Partner Content from Franklin Madison Direct
Call it “snail mail” if you want, but direct mail is one of the highest performing marketing tools in the toolbox. And there’s new data to prove it.
According to the “2026 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report” from Franklin Madison Direct, one in five consumers will make a purchase after receiving a piece of direct mail (hello, conversion!) Direct mail this year has risen to the number two spot as the “second most influential advertising channel,” just behind TV and streaming. And while budget expectations across social, search, email and other digital tactics remain largely flat, more than 95 percent of marketers plan to maintain or grow their direct mail investment in the year ahead, up from 87 percent last year.
It all points to a real comeback for direct mail as more and more consumers feel the fatigue of too much AI slop, too much digital noise, and a growing concern that what they see and experience on their devices may not be real—or trustworthy. Indeed, direct mail has resurfaced as an antidote to the current moment, and a powerful way to break through as consumers seek out more meaningful brand engagements.
What’s driving consumers to engage at the physical mailbox more than ever? According to the report, 60 percent of consumers enjoy or “enjoy very much” the act of receiving direct mail. Relevance and clarity are key drivers of this “enjoyment metric,” with 52 percent valuing the ability to keep mail for later reference and 44 percent saying it feels “less intrusive” than other ad types. Unlike fleeting digital experiences, receiving something in the mail feels rare and tangible. It creates a meaningful pause that digital ads can’t offer. And it’s something that inspires consumers to savor a moment, versus scrolling past it.
And the engagement just increases from there. According to the report, seventy-nine percent of consumers actively engage with the mail they receive. This is due in large part to major advances in how direct mail strategies are deployed. Hyper-personalization, more precise targeting, and creative testing at micro levels are delivering compelling content to consumers, boosting engagement, and driving conversions. It’s a sophisticated, tech-driven marketing channel for the time we’re living in, and a far cry from the bygone days of “spray and pray.”
The report revealed that direct mail can actually drive digital engagement, too. Ninety-five percent of marketers who integrate direct mail with digital say it has a positive impact on their campaign performance. And thirty-one percent of consumers say they’re more likely to engage with brand content when they receive a mail piece and a digital ad, a stat that is up four percent from last year. So rather than competing for marketing dollars, direct mail and digital have been proven to amplify one another’s overall performance when brought together in a thoughtful way. Fun fact for Gen Z marketers: Younger and middle-income consumers are driving some of the highest direct mail engagement when it connects with digital.
Being a marketer today means living in a constantly changing environment. The social media algorithms keep changing. The online ads keep getting more expensive. AI is flooding the market. Direct mail offers a steady and reliable alternative to the volatility. It’s a channel uniquely poised to cut through and reach consumers, inspire them to take action, and ultimately deliver real ROI.
Whether you’re all in, on the fence, or just curious about what direct mail can do for you, I invite you to download the full report to find out why so many marketers are rediscovering the power and impact of strategic moments made at the mailbox.
Andie Lindgren is Senior Marketing Director at Franklin Madison Group.
