Direct Mail Remains Unaffected By Web-Based Marketing
The popularity of direct mail remains unaffected by the growth of email and web-based marketing, according to a major survey carried out by the Direct Mail Information Service (DMIS).
The study, which examined 100 of the UK’s top advertisers, shows that just 7% of companies say they have replaced direct mail with web-based marketing. 61% of companies predict their use of direct mail will remain unchanged over the next few years, with 7% planning to increase their expenditure over the next two years and 20% estimating a rise in the next three years.
The survey shows that three out of ten companies who expect to increase their use of direct mail say this is because they need to maintain an integrated strategy. One in four see a likely growth in direct mail in general, while 23% say they need to maintain a mix of media.
According to the DMIS, 48% of advertisers prefer direct mail to web-based marketing because it is more personalised, while 39% recognise it as an effective way of targeting consumers who are not online. The tangibility of physical marketing communication is valued by 28% of advertisers, with 23% appreciating that consumers can read direct mail at their leisure.
Very few companies expect to see a decrease in direct mail activity, with 11% predicting expenditure to fall over the next 3 years, and just 3% saying it will definitely fall in the long-term.
The DMIS claims that the relative lack of impact made by websites on direct mail activity is due to low levels of integration of digital technology into the marketing mix. So far, websites are not being heavily funded out of marketing budgets, meaning there is little conflict between existing marketing media and new channels.
The survey reveals that just over six out of ten companies say they are putting less than 10% of their marketing budget into their website, while 11% assign between 11% and 20% to it.
The DMIS recently released a study suggesting that the UK’s major advertisers are not making enough use of their website addresses in marketing campaigns (see Advertisers Fail To Utilise Marketing Potential Of Websites).
The latest figures from the Advertising Association for the second quarter of 2002 show that expenditure on Direct Mail grew by 9.7% year on year to £527 million (see TV Leads Growth In UK Adspend During Q2).
DMIS: 0207 494 0403 www.dmis.co.uk
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