The “print is dead” crowd has been predicting the demise of physical marketing for two decades now. Meanwhile, Canadian businesses continue to invest billions in direct mail, brochures, and print advertising because—surprise—it works.
The truth is that the print vs. digital debate is a false choice. The real question isn’t “which one?” but “when do I use each one, and how do I integrate them?”
Let’s look at the actual data on print and digital marketing performance in 2025, when each channel works best, and how smart marketers are using them together for maximum impact.
The Current State: What the Data Actually Shows
Response Rates
According to the Data & Marketing Association 2024 benchmarks for Canadian and U.S. markets:
Direct Mail:
- Response rate: 3.7% (addressed mail to house lists)
- Response rate: 1.0% (prospect lists)
Email Marketing:
- Open rate: 21.5% (average across industries)
- Click-through rate: 2.3%
- Conversion rate: 0.1-0.3%
Social Media Ads:
- Click-through rate: 0.9%
- Conversion rate: 0.7-1.2%
Google Search Ads:
- Click-through rate: 3.17% (average)
- Conversion rate: 3.75%
The surprising finding: Direct mail to existing customers outperforms digital channels for response rates. Even prospect direct mail is competitive with many digital tactics.
Cost Per Acquisition
This is where it gets interesting. Response rates don’t tell the whole story—you need to look at actual customer acquisition costs:
Average Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) by Channel:
- Direct mail (house list): $50-150
- Direct mail (prospect list): $200-400
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: $40-80
- Google Search Ads: $80-200
- Email marketing (existing list): $10-30
- SEO/Content Marketing: $50-150 (variable)
The reality: Digital has cheaper per-impression costs, but print often delivers comparable or better CPA, especially for considered purchases or high-value customers.
Customer Lifetime Value by Acquisition Channel
Here’s data most marketers ignore: which channel acquires the BEST customers?
Research from Canada Post found:
- Customers acquired through direct mail have 10% higher lifetime value than those acquired digitally
- Direct mail customers show stronger brand loyalty
- Direct mail customers are more likely to make repeat purchases
Why? Print requires more intention and attention than digital scrolling. When someone responds to direct mail, they’re typically more committed.
When Print Works Best
Targeting Older, Affluent Demographics
If your customer is 55+, they prefer mail. Period.
Canadians over 55:
- Control 70% of disposable income in Canada
- Are less engaged with social media
- Trust print more than digital (according to Nielsen research)
- Actually read their mail (unlike email, which gets filtered)
Industries where this matters:
- Financial services and wealth management
- Insurance
- Healthcare
- Luxury goods
- Real estate
High-Value, Considered Purchases
When someone is making a major decision (buying a house, choosing an insurance provider, selecting a financial advisor), physical marketing materials matter.
Why print works:
- Sits on desks and kitchen counters for days or weeks
- Can be shared with spouses or family members
- Signals credibility and investment (cheap brands don’t send nice brochures)
- Provides detailed information that’s easier to review in print
Digital’s weakness: Easy to click away, forget, or get distracted. Print persists.
Local Businesses Building Community Presence
If you’re targeting customers within 5km of your location, print creates tangible local presence that digital can’t match.
Example: A Toronto restaurant sends postcards to nearby postal codes announcing their new spring menu. Recipients put the postcard on their fridge. That evening, they think “what should we do for dinner?” The restaurant is literally staring them in the face.
Digital ad? Forgotten 30 seconds after scrolling past it.
Direct Response Campaigns to Existing Customers
If you have a house list (customers who’ve purchased from you), direct mail is shockingly effective for:
- Win-back campaigns (re-engaging lapsed customers)
- Upsell/cross-sell offers
- Loyalty programs
- Event invitations
- Renewal reminders
Response rates of 5-10% are common for these campaigns—numbers digital marketers would kill for.
Standing Out in Crowded Digital Spaces
Everyone is doing digital. Your prospects get 100+ marketing emails per week and see thousands of digital ads.
But how many pieces of well-designed direct mail do they receive? Maybe 5-10 per week.
In 2025, print is actually LESS crowded than digital. It’s easier to stand out.
When Digital Works Best
Reaching Younger Demographics
If your target is under 40, digital is essential. They:
- Check email constantly
- Live on social media
- Expect seamless online experiences
- May not even check physical mail regularly
Industries where this matters:
- Tech products
- Fast fashion
- Entertainment
- Food delivery
- Most B2C e-commerce
Time-Sensitive Promotions
Need to communicate something immediately? Digital wins.
Example: Flash sale starts in 2 hours → Email and social media alerts reach customers instantly. By the time direct mail arrives, the sale is over.
Highly Targeted Micro-Segments
Digital’s superpower is granular targeting:
- Retarget people who visited specific product pages
- Target people who abandoned shopping carts
- Target lookalike audiences based on customer profiles
- Target by interests, behaviors, and online activities
While direct mail CAN be targeted, digital allows for micro-segmentation at scale that print can’t match cost-effectively.
Testing and Iteration
Digital lets you test quickly and cheaply:
- A/B test 10 different ad variations in a week
- See results in real-time
- Adjust campaigns on the fly
- Optimize continuously
Print requires committing to creative and production upfront. Testing is slower and more expensive.
Low-Cost, High-Volume Reach
If you need to reach 100,000 people with a simple awareness message, digital is far cheaper than print.
Cost comparison:
- Digital impression: $0.005-0.02
- Print piece delivered: $1.00-2.00
For pure reach at minimal cost, digital wins.
The Best Strategy: Integration
The smartest marketers aren’t choosing between print and digital—they’re using both strategically.
Strategy #1: Sequential Multi-Touch Campaigns
Use print and digital in sequence to increase impact:
Example sequence:
- Direct mail piece arrives (creates awareness, high-quality impression)
- Recipient visits website via QR code or PURL
- Retargeting ads follow them online (reinforces message)
- Email sequence begins (provides additional information)
- Phone call from sales team (personal touch)
Research shows: Multi-channel campaigns generate 3-5x higher response rates than single-channel approaches.
Real example: A Canadian insurance broker ran a campaign targeting high-value prospects:
- Week 1: Direct mail introduction with company overview
- Week 2: Email with link to personalized quote tool
- Week 3: Retargeting ads showing customer testimonials
- Week 4: Final direct mail piece with phone number for personal consultation
Results: 8.2% conversion rate vs. 1.1% for email-only campaigns (7x improvement)
Strategy #2: Print Drives to Digital
Use print’s credibility and attention-getting power to drive traffic to your digital properties:
Tactics:
- QR codes on postcards linking to landing pages
- PURLs (personalized URLs) for tracking
- “Text to get 20% off” offers
- Social media handles and hashtags
- App download incentives
Why it works: Print gets attention and builds trust. Digital enables immediate response and conversion.
Example: A Toronto retailer sends a beautiful print catalogue with QR codes next to each product. Scanning the code takes customers directly to that product page to purchase. The catalogue creates browsing experience; digital enables instant purchase.
Strategy #3: Digital Retargeting of Mail Recipients
Combine your mail list with digital advertising platforms:
How it works:
- Upload your mailing list to Facebook or Google
- Create retargeting ads specifically for people on that list
- As they receive your mail, they also see your ads online
- The reinforced message increases conversion
Tools:
- Facebook Custom Audiences
- Google Customer Match
- LinkedIn Matched Audiences
Example: A B2B company sends direct mail to 5,000 decision-makers. Simultaneously, those same people see LinkedIn ads with consistent messaging. The combination increases response rates by 40% compared to mail alone.
Strategy #4: Digital Acquisition, Print Nurture
Use low-cost digital to acquire leads, then use high-impact print to convert them:
Process:
- Digital ads generate leads (form submissions, downloads)
- Send immediate digital follow-up (email nurture sequence)
- For high-value leads, send print follow-up (personalized letter, brochure)
- Continue with mixed digital and print touchpoints
Why it works: Digital brings people in cheaply. Print converts serious prospects through credibility and persistence.
Strategy #5: Abandoned Cart Print Recovery
We mentioned this earlier, but it deserves emphasis: sending print to digital cart abandoners works surprisingly well.
The process:
- Customer adds items to online cart but doesn’t purchase
- Send standard abandoned cart email (most do this)
- For high-value carts (over $200-500), send a postcard 3-5 days later
- Postcard shows the items left behind and offers incentive to complete purchase
Why it works: Everyone expects the email. The postcard is unexpected and creates a second touchpoint when the customer is away from their screen.
Results: Retailers using this strategy report 12-15% recovery rates on high-value carts.
Cost Comparison: Real Campaign Examples
Let’s compare actual campaign costs:
Example 1: Local Service Business (HVAC Company in Ottawa)
Goal: Generate 100 new customers
Digital-Only Approach:
- Google Ads: $8,000 (2% conversion rate, 200 clicks per customer)
- Facebook Ads: $3,000 (supporting awareness)
- Total cost: $11,000
- Cost per customer: $110
Print-Only Approach:
- Direct mail to 15,000 households: $22,500
- Response rate: 0.8% = 120 responses
- Conversion rate: 80% = 96 customers
- Cost per customer: $234
Integrated Approach:
- Direct mail to 10,000 households: $15,000
- Digital retargeting: $2,000
- Response rate: 1.4% = 140 responses (print + digital lift)
- Conversion rate: 85% = 119 customers
- Total cost: $17,000
- Cost per customer: $143
Winner: Digital-only has lowest CPA, but integrated approach generates most customers and builds long-term brand awareness in local market.
Example 2: E-commerce Fashion Retailer
Goal: $100,000 in revenue
Digital-Only Approach:
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: $12,000
- Conversion rate: 2.5%
- Average order value: $120
- Orders: 833
- Revenue: $100,000
- ROAS: 8.3x
Print Catalog Approach:
- Catalog to 20,000 best customers: $35,000
- Response rate: 4.2%
- Average order value: $185
- Orders: 840
- Revenue: $155,400
- ROAS: 4.4x
Winner: Digital has better ROAS but lower AOV. Print generates more total revenue and higher-value orders. Best approach? Use both, with catalogs for best customers and digital for acquisition.
Industry-Specific Recommendations
Financial Services
Best mix: 60% print, 40% digital Why: Older, affluent demographics prefer print. Use digital for educational content and lead generation.
Insurance
Best mix: 55% print, 45% digital Why: Policy delivery often requires print. Use digital for quotes and customer service.
Retail (Physical Stores)
Best mix: 50% print, 50% digital Why: Print drives foot traffic locally. Digital reaches broader audiences and enables immediate online purchase.
Retail (E-commerce)
Best mix: 30% print, 70% digital Why: Digital is primary channel, but strategic print (catalogues, postcards) to best customers drives high-value orders.
Nonprofits
Best mix: 65% print, 35% digital Why: Donors 55+ (highest value segment) strongly prefer print. Younger donors engage digitally.
B2B Services
Best mix: 40% print, 60% digital Why: Digital for lead generation and nurture. Print for high-value prospects and relationship building.
Measuring Success: What to Track
Don’t just measure individual channel performance—measure integrated campaign effectiveness:
For Print:
- Response rate (redemptions, calls, website visits)
- Cost per response
- Conversion rate
- Customer lifetime value by acquisition source
For Digital:
- Click-through rate
- Conversion rate
- Cost per acquisition
- Return on ad spend (ROAS)
For Integrated Campaigns:
- Multi-touch attribution (which touchpoints led to conversion?)
- Lift from integration (integrated performance vs. channel alone)
- Total customer acquisition cost across all channels
- Overall campaign ROI
Tools:
- CRM platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce) for multi-touch attribution
- Google Analytics with UTM parameters for cross-channel tracking
- Call tracking for print campaigns
- Promo codes and PURLs for direct attribution
The Bottom Line
Print isn’t dead. Digital isn’t a magic solution. Both have strengths and weaknesses.
Print excels at:
- Credibility and trust
- Standing out in less-crowded channel
- Reaching older, affluent demographics
- Creating lasting impressions
- High-value, considered purchases
Digital excels at:
- Speed and immediacy
- Granular targeting
- Testing and optimization
- Low-cost reach
- Younger demographics
The winning strategy in 2025: Integrate both channels strategically, using each for what it does best, and creating campaigns where print and digital reinforce each other.
The companies seeing the best ROI aren’t choosing between print and digital—they’re using print to amplify digital and digital to amplify print.