Flyers and other direct mail materials 'are still popular'

Howie Fenton of NAPL has argued against the suggestion direct mail is no longer useful to businesses.

Direct mail marketing through the use of flyers and other promotional items is still beneficial despite the popularity of the internet and social media.

This is the view of Howie Fenton, senior consultant at NAPL, who has moved to dispel some myths about the medium on the Marketing Powers Activate blog.

Mr Fenton argued a "properly executed" direct mail campaign can still provide businesses with a good return on investment, while combining the use of flyers and printed brochures with other forms of media has the ability to generate "double-digit return rates".

And he also noted direct mail is still effective, even though there is a common misconception that the form of marketing is not liked by consumers.

Citing data from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) showing 79 per cent of households either read of skim read mail advertising sent to their home, Mr Fenton argued the "predictions of direct mail's demise have been greatly exaggerated".

Earlier this month, DMA research revealed direct marketing materials help UK companies generate ?205 billion in income every year.