Direct mail has surprising resilience in an era of digital saturation. Here is the evidence — and how to do it sustainably.
Direct mail was supposed to be dead by now. Except it is not — and 2025 finds direct mail performing with response rates that would be the envy of most digital channels.
The evidence for effectiveness
Royal Mail research consistently shows that physical mail is opened by a higher proportion of recipients than email, remembered better and generates a stronger emotional response.
Who it works for
Direct mail works best for high-value B2B prospecting, re-engagement of lapsed customers, campaigns where geographical targeting matters and premium brands where the physical medium reinforces positioning.
The environmental challenge
Direct mail has a real environmental cost. The sustainable case rests on precision targeting, FSC certified paper, vegetable inks and offsetting residual transport emissions.
Data quality is the sustainability multiplier
Mail sent to the wrong address is pure waste. Maintaining clean, current data is both commercially and environmentally important.
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