Direct Mail Trends Report: Q4 2021

2021 was the year of direct mail. Although many industries paused mail programs as 2020 direct marketing strategies shifted, 2021 showed signs of increased consumer confidence, economic growth, and multichannel innovations. In 2021, marketers sent nearly 33 billion pieces of mail, with total direct mail volume up 28% from 2020.

This Quarter's Direct Mail Trends

Retail and consumer service mailers sent 18.4% of all pieces, unseating the long-standing insurance industry as the top mailer in 2021. Direct mail volume isn’t just up for consumer brands – 9 out of the 10 industries tracked increased volume by an average of 59%. Digital advertising burnout, mounting digital data privacy regulations, and hiked audience expectations have prompted direct marketers to hit the mailbox hard. This strategy is resonating with consumers and strengthening direct mail’s top ranking as the?highest ROI?channel among popular direct marketing media. This is exciting news for a channel that experienced such unfortunate lows early in the pandemic.

“Although the pandemic’s impact on the print industry persists, it’s clearly only a supply-side issue at this point. Mail has not only fully rebounded from the 2020 lull, but has actually exploded past 2019 pre-pandemic volume levels by 30%,” said Erik Koenig, SeQuel’s President/Chief Strategist. “The surge is at least in part due to the rebounds seen in credit cards and travel direct mail volumes, but the continued growth in retail/consumer services mail continues to be a tailwind in the space. It’s clear that brands in virtually all industries are experiencing the benefits mail can provide to their business.”

The infographic below shares additional information on direct mail’s Q4 2021 performance. You can find more direct marketing resources and industry insights on our?blog.?

Data provided by?Competiscan, Feb. 2022