Consumers 'prefer to be contacted by flyers'

People would rather be contacted by direct mail - such as flyers - than social media channels, a new report has found.

Flyers are one of the ways people prefer to be contacted by companies, according to a new report.

The latest annual Direct Marketing Association GAP tracking study found direct mail and email are consumers' favoured methods of contact, as opposed to text messages or Twitter posts, Marketing Week reports.

Journalist Lucy Handley commented while new media is seducing marketers, there is "a big disparity" between how they view these methods of communication and the way customers want to be spoken to.

David Cole, managing director of Fast.MAP was quoted as saying sending people information in the post - through flyers, for example - is still appealing for both marketers and consumers.

In 16 out of 26 categories analysed in the study - including banking and supermarkets - mail is the preferred method of communication, knocking email off the top spot, which it has occupied for the previous two years.

Similarly, David Henkel recently wrote in a piece for 1to1 Media that direct mail is still a key aspect of marketing campaigns, but it is sometimes overlooked in today's digital age.