Its 'annual door-drop advertising expenditure survey' suggests that Britons received 'only' 9 billion unaddressed mail items in 2008; a billion items less compared with the year 2007. The average household received 353 leaflets in 2008, or 6.8 items per week.

The survey suggest a steady decline of unaddressed junk mail in the UK. Volumes peaked at 13 billion items in 2005; in the three years to 2008 the market for door-drops, including free newspapers, has fallen by roughly 25 per cent. There are no details yet for 2009 but the general feeling in the junk mail industry is that the downward trend will have continued. The industry is hoping 2010 will see a recovery.

Reducing waste

Mark Young of the DMA's Door-Drop Council is not altogether pessimistic about the latest data and emphasised that expenditure on door-to-door advertising has decreased by only 5% in 2008, to £277 million. In other words, 2008 saw an increase in the amount of money spent per leaflet. Market Week yesterday quoted Mr Young as saying that this "paints a clear picture of [DMA] clients using door-drops as a strategic and tactical tool in a targeted and responsible manner."

In response to Government pressure to reduce waste caused by junk mail the DMA has in recent years put great emphasis on better 'targeting' of junk mail. Being more selective about whom to 'target' with unsolicited advertisements should result in less waste, save money, increase the 'return on investment' of mail-outs and, not unimportantly, ward off Government legislation such as the introduction of a central opt-in scheme for junk mail.

To what extend the DMA's survey indicates that junk mailers are becoming more "responsible" remains unclear, however. Details of how the figures have been arrived at have not been made public. It is unknown, for example, if the DMA has also included door-drops from organisations that are not members of the DMA.

'Your Choice'

The few findings that have been published also don't mention the effect of opt-out services for unaddressed mail, such as the DMA's 'Your Choice' scheme. The service, which was set up in 2008, can reduce door-to-door items delivered by members of the DMA. When the scheme was launched it was welcomed as the equivalent of the Mailing Preference Service (MPS), the DMA's opt-out service for addressed junk mail. However, whereas an estimated 15 per cent of British household is currently registered with the MPS, few people seem to know about the Your Choice scheme.

Stop Junk Mail is skeptical about Your Choice. The campaign group says that signing up to the service is unlikely to reduce junk mail by more than a handful of leaflets a year and that it is impossible for householders to know if registering with the scheme makes any difference at all.

Links

• Volumes of door drop marketing on the decline (Marketing Week)