Why Direct Mail Still Wins: Surprising 2025 Results Every Marketer Should See

By Rebecca Turner, Account Director

Many of our clients (and especially their CFOs or their boards) feel like direct mail is out of date, expensive, and no longer effective. The world is digital, they reason, and no one pays attention to what arrives in their physical mailbox.

But have you taken a look at your email inbox lately? If you’re like most people, it’s overflowing with reminders about sales from stores you’ve shopped at once, newsletters you signed up for years ago, and dozens (or hundreds) of other emails that you will likely delete before reading. Email is still an important channel, but crowded inboxes make it harder for your message to get through.

Online ads are still extremely effective, but they often have 2-3 seconds to capture your audience’s attention as they scroll. You can’t communicate the nuances of your membership benefits or educate people about what your association does in that limited time.

What does all this mean? Direct mail should have a place in your marketing program! Hard copies last longer than emails, and recipients are likely to spend more time with your mail piece than they would with any digital ad.

We don’t have to rely on gut instinct here: Two tests from the end of 2025 support this approach!

In the first test, we split a client’s audience into four groups to test the mix of channels (email, digital, and direct mail) that was the most effective in driving response. The group with more budget in direct mail had the strongest results, with an 11% lift in response compared to the group that received fewer direct mail pieces! In addition, the cost per result was lower when we focused on direct mail than it was for any other combination of channels. Budget is often a concern when we think about mailings, but when used strategically, direct mail can actually save you money!

In the second, we tested adding a second direct mail piece to the postcard our client had been deploying. Results are still coming in, but our first check-in revealed a 22% lift for the group that got two mail pieces (compared to the group that just got one mailer).

As you consider your 2026 marketing plans, don’t discount direct mail! It’s still effective, both in terms of driving response and in using your budget effectively. If you’ve dropped mail from your program, you’re missing out on a great way to reach your audience.

Have questions? Reach out to the experts at MGI! Contact Jana Darling, President, Marketing General Incorporated at jdarling@marketinggeneral.com or 703-706-0346.