Key takeaways:
Direct mail personalization is the new normal
Personalization is no longer optional. To wit: 67% of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers expect it all the time, according to Salesforce, yet digital-only experiences are falling flat. Consumers crave tangible connections. The Return of Touch Report by The Harris Poll and sponsored by Quad reports that 72% of Gen Z and Millennials say they look forward to receiving mail from brands. Similarly, 76% say they enjoy it even more when that mail feels personalized.
Could it be, perhaps, that mail holds the solution to our personalization woes?
As consumer sentiments shift toward tangible, personalized experiences, direct mail marketing is seeing growth. In 2024, it grew by about 2.6%, bringing the market total to $37.3 billion, according to Winterberry Group research.
Evolving past the proverbial “snail mail” of past generations, mail in 2025 gets to households with both speed and accuracy. To take it one step further, marketers can look to automated direct mail, a unique integration of print and digital marketing, to scale personalization.
How automated direct mail marketing works
Automated direct mail marketing builds better datasets by combining online to offline customer intent signals and behaviors. It further removes much of the manual work with pre-designed templates that send based on event- or behavior-based audience triggers.
“People, processes and technology have come together to allow direct mail to operate at the same pace as email.”
Take an integrated platform such as At-Home Connect by Quad: Each mailer, flyer, postcard or letter moves seamlessly from design to printing, sorting and delivery — all activated by real-time customer triggers, such as a cart abandonment, a website browse or a birthday milestone. In essence, automated direct mail translates online behavior into timely, tangible engagement.
What is triggered direct mail?
Automated direct mail is triggered when a customer takes a defined digital action (see list below). The behavioral and event-based data automatically initiates print communications, such as a postcard, at precisely the right moment.
By responding instantly to intent signals, brands can bridge the gap between online activity and physical experience, ensuring every interaction feels both relevant and personal.
Benefits of automating direct mail marketing
By automating mail with advanced direct marketing tactics, brands can integrate household and online data to build a more accurate direct mail data set and improve conversion for warm online leads. This also opens new possibilities for direct mail personalization that mirrors the precision of digital ads.
Build even more accurate household data
“Where we are is often more important than who we are. The household is the one place where devices come together via a common Wi-Fi point for a specific period. And what customers receive in the mail is key to unlocking household intent.”
A significant portion of digital data remains nonaddressable. However, by taking online behavior and combining it with household intent, we can improve direct mail targeting. “At-Home Connect, for example, provides an always-on data platform that can ingest transaction data, lifecycle events, and other behaviors through API integrations — enabling marketers to personalize mail with increased accuracy.
Convert digital leads through direct mail
Using At-Home Connect by Quad, brands can convert warm digital leads, often more so than digital retargeting can do alone.
“When someone visits a website, it shows they’re interested, but websites don’t always convert. If we send out a direct mail piece based on digital signals or behaviors, it’s an effective way of converting warm leads.”
By leveraging integrated technology and household data, direct mail can deliver the personalized approach and high performance that marketers require today. Especially when paired with triggered direct mail, marketers can reach audiences precisely when intent is highest.
Start with At-Home Connect
Marketers face an uphill climb to personalize messaging to the right customer at the right time. One traditional channel continues to endure: direct mail marketing.
At Quad, our At-Home Connect automated direct mail marketing platform combines speed to market and personalization with advanced data tactics and production expertise. With Quad, marketers reach customers at home in moments that matter. Learn more.
