Reasons That Compel Consumers to Open Their Direct Mail

Vertis Communications' Customer Focus survey asked adult consumers the question, "Which one of the following makes a difference as to what direct mail you open?” The results:

REASON	TOTAL ADULTS
Timing of the piece arriving coinciding with need for the service/product	67%
Consumer's name on the front of the envelope	66%
The package looks interesting	60%
A special offer or discount	54%
The package looks important	52%
Feel something in the package	51%
A free gift or token inside	42%
Dated material enclosed	35%
None of these	5%

Customer Focus® is Vertis Communications' proprietary annual study tracking consumer media and buying behavior across a wide variety of industry segments and media including advertising inserts, direct marketing, and the Internet.

Source: Vertis Customer Focus: DM 2009 as reported in DMA's 2009 Statistical Fact Book.