Millennials and Direct Mail Marketing

Do young people pay attention to direct mail marketing? You bet your Caramel Macchiatos they do.

Even though many believe this digitally-driven generation eschews all things print, tons of recent research indicate that they actually value, trust and respond to direct mail marketing (DM). Recent Gallup Polling reports that 95% of adults 18-29 feel positively about receiving DM, and other studies report that:

• 90% of those 25-34 find DM reliable
• 87% like receiving it
• 84% look through their mail regularly, and
• Only 15% say they ignore it compared to 50% saying they ignore digital ads

Also, interesting to note, since younger age groups haven’t been as frequently exposed to DM as compared to digital content, they are less hardened to its effects. And there’s less message “fatigue” simply because there’s much less in one’s postal mailbox than one’s email box (it’s unlikely anyone has hundreds of unopened direct mail pieces waiting for their attention).

DM has some other advantages as well compared to its digital brethren. It’s tactile (especially with the use of specialty print effects and coatings), can be highly personalized, offers more space for creative imagery and messages, has shelf-life (can be put aside for later and shared), is viewed as more trusted, is less intrusive and has shown to be much more highly effective in client acquisition.

It is important to note in this discussion that DM is not a replacement for digital marketing tactics, but rather a proven tool to be used alongside them in an integrated fashion to boost the efficacy of marketing efforts. DM is particularly good at creating initial awareness and starting the customer journey than can be efficiently nurtured through email, digital and social media. One apt description is that DM can be viewed as the “onramp” of the marketing process.

Used wisely, and in an integrated fashion along with digital tactics, DM continues as a viable and powerful tool to be used with all audiences. Yes, even Millennials.