Rory Sutherland – Why Direct Mail is Still ‘Uniquely Effective’ in 2025

Rory Sutherland, the vice chairman of the advertising and marketing agency – Ogilvy UK, has praised the unique effectiveness of direct mail in our modern world.

Sutherland shared his thoughts on the business networking platform last month stating that physical direct mail remains “uniquely effective”. He further commented:

“From an effectiveness standpoint, direct mail is frequently cited as one of the most successful acquisition methods whenever I talk to a business,” he explained.

“One reason is simply that it’s much rarer now. My own children, who are in their 20s, find receiving direct mail incredibly exciting. It’s not like the late 90s, which was probably the peak of direct mail volumes, when it was almost impossible to open your front door in the run-up to Christmas. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

“One of the reasons I always recommend to clients that they test direct mail is that, because it’s so counter-cultural, most of their competitors will be hesitant to follow suit.”

Sutherland continued by examining why direct mail stands out as a marketing medium, believing it “creates a decisive moment through its perceived scarcity and costly signalling – something that other, more indiscriminate media simply can’t match.”

Interestingly, in a follow up post a week later, Sutherland commented, ”I’m unconvinced doing exactly the same thing as your rivals and simply outspending them will deliver any real business advantage. Conversely, being brave and backing something unusual, unfashionable, or completely different might just stand your brand/business out from all the undifferentiated, forgettable offerings that go straight into junk.” Utilising direct mail in your marketing campaigns can do just that – including a bold, innovative piece of DM in your campaign might just be the golden ticket to ensuring your business’ messages are seen.

JICMail data for Q3 2024 reveals that 6% of mail led to a purchase. Additionally, 15% of mail sparked a conversation, and 9% prompted a website visit.

To find out more about how you could be utilising direct mail to promote your brand, or to speak to our team of experts for advise on innovating your campaign, get in touch today.