Direct mail is the only advertising channel to show an increase in response rates so far this year, according to a study of marketing campaigns by media group OMG.

The research also shows mail’s ability to improve performance of other marketing activities – with digital campaigns seeing a 62 per cent increase in return on investment when combined with direct mail.

OMG’s ‘BrandScience’ study analysed 174 UK campaigns to give a picture of the effectiveness of different media channels.

BrandScience shows direct mail to be the only advertising channel registering consistent growth in its effectiveness over the past four years – up 80 per cent based on a response performance index – and also the only one to show an increase in response rates in 2009.

The study also reveals that using direct mail alongside TV, press, outdoor and online advertising campaigns increases ROI when compared to single-media activities. Digital campaigns showed the greatest benefit of combining direct mail with an increase in return of 62 per cent.

Antony Miller (pictured below), head of media development at Royal Mail, said: “In the current climate, where marketers need to justify every pound spent on campaigns more vigorously than ever, this study shows the growing importance of direct mail.

“Mail has shown consistent growth in campaign effectiveness every year since 2005, reflecting vast improvements in targeting techniques and the ability of technology to increase the ease and level of response rates.”

He added: “We have known for years that the way marketers treat each medium as an ingredient is important and it is the way they mix them together that gives the best results. This makes the OMG insight more powerful than most as it helps advertisers and agencies justify the media selection and substantiate mail’s place in the mix.”
 

Antony Miller