and creative content: Advances in technology allow direct mailers to achieve value from on-demand production, personalization, trigger-driven programs, and retargeting.
5. Availability of third-party data: Brands rely on licensable third-party data to orchestrate their direct mail programs at scale.
6. Flexibility and scalability: Brands seek media channels and supply chain partners that offer flexibility, scalability, and adaptability to changing needs.
According to the research, 45% of marketers view customer acquisition as the most important use case for direct mail. Additionally, 59% of marketers are integrating direct mail with other channels, and 53% plan to shift towards more personalized content in the next year.
The full study, including an executive summary, is available for download from Winterberry Group. The research findings will also be presented and discussed in a webinar on October 20, 2023.
Winterberry Group is a specialized management consultancy that offers expertise in advertising, marketing, data, technology, and commerce. The firm helps organizations understand emerging opportunities, develop strategies, and increase their impact and value.
This research highlights the ongoing importance of direct mail in the modern marketer’s toolkit. Direct mail’s role is evolving, and it continues to be a vital tool for acquisition and engagement across the buying journey. With new omnichannel approaches, direct mail is finding a more stable place in the marketing mix.
Original Story at www.globenewswire.com – 2023-09-20 12:30:00
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