Tree Killers!

That, in a nutshell, is what most Americans think of direct mailers. An interesting, if slightly out of date, article at e-Marketer gives the details.

Apparently junk mail, the actual physical kind, only accounts for about 2% of municipal waste. The average person asked credited it as being 1/3 to 1/2! That's a big difference.

Compare that to spam, which most people just blow off as a nuisance--Spam accounts for 98% of all email sent!

It's also a perception to keep in mind if you are considering a direct mail campaign. Most of the people surveyed did say they would think better of a company that sent their DM piece on recycled paper