According to a study published recently by InfoTrends, consumers continue to have a high preference for direct mail over other forms of direct marketing. 61% of consumers surveyed stated a preference for direct mail, which is nearly triple the number that preferred receiving ads via e-mail. These findings can be attributed to the manageable and minimally intrusive nature of paper based communications.
According to a study published recently by InfoTrends, consumers
continue to have a high preference for direct mail over other forms of
direct marketing. 61% of consumers surveyed stated a preference for
direct mail, which is nearly triple the number that preferred receiving
ads via e-mail. These findings can be attributed to the manageable and
minimally intrusive nature of paper based communications.
Within this category, highly personalized direct mail with messages and
offers that were designed to reflect the consumer’s
needs and interests were most favored. “In
return for business, consumers expect a level of intimacy similar to
that which we enjoyed when most business was personal. The goal is to
utilize technology to generate information that is of interest to the
recipient,” commented Charlie Corr, Group
Director at InfoTrends.
InfoTrends’ new study entitled, The
Future of Mail 2006: Direct Mail, Transaction, and “Transpromotional”
Documents, examines the future of direct mail and transaction
documents in North America, and provides details on the U.S. and
Canadian markets. The study focuses on customer-facing applications such
as direct marketing, billing, and related issues such as customer
support and fulfillment. It investigates consumer behavior and
preferences and reviews print provider expectations and plans as well as
the plans of those who generate these documents.
The study also examines the adoption of “TransPromotional”
documents, which are documents that combine marketing messages with
transaction information. There was a high consumer preference for
TransPromotional documents (63% preferred such a document), and the
study forecasts full color digital TransPromotional pages growing at a
91% CAGR through 2010.
“The market is poised to adopt
TransPromotional documents, which meet the needs of end users as well as
document generators, and to take advantage of technological advancements
that enable this application,” commented Mr.
Corr. “For adoption of TransPromo to
increase, however, document owners must gain more awareness of the
benefits, costs, and risks.”
Other study highlights include:
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In 2005, the total North American transaction market consisted of 64.3
billion documents with a value of $120 billion.
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In 2005, 114 billion direct mail pieces (with a retail value of $61.1
billion) were sent in North America.
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Consumers have a high preference for highly personalized direct mail.
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Consumers state that only 31% of the direct mail they currently
receive contains personalized content that they find useful.
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There is a high level of trust in the postal services of the U.S. and
Canada.
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Print providers who service these markets have strong investment
intentions, especially regarding mailing equipment and digital color.
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Not everybody will flock to electronic bill presentment or electronic
bill presentment and payment, as just under half of the respondents
planned to pay bills online. Security concerns were the main reason
consumers did not want to switch to on-line banking.
-
PDA’s and cell phones are included in 24.8%
of direct marketing programs.
Research for the study consisted of surveys of 850 consumers over the
age of 18 who pay bills, 456 document owners who are responsible for
direct mail and transaction documents, and 397 print providers who focus
on direct mail and transaction documents. The written report is 265
pages with 202 figures. The study contains 1,499 pages of cross
tabulated data and 596 slides.
The complete study is available immediately for purchase. For more
information about the study or to make a purchase, contact Scott Phinney
at +1 781 616 2100 ext. 123 or scott_phinney@infotrends.com.
InfoTrends, a Questex Company, is the leading worldwide market
research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and
document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts,
and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify
opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses.
Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.
Copyright © 2007 InfoTrends. All rights
reserved. Reproduction or reuse of InfoTrends materials is strictly
prohibited without prior written consent. If you are interested in
referencing InfoTrends content, please submit your request to allison_jones@infotrends.com.
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