Direct Mail Advertising
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 1,800 direct mail advertisers in the US distribute coupons, flyers, and other marketing materials through the mail on behalf of customers. Primary sources of revenue include full direct mail services, letter shop services, printing services, and fulfillment services. Direct mail includes letters, postcards, brochures, catalogs, and free samples. Large companies may offer integrated marketing services and also offer digital marketing, traditional media, or public relations services.
Industry Contraction
Direct mail volume fell dramatically during the 2008/2009 recession, and the industry has struggled to generate growth ever since due to the rise of digital communication.
Competition from Alternative Sources of Advertising
Direct mail competes with other advertising vehicles, including digital advertising (social media, email, internet ads) and traditional advertising (newspapers, TV, radio, print).
Industry size & Structure
The average direct mail advertiser works out of a single location employs fewer than 20 workers and generates about $6.5 million annually.
- The direct mail advertising industry consists of about 1,800 firms that employ about 34,000 workers and generate almost $11.7 billion annually.
- The industry is concentrated at the top and fragmented at the bottom; the top 50 companies account for 50% of industry revenue.
- Large firms with direct mail operations include Valpak (Platinum Equity), Valassis (Vericast), and Mspark (PennantPark Investment Corporation).
- In 2023, the US Postal Service delivered more than 57 billion pieces of advertising mail, which accounted for more than half of all US mail volume.
Industry Forecast
Direct Mail Advertising Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 10, 2025 - Direct Mail to Post Stronger Growth in 2025
- US net media owner advertising revenues rose by 12.4% to $380.2 billion in 2024 as cyclical events, including the Summer Olympics and the presidential election, pushed ad spending higher, according to advertising firm MAGNA. Direct mail ad spending in 2024 rose 1.2% and is forecast to grow 4.5% in 2025. For all 2025 ad spending, the top-performing verticals are projected to be food, beverage, personal care, household goods, technology, and finance.
- Commercial printers saw mixed results in the first three quarters of 2024, according to the year-end 2024 Printing United Alliance State of the Industry Survey by Printing Impressions. On average, printing firms’ sales increased 1.7% in the first three quarters of the year compared to the same period in 2023. While 47% of firms surveyed said sales increased, 18% reported flat sales and 35% experienced declines. Over 70% of respondents said they plan to increase capital investments in 2025. Among printers planning to increase investments, the most popular categories were bindery/finishing equipment and systems, commercial inkjet, artificial intelligence, workflow software, and digital infrastructure. Printing Impressions expects the industry to see improving conditions amid falling interest rates, lower taxes, and deregulation. Direct mail is a significant customer group for commercial printers, and their fortunes are often intertwined.
- According to a recent report by direct mail marketing automation firm Lob, the direct mail market remains robust. Of 250 North American marketing professionals surveyed, 84% said direct mail has the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing channel. Direct mail also has the highest response rate (84%) and the highest conversion rate (85%). Over 80% of survey respondents said they increased their direct mail investments in 2024. On average, a relevant direct mail piece stays in the recipient’s home for up to two weeks, making direct mail much more effective than email, according to programmatic direct mail firm PebblePost.
- Lead generation marketing firm PostcardMania notched $104.6 million in sales in the third quarter of 2024, up 18.6% compared to Q3 2023. The company said the large leap in quarter-over-quarter revenue suggests more business owners and marketers are choosing direct mail for their marketing strategies. PostcardMania’s third-quarter results were driven by the company’s partnership-driven PCM Integrations (PCMi) arm, as revenue in the division jumped 58% compared to the same period a year earlier. PCMi partners with providers of customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing software, allowing the partners’ users to launch direct mail campaigns with scalable, programmatic targeting and delivery.
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