Why recipients of direct mail do and don't respond: An exploratory study

• Published in: Journal of direct marketing 1987-08, Vol.1 (3), p.47-56
• Main Author: Gould, James S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0892-0591; 1522-7138; 1522-7138; 0892-0591
• DOI: 10.1002/dir.4000010308

Annually, billions of dollars are spent on direct mailings. Of these monies spent, an estimated 60 to 90 percent is wasted because recipients either did not read the mailing or did not respond to the offer. From the recipients' perspective, much of the direct mail received is unwelcomed and referred to as “junk mail”. This study examines recipient perceptions of direct mailings received and differentiates between the wanted, unwanted, responded to and not responded to categories. Marketers using direct mail in their advertising‐promotion mix will discover the findings to be helpful for developing mailings which are preferred by recipients and more likely to obtain responses. The initial study may also inspire researchers to further extend these avenues of exploration.