Research Shows Direct Mail Defies Ad Downturn

UK consumers purchase over £25 billion worth of goods through direct mail each year, according to the Direct Mail Information Service (DMIS).

With total direct mail expenditure rising to £2.2 billion in 2001 and volume reaching 4.9 billion items, direct mail continues to grow, suggesting that companies are turning to the medium as a cheaper alternative to TV, print and outdoor advertising.

The research reveals a 7.1% increase on the 2001 figure of £23.4 billion and according to the DMIS, 40% of respondents had made purchases as a result of direct mail.

However, the travel and holiday sector saw a massive year on year drop in spend, falling to £0.2 billion from £3.7 billion in 2001. Collectibles also experienced a substantial drop in its share of the total spend, down to 1% from 3.4%.

Mail-order clothes retained their position as the strongest sector, generating 49% of direct mail’s total revenue. The figures show that the mail-order sector sent out over 504 million items during 2001.

According to the DMIS, around 52% of direct mail’s total spend was generated by those in the ABC1 demographic group, while the remaining 48% came from the C2DE bracket.

The majority of purchases were made by those in the 35 to 54 age bracket, which generated over half of direct mail’s revenue during 2002. Geographically consumers in the North were found to be much more likely to purchase through direct mail and 70% of revenues came from the North.

A recent study by the DMIS claims the popularity of direct mail has not been eroded by the growth of email and web-based marketing (see Direct Mail Remains Unaffected By Web-Based Marketing).

DMIS: 0207 494 0403 www.dmis.co.uk

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