What's In Your Mailbox? Episode 2: What's Your COVID19 Direct Mail Response Rate?

Acquisition direct mailing campaigns from April to May 2020 saw response rates around 20 basis points -- 0.2%, or about 2 out of a thousand people responding -- with conversion rates further diminishing overall results even when a strong 10-15% conversion rate was achieved.

The article attributes low response rates to widespread job losses and consumer uncertainty during the early pandemic, recommending that mailers focus on the top 20-30% of their usual target audience using statistical models or credit scoring to identify the most responsive segments.

For campaigns resuming in late June or early July, the piece notes that credit bureaus were offering incentives and waiving cancellation fees for interim files ordered during the downturn.