Mail still holds appeal for younger generation

Sixty-five percent of consumers still send letters and packages with nearly half (48%) of Gen Z sending mail one to two times per month. That’s according to new research from online postage and shipping vendor Stamps.com.

Why we care. Not only does mail still exist (it’s that stuff in your mailbox) but direct mail continues to play a role in marketing. The internet has not killed direct mail. If anything, it has created new ways to personalize and target it. And one advantage it has always had over email and online display is that it’s persistent. It lies around until someone bothers to throw it away and it can be seen by whole households and not just the individual blinking briefly at the screen.

It’s worth considering whether positive attitudes to mail in general extend to direct mail marketing.

Dig deeper: Postie launches CRM Optimization for direct mail

Mail: The positives. Stamp.com’s sample of 500 consumers highlighted two positive aspects to mailing:

• Thirty-seven percent of consumers overall felt that mail provided a “personal touch,” with Gen X valuing that the most (41%).
• Thirty-one percent valued security and reliability of mail, especially for sending important documents. Baby boomers led the pack (40%).

But it’s not just personal. Businesses are driving mail volume, sending items on a weekly basis. Among negatives, Gen Z are frustrated by time spent waiting in line for mail services, while older consumers object to the high cost of postage.