Do you include leaflets, brochures or direct mail in your media mix? If the answer is no, you may have jumped ship to digital without doing your due diligence. According to new research from Germany, there is a lot of potential in printed and distributed ads.
In fact, 93 percent of consumers surveyed engage with direct mail on a regular basis. And it plays an important role during research for offers and deals.
The study, Prospektmonitor 2025, was conducted by IFH Media Analytics and based on both surveys and interviews.
Combining offline and online media delivers more effects than using only online media. Even if we only look at online activation.
Ads beat news
It’s easy to assume that newspapers and magazines would have a bigger readership, but it’s actually the opposite. Of those surveyed, 78 percent read brochures on a regular basis, while 61 percent read ad sheets. By comparison, only 40 percent read newspapers.
Another fact that goes against popular assumptions is how different age groups interact with printed ads and direct mail. The number of users is greater among people over the age of 50, but the gap to younger generations is quite small. The percentage of users is around 80 percent for those over 50. The drop to younger age groups is only seven percent: Among people that are 29 years or younger, 73 percent interact with printed ads and direct mail.
Text on paper has stronger impact
Mats Rönne, a senior marketing expert and also effectiveness lead at Swedish Advertisers – an association of marketing communication buyers, has this to say in regards to the research:
“Almost every company today wants to be data driven. So let's look at what research shows:
a) The same text on a piece of paper has a stronger impact on the reader than if the text is shown on a screen.
b) Combining offline and online media delivers more effects than using only online media. Even if we only look at online activation.”
He has the following advice to companies out there: “Whenever we want to communicate something, we need to consider not just the reach but also the impact of our activity. "Reach" means getting in front of the right amount of the right people for your offering (and "people" is the key word here). "Impact" means striving to make sure that your message first of all gets noticed by those people and secondly is registered in their minds, using the tools of the trade such as copywriting, design and media selection.”
Mats Rönne, Swedish Advertisers.
Build trust with design
According to the study there are three key factors for a successful flyer or direct mail. The offer must be highly visible, the design should be appealing and the sender well-known. These factors will have a direct impact on how much consumers interact with the campaign.
“The study of IFH Media shows that printed brochures continue to be a key medium for communicating offers and have not lost any of their relevance despite the rise of digital media” says Dirk Götz, Manager Sales Operations Central Europe at Holmen Board and Paper. “It is not either or, but the perfect mix of offline and online marketing is key for success and pushes sales for new business. “
Brits like flyers too
Data from the UK shows similar trends. In JIC Mails’ Q4 report the number of people that interacted with direct mail and leaflets was 77 percent. And on average they spent a couple of minutes with it.
The data from Germany and the UK indicates that in most markets direct mail and other forms of printed ads have an important role to play. It’s not an either-or situation in regard to digital media, rather it’s the combination of digital and physical channels that yield the best results.
The key takeaway from both reports is that direct mail, flyers and other type of printed communication continues to play an important role in the media mix for most companies. To reach consumers successfully it’s necessary to use a combination of digital and physical channels, and not limit the mix to just a few. A study on advertising effectiveness conducted in Sweden 2023 revealed that the best results were achieved when four to nine different channels were used.
“Especially due to the flood of digital content, it is difficult for individuals to keep track of good offers and reputable content” explains Dirk Götz. “I am proud that we from Holmen can offer valuable solutions that are both sustainable and have the best price-performance ratio to keep the offline printed communication also an economically viable option for our customers.”