The data covering the period from July to September 2021 found that for the first time mail had triggered more smartphone and tablet engagement than phone calls.

Direct mail with distinct customer oriented creative content was found to have been highly effective at driving mobile usage – of which online banking is a large part. 11% of direct mail containing appointment related information drives mobile usage, and direct mail containing product notifications and reminders drives a similar level of mobile effectiveness.

The data also found that the ‘new normal’ in mail’s effectiveness at driving digital actions that surfaced a year ago has shown no sign of dissipating a year later. 9% of mail drives consumers to advertiser websites, 6% to seek out new information about a brand online, while 5% prompts consumers to look up their account details.

Volumes on the JICMail panel have continued to increase as the market rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, with door drops recording an 18% increase in volumes year-on-year. A rebound in travel and tourism activity in the summer months, plus telecoms sector activity drove this improved door drops position.

JICMail reported that the typical piece of direct mail was interacted with 4.35 times on average in Q3, and shared with 1.12 people per household.

Door drops recorded an average frequency of 3.02 and item reach of 1.05 people per household. Business mail, meanwhile, was interacted with an average of 4.76 times on average and shared with 1.17 people per household.

The average door drop was kept in the home for 5.7 days before being filed or thrown away/recycled, with direct mail kept for 7.4 days, and business mail retained for 9.1 days.

JICMail engagement director Mark Cross said: “Yet again this latest data release shows the multiple patterns of consumer behaviour stimulated by mail in the home, driving a range of actions across platforms.

“The trend towards mail prompting usage of mobile devices is a lead indicator of the deepening relationships between physical and digital channel opportunities with mail priming activity elsewhere.”

JICMail data is gathered from a panel of 1,000 households every month. The mail activity of every household member is tracked using a diary-based app. Every mail item they receive over the course of a week is captured and everything they do with that mail item over the course of a month is recorded.