Swathing the Self in Color and Contact Choices

Ethan Boldt, editor-in-chief of Inside Direct Mail, says he looks at about 1,000 pieces of direct mail every month. His publication addresses what's happening in direct mail, and it's probably the best single resource for those of us who market by postal. Ethan reported recently that, over the past six months, he’s noticed a slow growth in two areas of direct mail. First, he’s seeing more self-mailers. Cost considerations have driven some nonprofits to adopt these truncated messages, too, and most mailers make up the deficit with more color and more ways to respond. Ethan also points to increased personalization in everything from #10 packages to postcards, to oversize, in-line efforts. Conclusion: we're mailing less often, but more carefully.