If you are thinking of running a direct mail campaign to promote your business and increase your sales, one study that you may want to look into is Vertis’ Customer Focus® 2005: Retail Direct Marketing study. The study offers a number of findings that can help you understand what type of direct mail campaigns can generate action from the recipients of your mailings.

Some of the interesting findings of the study include:

• Interesting packaging is extremely important in getting your direct mail opened. The study found that 63 percent of adults consider the packaging first and foremost. A special offer or discount is also a critical consideration for 51 percent of the respondents.
• Consumers respond best to buy-one-get-one free messages, discounts off a single item, and coupons. Consumer tips and loyalty card offers elicit the lowest response from the recipients.
• Overall, 76 percent of the adults surveyed said they read direct mail advertising, a number that remains high despite consumers’ growing time constraints.

You can read the full study at the Vertis web site