Vertis Communications 2007 Customer Focus study found responsiveness to direct mail via the Internet has increased over the years for both men and women of almost every age.

Twenty-one percent of total adults in 2007 have responded to direct mail advertising in the past month by visiting a sender's Web site, up from 14 percent in 2003. Additionally, findings from the latest Vertis Communications study revealed older men's responsiveness to direct mail advertising through the Internet has grown the most, with 28 percent of men ages 55-64 indicating this behavior, up from 10 percent in 2003, and 15 percent of men 65 and older exhibiting the same pattern, up from 5 percent in 2003.

"Marketers must take note of the growing propensity of middle-aged and senior men who have begun turning to online resources to respond to direct mail," said Jim Litwin, vice president of market insights for Vertis Communications. "Adding an Internet component to direct mail campaigns targeting the older population may greatly increase the overall effectiveness of marketers' spending, particularly as men reach retirement and find more time to surf the Web."

The study, which surveyed 2,000 consumers, also revealed the following:

Types of Follow-Up Communication Desired Online

- When expressing interest in a product or company, 55 percent of total adults prefer some form of interactive follow-up communication from the company, which include e-mails personalized to their needs, generic e-mails or text messaging

-  Twenty-three percent of young men ages 18-24 indicated they are the most open to follow-up communication via text messaging when interested in a product or company, versus 5 percent of women their same age and 6 percent of total adults

-  Women 65 and older are the least interested in personalized or generic follow-up e-mails from a company in which they have expressed interest, with 16 percent and 9 percent, respectively, being open to this type of communication

-  Forty percent of men 65 and older prefer an interactive e-mail from a company they have expressed interest in; compared to just 23 percent of their female counterparts

Internet and E-mail Habits Among Ages and Incomes

-  In 2007, women ages 18-24 have the highest level of Internet access at 96 percent, compared to 86 percent of men their same age and 83 percent of total adults

-  While 91 percent of men ages 25-34 have access to the Internet according to Vertis' study, 56 percent of these men do not read e-mail advertising, the highest such percentage among all other ages and genders

-  For women earning more than $75,000 a year, overall e-mail readership has increased during the past two years, from 40 percent in 2005 to 50 percent in 2007

-  While only 1 percent of total adults read all e-mail advertising available to them, 20 percent occasionally read e-mails personalized to them, indicating the benefit to marketers created by crafting targeted online communication to consumers