I was browsing email subject lines and one about Millennials using print
caught my eye. Every now and then, you see data showing that direct mail and
other print media carry weight — and influence — among this coveted and
digital-media-heavy demographic.
I clicked through, and the data from was Experian (Digital
Marketing Report 2013). It did show Millennials using print, but it
was newspapers and magazines. In a seven-day span (“seven-day platform reach”),
the chart indicated, approximately 70% of 18-24-year olds were reading
newspapers and magazines. Nice to know, but . . . Television, mobile phone, radio, newspaper, home computer, magazine, work computer, game console, MP3 player, tablet, e-Reader. Those were the categories included, leaving magazines and newspapers the print representatives.
Where was direct mail? Despite the power that print continues to show in influencing consumer decisions and as part of consumers’ preferences, somehow it was not included in the media mix being studied. How did direct mail get overlooked?
