Direct Mail Delivers Results – Part Two
How People Are Embracing Physical Mail in a Digital World
In our previous post, “Direct Mail Delivers Results,” we looked at how businesses are choosing direct mail for its top notch ROI, ability to command attention, and integration with digital campaigns (read it here).
Well as a follow up (we did say there’d be a follow up) we’ve looked at direct mail from a consumer’s point of view. We rolled our metaphorical sleeves up, did the delving into Lob’s 2025 State of Direct Mail: Consumer Insights report, and the findings are pretty striking. Direct mail isn’t just noticed, it’s acted upon, trusted, and remembered.
Here are the key points you should know:
Young Audiences Are Leading the Direct Mail Charge
A whopping 85% of Gen Z and Millennials engage with direct mail, far surpassing engagement among older Gen X and Boomers
And it’s not passive, 67% of these younger consumers take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.
Why this matters: If you’re targeting youthful or tech-forward audiences, direct mail isn’t old-fashioned – it’s effective in capturing attention and generating a response.
Immediate Engagement Is on the Rise
84% of consumers read direct mail immediately or the same day they receive it, a jump from 70% last year.
This immediacy opens the door for faster conversions and more timely messaging.
Tip: Powerful creative + compelling offers = mailed magic that gets read as soon as it lands.
Loyalty and Re-Engagement Through Mail
81% of consumers say they’re more likely to re‑engage with a brand after receiving a direct mail piece.
What to do: A thoughtfully timed mailer can reignite dormant or lapsed engagement for you.
Mail Beats Digital on Trust, Memory and Perception
58% feel overwhelmed by digital brand messages, while 53% say direct mail feels more special or exclusive
Nearly half of consumers perceive brands that send mail as more credible, and 56% remember brands better from mail than from digital touchpoints
Takeout: A tangible piece of mail isn’t just noticed, it’s trusted, remembered, and appreciated exactly because it’s not another digital ping.
What Converts: Consumer Behaviour After Receiving Mail
A) “Which of the following actions have you ever taken after receiving a piece of direct mail?”
81% have taken some kind of action – visited the website, searched for the brand/product/service online, visited a retail location, looked up reviews. Up from 60% the previous year.
And 62% have converted—making a purchase, signing up for a service, or similar
B) “Which of the following ways of getting more information on a brand or product would you be most likely to use?”
76% engage via digital channels after receiving mail – such as scan a QR code, follow a personalised URL
However, interestingly, 1 in 4 consumers skip links/QR codes and instead search the brand directly online
Why this matters: Mail doesn’t just prompt direct conversion, it kicks off a seamless offline to online multi‑channel journey. A well‑placed URL or QR is useful, but make sure your brand is easily findable even if recipients google you directly.
Winning With Relevance and Personalisation
Irrelevance is the number‑one reason mail fails—72% throw away irrelevant mail.
But done right, 52% are more likely to engage with personalised mail, and 67% say a personalised detail prompted them to take action
Insight: Personalisation isn’t just a nice extra, it’s essential. Nail the offer, tone, timing, and creative, and you move from ignored to effective.
Mail Strengthens Multi-Channel Strategies
41% of consumers are more likely to engage when they receive both mail and digital communications from a brand.
Direct mail also builds relationships – 49% say it’s a key way brands build relationships, and 44% say it feels more authentic than digital.
Complimentary: Mail isn’t competing with digital, it’s complementing it by creating emotional, tangible touchpoints that digital often can’t.
In Summary, Direct Mail Delivers Results
I don’t know about you but that’s a lot to get your heard around isn’t it. And there’s shed loads more in the full report so fill your boots when you can. But for now, let’s summarise everything for you:
- Gen Z & Millennials are not just reading mail, they’re engaging with it.
- Mail gets attention – fast.
- It’s highly effective in reconnecting people with brands.
- It outperforms digital in trust, recall, and memorability.
- It spurs action – 62% convert, and 76% go online after receiving it.
- Personalisation isn’t optional, it’s central.
- And it turbocharges multi-channel success.
Final Thought
There you go, DM’s a bit of a winner really, isn’t it? In a world overloaded with screens, emails and ads, direct mail delivers a connection, an authenticity and engagement many digital channels can’t replicate.
The message is clear: mail isn’t a fallback – it’s highly effective when it’s cleverly integrated into the mix. It’s tangible, trusted, memorable, and most importantly, it works. If you’re looking to stand out, build deeper customer connections, and spark genuine responses, mail should be an essential part of your strategy.
