Many marketers wonder, is personalized direct mail really worth the extra work that goes into creating unique messages for specific segments of your target audience.  The simple and short answer?  Absolutely.

Not only is direct mail a powerful form of communication that can break through the digital clutter, but an Epsilon Channel study showed that 73 percent of people prefer to receive personalized direct mail communication from brands that they’ve had a previous interaction or relationship with in the past.

A Print is Big study showed that email response rates have dropped over the past decade and that direct mail has increased over the last ten years.  In addition, a IBISworld survey showed that consumers’ responses to direct mail is expected to continue to grow over the next five years by another 2 percent.  Not only does personalization of a direct mail piece increase your engagement and response rate, but by including interactive technology such as QR codes, or Quick Response codes, you’re more likely to see an increase in response rates.

Interactive technology can see a 27 percent higher engagement rate than direct mail without QR codes or personalized URLs (according to a Pitney Bowes study.)  Finally, 4.4 percent…  that is the response rate for direct mail that is personalized or include interactive technologies.  Conversely, email sees only a 0.12 percent response rate.

Direct mail is powerful — personalized direct mail is even more engaging and gets higher response rates.  How are you using personalized direct mail in your marketing mix?

Timothy Freeman

President

Print & Graphic Communications Association