Direct Mail Drives Consumers Online

One of the more interesting findings of a recent consumer survey conducted by marketing firm AIS Media, Inc. (designed to promote web development for insurance companies) is the following:

59% of the [survey] respondents stated that after receiving an insurance offer in the mail they are more likely to visit the insurance company’s website rather than call the company.

This is consistent with other studies that show people are often stimulated to go to the Internet by some traditional ad (newspaper, outdoor, TV). This is also true with catalog retail: catalog comes in the mail and users go online to order.

Other survey findings released:

• 32%  of consumers researching insurance options turn to search engines to begin their research versus only 3% that use the [print] Yellow Pages.
• A third of all survey respondents would consider purchasing their insurance online, which indicates to the insurance industry, like numerous other industries, the web is now the first stop for a growing number of Americans.

My point here is to point out again that traditional advertising and the Internet complement one another. Arguably the connections between traditional media and the Internet are reinforced and made more powerful with mobile devices.