In a recent survey from PrintWeek.com it was shown that 62 percent of the respondents believe that direct mail is a more effective medium than email.  This is not surprising considering direct mail has a much higher read rate than email messages. The average household open rate of a direct mail piece is now 85 percent, according to a recent DMA study.  Additionally, while the open rates of email have dropped over the passed ten years, direct mail open rates have continued to rise.

A 2012 study from the Direct Marketing Association showed the following statistics:

– When sending to a direct mail piece to an in-house mailing list, a marketer can expect to see about 3 and half percent response rate.

–Email response rates are much lower when sending to a house list with only about 0.12% response rate.

While print has powerful attributes, combing both print and digital together allow a marketer to increase the reach and frequency. Using print to ‘get the attention’ of your audience and directing that audience to your digital mediums allows you to increase the engagement with your audience.  Using QR codes is a great way to shift your audience from your printed message to the online component of your message, allowing you to engage your audience for an extended time.

The more time you are able to spend with your audience, the more likely your brand will be top-of-mind when it comes time for them to make a purchase.   Using both print and digital media together will allow you to reach your audience in more than one place and engage them for longer periods of time.

Timothy Freeman 

President 

Print & Graphic Communications Association