Direct mail still matters to millennials
The stereotypical vision we have of millennials may look like a 20 or 30-something individual surfing the web with a smartphone in one hand and the other hand typing on a laptop. While millennials are indeed a digitally-savvy demographic, it turns out they also pay attention to and care about the direct mail they receive. Here’s why.
Millennials still read mail
Millennials may be more connected and media-savvy than any other generation. But that doesn’t mean that 20 and 30-year-olds don’t care about the physical mail that lands at their doorstep. On average, in the past seven days, 57 percent of millennials will have read a piece of direct mail. This is only 2 percent lower than the rate for all adults, which is 59 percent.
Direct mail stands out
According to a study conducted by the United States Postal Service, consumer households in America receive an average of 19 pieces of direct mail per week. In contrast, an individual receives an average of 567 promotional emails per week. With such a high volume, email advertisements can get lost in a customer’s inbox while direct mail messaging stands out.
Direct mail leaves an impact
Millennials are bombarded with so much digital advertising, whether it comes in the form of a sponsored social media post, an e-newsletter or a banner advertisement. This means tangible messaging they can touch and feel in the form of direct mail makes a lasting impression. While 49 percent of millennials say they ignore internet ads and 28 percent ignore email ads, 77 percent of millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising. In comparison, only 15 percent of millennials ignore direct mail.
Millennials matter
The spending power of millennials is expected to reach a whopping US $3.39 trillion by the end of 2018. As they continue to gain more experience in their workplaces and earn higher positions, the incomes and spending power of millennials will only increase. Millennials also have an incredible influence on how others spend their time and money, including their friends, peers and family members in other generations. This makes efforts in marketing with direct mail to target millennials a worthwhile endeavour.