By Kevin Jones

As 2008 begins, direct mail doesn’t look to be going anywhere. Currently, fourteen states have tried to pass bills similar to the popular ‘Do Not Call’ Registry. Out of these fourteen, zero passed.

No matter where you stand on this issue, direct mail is a very important part of the mail service these days. With a decreased amount of mail going through the post office, postal workers will be left jobless, and companies will find it hard to keep or attract new customers. Some have gone as far as to say that the loss of direct mail would be an infringement on their rights. While I’m not prepared to go that far, many people’s livelihoods depend on it.

Additionally, direct mail allows us to communicate more information than we would ever be able to in face-to-face or phone communications. Direct mail has survived everything from the fax machine to e-mail, and it won’t become obsolete anytime soon. It may not be as glitzy or glamorous as other mediums, but it is effective, and that is what really matters.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, “U.S. companies sent 35 billion pieces of direct postal mail in 1980, 64 billion pieces in 1990, 90 billion pieces in 2000, and 100 billion pieces in 2005. That’s more than 300 pieces of bulk mail for every man, woman, and child!”

While opposition may be growing towards direct mail, industry’s reliance on it is still quite evident. One reason that I think this trend will continue is because of the ‘Do Not Call’ Registry and people’s aversion to spam. With more restrictions on telemarketing, the reliance on direct mail has increased.

So as we look forward to the rest of 2008, several states still have decisions to make on what to do with these ‘Do Not Junk’ bills, but I would expect more of the same. Direct mail will be as important as ever.