When we think about the institutions that have shaped our great American experiment, we’re reminded that even before we declared our independence in 1776, our founders understood something profound: a democracy requires connection. That's why in July 1775, as a revolution stirred in the hearts of colonists, they appointed Benjamin Franklin as Postmaster General of a postal system that would become the connective tissue of our fledgling nation.
From its very beginning, the Post Office, which has now evolved into the United States Postal Service per the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, has been binding our nation delivering periodicals, catalogs, personal letters, packages, and many vital messages and products. Throughout its 250 years, it has evolved and done more than deliver our mail: it has delivered on our democratic promise. It has connected rural communities to urban centers, ensured that every American, regardless of wealth or status, could communicate across vast distances, and provided a reliable pathway for citizens to engage with their government. The mail -- perhaps more than any other service -- embodies our commitment to equality, universality, and connection. In these ways, it has evolved and indeed been revolutionary in ways unique to any other postal system in the world. In fact, 44% of the world’s mail volume is processed and delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
Consider, for example, how the shape, content, and usage of mail has evolved over these past 250 years. The postcard was actually the first text message! A short message with expedited delivery that would keep people appraised of events or the health of loved ones far away. Or the innovative catalog that had a coupon that could be clipped and brought into a store for a discount off an item. Or consider how Periodicals continue to bind our nation with educational, cultural, scientific, and informational value. Mail is one of the few direct marketing tools that marketers can feel confident will be touched, looked at, and most likely scanned or read. You may have 50 to 100 unread emails in your inbox, but it is highly unlikely you have 50 to 100 untouched mail pieces in your mailbox, and when you touch them, they touch you back in transformative ways!
Mail, and more specifically direct mail, continues to be both evolutionary and revolutionary in its usage and value. Initially, direct mail was more of a broad approach, casting a wide net to a large audience with the hope that perhaps three percent of the recipients would respond. Mail tracking did not exist until recently and thus mailers had to take a “spray and pray” approach, praying that the delivery barcode sprayed on the piece would arrive to the correct prospect generating a response that may be inferred from some other supported source such as a subscription renewal, store visit, or website purchase.
A Look Ahead
Today, the direct mail revolution continues not because it’s clinging to the past, but because it is embracing the future. It continues not because it’s rejecting digital innovation, but because it’s integrating with it. It continues not because marketers are sentimental, but because consumers are responding, as marketers fully leverage the power of direct mail as part of an integrated omnichannel campaign with response rates of eight to 10% and even higher.
According to the ANA Response Rate Report 2023, direct mail had an average return on investment of 161% for a house list. With an ROI of that amount, is it any wonder that according to a Sequel Response 2024 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark report, marketers surveyed increased their direct mail spending by 61%?
Of course, while direct mail is gaining interest, it is true that overall mail volume is declining. However, according to the recently published USPS Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) report, from 2024 to 2020 UAA marketing mail declined at over twice the rate (-22.38%) as overall direct mail volume (-10.35%). This clearly indicates that the industry is starting to shift from a broad direct mail approach to a more targeted and purposeful effort, removing undeliverable and ineffective as addressed pieces. In short, the increased price of postage is encouraging mailers and their mail service providers to focus less on the price of postage and more on the purpose of the piece, which is a good thing for the mailing industry.
The USPS also recognizes and encourages this direct mail revolution with mail piece promotional discounts and mail growth incentives. In 2024, the USPS saw a 43% increase in promotion participants over the prior year, and the Mail Growth Incentive was hugely successful in generating $5.6 billion more mail pieces and generating nearly $555 million in postage credits.
While the Mail Growth Incentive is geared toward mail owners who mail a million or more pieces annually of either First-Class or Marketing Mail, the 2025 USPS promotions are accessible by nearly all mailers and especially useful for mail service providers that want to add value to their mailing services. The USPS is offering discounts of three to six percent for mail pieces that have interactive elements, tactile and sensory elements, connectivity to voice assisted devices, and even pieces that are created using artificial intelligence. There is a very good chance that mail service providers are already printing pieces that would qualify for these discounts and simply need to register their customers’ mailings through the USPS Business Customer Gateway.
Attribution is the key for direct marketers, and up until recently, direct mail did not have a direct and trusted way to measure its efficacy. However, with the advent of USPS Informed Visibility data and continued growth of Informed Delivery now reaching nearly a third of all households in the nation, direct mail rightfully has a seat at the table for measured attribution, and direct marketers are noticing. Astute mail service providers are not only leveraging USPS promotions to improve the value of mail, but they are also using mail as the foundation for an omnichannel play that expands their business and enables them to bridge physical to digital communications in exciting ways.
The Intelligent Mail barcode on a direct mail piece not only enables visibility of its journey from USPS induction to final delivery, but it also enables the opportunity to prime the mailbox by sending complementary digital messages during its journey that strengthens the response rate and improves the overall campaign. Technological bridges are being formed from traditional CASS- and PAVE-certified solutions that traditionally viewed direct mail into digital omnichannel platforms. The data interoperability between physical and digital messaging platforms is a game-changer for mail service providers of all sizes and not only improves the value of mail but can also help get the mail service provider engaged in the purpose of the mailing.
The story of direct mail is, in many ways, America's story: one of reinvention, resilience, and revolution. As we navigate the digital age, we need not choose between tradition and innovation. Instead, we can harness the unique power of physical mail alongside the speed of digital communication, creating connections that are both tangible and immediate, personal and far-reaching.
For businesses, this means seeing mail not as an outdated channel but as an opportunity for meaningful engagement. For consumers, it means appreciating those moments when we can step away from our screens and engage with something we can hold in our hands. And for all of us, it means recognizing that in a world where attention is increasingly fragmented, the ability to reach people where they live (quite literally!) remains extraordinary.
Resources are available for those ready to join this revolution, from the USPS PostalPro website to innovations showcased at the National Postal Forum.
The direct mail revolution isn't just continuing — it’s only beginning. And we all have a stake in where it goes next.
David Rosendahl is President of MindFire. Christopher Lien is EVP Postal Affairs for BCC Software.
This article originally appeared in the March/April, 2025 issue of Mailing Systems Technology.
