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- Companies now dedicate 25% of marketing budgets to direct mail, and 9 in 10 increased investment in 2026.
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- 96% percent of leaders say personalization lifts results, but the strongest campaigns use behavior, preferences and milestones to deliver perfectly timed mail.
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Top challenges that marketers encounter with print vendors in their
direct mail campaigns:
- Issues with color matching or brand consistency - 35%
- Single-location print production (increases costs/slows us down) - 35%
- High printing costs - 35%
- Limited options for personalization - 33%
- Inconsistent print quality - 30%
- Delays in production timelines - 28%
- Poor automation - 26%
- We don't have challenges - 4%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- 94% of leaders say direct mail enhances engagement and conversions in digital channels.
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- 98% of business leaders rate direct mail as effective in dormant/churned customer winback.
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- How high-ROI marketers use AI and/or automation in direct mail campaign:?
- Creation of personalized messaging - 74%
- Delivery optimization - 65%
- Automated workflows - 63%
- Behavioral data integration - 59%
- Generating creative design - 59%
- Stronger attribution models - 57%
- Dynamic response monitoring - 57%
- Employees individually use tools like ChatGPT/Gemini to work more officiently - 43%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Ninety-nine percent of leaders use AI or automation in their programs, but high-ROI teams stand out in how they use it, embedding AI where it drives real impact. They apply it to personalize messaging, refine attribution models, and integrate behavioral data. These teams also use AI to guide creative decisions, optimize send timing and improve delivery accuracy.
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Biggest industries that utilize direct mail:
- Financial services - 30%
- Healthcare - 30%
- Real estate - 23%
- E-commerce - 10%
- Telecommunications - 2%
- Insurance - 1%
- Automotive - 1%
- Banking - 1%
- Media & entertainment - 1%
- Travel & leisure - 1%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Campaign goals in which direct mail is most effective:
- Existing customer retention - 64%
- New customer acquisition - 59%
- Customer advocacy/referrals - 58%
- Dormant/churned customer winback - 50%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Data attributes used to personalize direct mail campaigns that have been impactful in driving response:
- Website browsing behavior - 46%
- Communication channel preferences - 44%
- Event or milestone data (e.g., customer birthday or anniversary - 41%
- Subscription/loyalty program data - 36%
- Offline interactions such as visiting a physical store - 35%
- Address data - 33%
- Customer name - 32%
- Prior purchase information - 31%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Which do marketers feel is more effective in moving a customer to engage and convert with direct mail?
- Personalized journey across muultiple digital channels (such as email and direct mail) - 63%
- Personalized mail pieces alone (first name, custom offer, clever copy, etc.) - 37%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Data tools or platfoms organizations use to integrate direct mail with digital channels:
- Customer Relationship Management - 58%
- Marketing automation platform - 58%
- Customer Data Platform (CDP) - 57%
- Integration platforms (iPaaS) - 42%
- Analytics platform - 38%
- Third-party data - 32%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- High-ROI marketing teams are more than three times as likely to integrate analytics (54% versus 17%) and third-party data (54% versus 20%) for a fuller view of performance.
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Methods marketers use to measure response from direct mail campaigns:
- Social media engagement - 41%
- Specific customer activity (e.g., purchases in a one-month window after receiving mail) - 38%
- Personalized URL - 37%
- Website visits - 35%
- In-store redemption or visits - 31%
- Dedicated phone number - 30%
- Orders for featured products/services - 30%
- Coupon or promo code - 28%
- Generic URL - 26%
- QR code - 22%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
- Direct mail consumer demographics:
- Female - 58%
- Male - 42%
- Ages 25-34 - 12%
- Ages 35-44 - 21%
- Ages 45-54 - 21%
- Ages 55+ - 46%
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Household income of direct mail consumers.
- $40K-$59K - 23%
- $60K-$79K - 25%
- $80K-$99K - 17%
- $100K-$149K - 23%
- $150K-$199K - 7%
- $200K-$249K - 4%
- $250K-$299K - 1%
- $300K+ - 2%
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- More than 70% of consumers engage with the mail they receive.
- 24% say they’ve made a purchase in the last six to twelve months as a result from receiving a relevant piece of mail.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- 32% of consumers who receive direct mail ads (letters, postcards, catalogs) say they enjoy it very much.
- 34% say they somewhat enjoy it.
- 34% say they do not enjoy it.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- 59% of consumers enjoy mail because they can keep an interesting piece and refer to it later (up 4% from 2024).
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Creative testing is a mainstay of direct mail strategy.
- Nearly all marketers (95%) test creative quarterly or more.
- Over half (55%) of respondents are testing their data sources quarterly, and 42% are testing monthly.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Despite inflation impacts and USPS rate increases, marketers are also reporting direct mail costs remain efficient, as the average cost per acquisition (CPA) for all direct marketing campaigns is skewing higher than mail alone.
- Most respondents (54%) report a direct mail CPA in the $100–$249 range, with few exceeding $500.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Nearly 40% of consumers report that receiving both a mail piece and digital ad increases brand awareness and overall consideration of the brand.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Visiting a website continues to be the most common action consumers take after receiving a relevant piece of direct mail
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- 97% of marketers say integrating direct mail with digital efforts such as email, SMS, and display has a positive impact on performance.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- This year, marketers identified personalization and quality audience targeting data as the top advantages of the mail channel.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Which of the following are most likely to give consumers a more positive impression of a direct mail advertisement?
- Coupons, discounts or special offers - 78%
- Relevant product or service recommendations - 52%
- Clear and concise messages - 48%
- Customer testimonials or reviews - 25%
- Personalized elements - 23%
- Interactive elements (QR codes, scratch off boxes, etc.) - 20%
- High quality paper or packaging - 16%
- Bright colors or imagery - 12%
- Infrequent timing - 11%
- Frequent timing - 8%
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- Top advantages of Direct Mail channel:
- Personalization/ Customization options - 39%
- Quality audience targeting data - 39%
- Ability to integrate with digital campaigns - 37%
- Flexibility with creative and format - 34%
- Mail volumes and budget flexibility - 33%
- It’s scalable in ways other channels are not (find more customers) - 31%
- Physical, tangible media - 31%
- Affordable (CPA/CAC) - 26%
- Easy to track attribution and performance - 25%
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- 50% of marketers say they plan on increasing their budget for direct mail in the next 12 months.
- 37% say their budgt will stay the same.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- How many times a company sends mail advertising before consumers take a requested action:
- Once - 27%
- 2-3 times - 44%
- 4-5 times - 5%
- More than 5 times - 3%
- Do not take action - 21%
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, 2025)
- 85% of Gen Z and millennial consumers engaged with direct mail in 2025—a higher rate than baby boomers.
(Source: DRMG, 2025 Direct Mail Recap and 2026 Outlook)
- In the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) and Retail sectors, there was a return to interactive formats of direct mail. Digital codes are easily forgotten. Physical coupons live on the fridge. In 2025, the average lifespan of a value-driven mailer in the home was seven or more days. That is a week of free brand impressions every time someone opens the refrigerator.
(Source: DRMG, 2025 Direct Mail Recap and 2026 Outlook)
- Personalization is crucial to successful direct mail campaigns in 2026. Marketers expect conversion rates to lift by 135% when imagery matches the recipient's lifestyle.
(Source: DRMG, 2025 Direct Mail Recap and 2026 Outlook)
- With AI generating billions of spam emails and fake ads, consumer trust in digital is eroding. 58% of consumers report feeling "overwhelmed" by digital ads.
- Conversely, 82% of consumers trust print ads when making a purchasing decision.
(Source: DRMG, 2025 Direct Mail Recap and 2026 Outlook)
- What possible characteristics of direct mail turn off consumers:
- Looks like a scam or mass-produced material - 52%
- Promotes something I've never shown interest in - 49%
- Doesn't have my name or is addressed to 'Resident' or 'Current Occupant.' - 45%
- Tries to sound urgent (e.g., 'Final Notice' or 'Act Now.' - 49%
- Uses aggressive or pushy language - 39%
- Overly flashy or gimmicky design - 26%
- Has no clear reason or value for me (e.g., no offer, no relevant message - 45%
- Arrives too often from the same brand - 34%
- Comes from a brand I don't recognize - 27%
(Source:Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2025)
- Formats of direct mail that marketers are most likely to use:
- Letter in an envelope - 17%
- Catalog - 21%
- Postcard - 10%
- Sealed snap-pack (folder mailer sealed around the edges that you tear open) - 20%
- Tri-fold or bi-fold brochure - 6%
- Booklet - 8%
- Checks - 6%
(Source: Lob/Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail 2026)
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