Direct mail marketing making a comeback
The U.S. Postal Service has recently been going through well-publicized budget issues, as more and more people turn to digital avenues to send out information. In an effort to increase usage, USPS has been appealing to businesses through an address validation direct mail program.
According to many experts, printed materials have been making a strong comeback in recent years, with many finding that direct mail is more engaging to consumers. In an interview with AdAge, American Catalog Mailer's Hamilton Davison said that marketers were using the printed materials to their advantage.
"Even though we've tried really hard to find out a way of unlocking the secret sauce of electronic media to make it as productive as mail, it's still not as productive," said Davison in an interview with the news source. "You can't make me open your email; you can't make me visit your website. But if you send me a mail piece, you can compel me to pick that mail piece up."
Davison made other headlines when he supported Postmaster General Patrick Donahue's plan to renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement. However, the USPS needs congressional approval to put the plan in place and allow the service to remain operational.