Nearly two-thirds of people say that direct mail attracts their undivided attention, according to a new report from WARC and Marketreach.

Exploring the impact of mail in an attention-scarce world, the study reveals how much attention people are giving their mail across different mail types, the value of this attention, and the role of mail in comparison to other media and within the media mix. The study is based on research by Marketreach and Blue Yonder involving 1,475 pieces of mail.

The findings reveal that:

  • 63% of people give their mail their undivided attention
  • The average time spent with direct mail is 108 seconds
  • The average piece of direct mail persuaded 16% of recipients to consider the brand, with 9% saying it stimulated an intent-rich action such as visiting a website or shop and leading 5% to a transaction
  • Over 80% of mail delivered in an envelope is opened
  • The average Door Drop is viewed for 46 seconds, more than three times as long as the average 30” TV spot

Commenting on the research Paul Stringer from WARC said:

“In a world where the battle for attention is becoming ever harder to win, we’ve found that not only is mail highly effective at generating attention, it’s also one of the most cost-efficient channels at delivering against this objective. This is a good time for marketers to reconsider the role of mail in the media mix.”

A full copy of the report can be downloaded  here.

As a result of the findings brands are being encouraged to test whether greater ‘share of doormat’ leads to greater share of market; re-evaluate mail’s ability to deliver incremental campaign reach; and leverage its strengths in amplifying other channels.

The key to direct mail’s success in capturing attention is its relevance. People are engaged because the messages are personal to them. However, and it’s a big HOWEVER, this is only the case if the underlying data is accurate and up to date. Our recent study showed that the cost of unclean data is £900bn per year – so imagine the results direct mail would generate if there was even just a 10% improvement in data quality.

For information on how we can help you make the most of your customer data please get in touch!