Deliver Magazine July 2005Date Submitted: 7/15/2005

Pity today’s busy consumers. Overburdened by work, family and life in general, where can they turn for help in managing their households, saving money or finding new products? To the mail. Surprised?

A 2004 United States Postal Service® study conducted by InnoMedia found that consumers spend an average of 30 minutes daily with their mail, and no wonder. They rely on it for assistance in running their lives.

MAIL COMPLEMENTS THE INTERNET

Last century, those techno-geeks gleefully claimed that print was dead. Perhaps surprisingly, today (2005), the role of mail remains vital, yes, even among Internet. users. Consumers approach mail and the Internet differently, using mail for discovery of products and services they didn’t know about, and the Internet to search for specific products.

The two media often work together. For example, consumers use catalogs that have been mailed to their homes to assist with online shopping. USPS® research has shown that catalogs drive Web traffic to a retailer’s Web site. After receiving a catalog in the mail, consumers:

• Made 16% more visits.

• Viewed 22% more pages.

• Spent 15% more time at the site. Mail’s “discovery” quality increases consumers’ awareness of products they need and can drive them to a Web site to learn more.

MAIL ACCOMPLISHES THREE ‘JOBS’ According to the USPS study, consumers count on mail to help them stay in touch with the world around them and manage household activities. They want mail to assist them with three specific home-related jobs:

• Browsing for new consumption — They want to see what’s new and consider products that may enhance their lives;

• Managing the home — Mail gives the CEO of the household information that helps manage household duties, such as scheduling home maintenance, arranging children’s activities and remembering health care appointments;

• Overseeing finances — They pay bills, review account statements, clip coupons and find ways to make the most of their household budget.

CONSUMERS USE MAIL TO:

Save money: 42% use mail to help them manage their household finances efficiently.

Make 15% more transactions.

Stay informed: 38% say the mail helps them stay informed about the world they live in. They save mail to read later or pass along to others.

Buy products: 64% order from mail. In fact, consumers who receive a catalog from a retailer are nearly twice as likely to make an online purchase at the retailer’s Web site.

Relax and unwind: 48% look forward to seeing what each day’s mail offers and enjoy taking a time out to flip through its contents.

Spend 16% more than those who didn’t receive catalogs.

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