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Banks' aggressive promotions to attract deposits are a sign of the times, says Diana Sheehan, director of research at Mintel, which tracks direct mail and print advertising. But consumers should read the fine print before they move their money, she adds, because "big, really catchy perks are often tied to very big balances."

As people cut back, another study by Mintel Comperemedia shows credit card companies are helping consumers with that task as the number of credit card mail offers dropped to its lowest point in three years. In 2005 and 2006, Mintel found that an average of 2.07 billion credit card offers were mailed quarterly. But last quarter, only 1.34 billion were mailed, illustrating a 28 percent drop from a year earlier.

Lisa Hronek, senior credit card analyst for the company, said the massive scale back is due to the economic crisis, but that offers declined long before the economy was on all our minds.

Home-equity credit mailings dropped 66 percent in the third quarter this year to 72.9 million, compared with 215 million in the same period last year, according to market research firm Mintel Comperemedia. Mortgage mailings dropped 44 percent to 182.4 million from 324.1 million in same period last year.

Among large institutions, Citibank and Charles Schwab cut back the most, reducing 98 and 95 percent, respectively, of their consumer-banking solicitations in the third quarter of this year compared with the second, according to Mintel. Bank of America mailed 49 percent fewer credit card offers and HSBC, one of the first banks to announce big subprime write-offs in the housing crisis, sent 44 percent less. …

For average American households, Mintel analysts estimate, the trend points to more room in their mailboxes. Last quarter, for example, 8.3 fewer pieces of credit card junk mail showed up compared with the same period in 2005.

The number of credit card offers sent to Americans has declined to its lowest point in over three years, punctuating the extreme credit tightening by banks amid the tumultuous financial and housing crisis. Credit card acquisition offers mailed to Americans totaled only 1.34 billion during the third quarter, representing a 28 percent drop from one year earlier, according to Mintel Comperemedia, which monitors and analyzes trends in direct mail, e-mail and print advertising.

Mintel Comperemedia says that the total estimated volume for credit-card acquisition offers mailed in the third quarter was just 1.34 billion--a 13% decline from the second quarter, and a 28% drop from the same quarter a year ago.
over three years, punctuating the extreme credit tightening by banks amid the tumultuous financial and housing crisis. Credit card acquisition offers mailed to Americans totaled only 1.34 billion during the third quarter, representing a 28 percent drop from one year earlier, according to Mintel Comperemedia, which monitors and analyzes trends in direct mail, e-mail and print advertising.

And mailboxes are no longer quite so full of new card offers: Chase, Bank of America, and HSBC each reduced its direct mail efforts more than 15% in the first quarter of 2008, according to market research firm Mintel. Given that credit card issuers are under increased scrutiny from legislators, that trend is likely to continue.

"On a very basic level, people are feeling credit crunch-ed out," states Susan Menke, senior financial services analyst at Mintel. "The financial crisis is all we've heard about, read about and thought about for weeks. Add that to the fact that many people truly are struggling financially and you've got a nation looking for some relief and distraction."

And lenders, over all, are slowing the flood of mail offers to a trickle with moves that would translate for the average American household into about 13 fewer pieces of credit card junk mail a year than its peak in 2005. Mail offers to new and existing customers are on pace to drop below 8.4 billion pieces, the lowest level since 2004, according to Mintel Comperemedia, a direct marketing research firm. …

"Credit card issuers have realized their market is shrinking and that there is no room for extra credit cards, so they have to scale back," said Lisa Hronek, a research analyst at Mintel. "People are completely maxed out with mortgages, home equity lines and credit card debt."

The number of credit card offers mailed to Americans has declined for the past three quarters, according to Mintel Comperemedia. Estimated acquisition mail volume for credit cards fell nearly 8% from the first to second quarter this year.

In today's tight credit world, the number of these kinds of credit offers is falling rapidly. Banks mailed about 1.8 billion offers for secured and unsecured loans during the first six months of this year, down 33 percent from the same period in 2006, according to Mintel Comperemedia, a tracking firm.

According to Susan Menke, senior financial services analyst at Mintel, switching to environmentally friendly practices not only saves money by cutting down on paper costs, but can effortlessly build up goodwill among customers at a time when many are distrustful of the entire financial services industry. "This is one small thing banks can do to rebuild that trust," Menke tells Marketing Daily. "It builds better feelings among people."

Success in today's economy definitely isn't black and white. In fact, adding a bit of "green" can help financial services companies stay current, even as the market shakes and business plans stumble. Mintel Comperemedia, a service that tracks direct marketing and print advertising, observes more financial services companies going green in recent months. Because green marketing and eco-business tactics can save companies money and help them attract new customers, Mintel expert Susan Menke thinks this is a wise strategy.

... a recent survey by Mintel Comperemedia showed that Hispanics welcome e-mail promotions more times per month than non-Hispanics (11 times vs. 7.4 times). Companies that want to connect with Hispanic consumers, or get more from their existing e-mail program, should consider targeting e-mail campaigns to U.S. Hispanics.

Lisa Hronek, an analyst with Chicago-based Mintel International, said her firm has tracked a reduction in direct mail credit card offerings for three consecutive quarters, ending with the second quarter of 2008. Mintel is a global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. Its survey of trends for the third quarter was not available.

"Consumers don't have the resources to take on any more debt," Hronek said, summing up the reason banks have reduced efforts to broaden their credit card account portfolios. She hopes consumers will not forget these problems when the economy rebounds, and will make more prudent borrowing decisions.

That's the conclusion of a Chicago market-research firm that thinks Echo Boomers (currently under 30 years old), Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans will be the ones to pump life back into the first-time buyer market ... eventually.

Mintel International Group Ltd. says that as home prices fall, the aforementioned groups-who largely missed the boat during the boom because ballooning prices put real estate out of reach-will want to snap them up, especially if they have no existing home to sell first. …

The researchers said that not only are those groups growing in sheer numbers, they're eager to buy. Though just 23 percent of the general population plans to buy a home in the next five years, the numbers are far stronger among young adults and minorities.

That's not to say the researchers are unaware of how the economy and current tight lending standards might sink even the most earnest dream.

"We phrased the question, did they plan to buy in the next five years, but it might be more accurate to say they hoped to be buying," said Susan Menke, a senior financial-services analyst with Mintel.

And mailboxes are no longer quite so full of new card offers: Chase, Bank of America, and HSBC each reduced its direct mail efforts more than 15 percent in the first quarter of 2008, according to market research firm Mintel.

The number of mailed solicitations credit card issuers sent dropped 14% during the second quarter of 2008, according to market researcher Mintel Comperemedia.

According to new research from Mintel Comperemedia, the estimated mail volume for credit card offers fell nearly 8% from Q1 2008 to Q2 2008, from 1.67 billion to 1.54 billion. Credit card direct mail offers, sent to enroll new customers, have declined steadily since Q3 2007, when Mintel Comperemedia estimates total volume reached 1.86 billion pieces. The mail volume estimated for Q2 2008 represents a 17% decline from Q3's high…

"Cutbacks in direct marketing are part of the financial institutions' plan to ride this through," [Lisa Hronek] said. "We see notably less credit card and mortgage offers as companies figure out key messaging, services and products for today's anxious, weary consumer."

Despite the difficult economic climate surrounding mortgages and mortgage lending, there is an opportunity for banks to build their businesses by taking a long-term approach with young adults and minority home buyers.

According to Mintel, Echo Boomers (those aged 13-30), African-American and Hispanic consumers plan to buy a house within the next five years. While only 23% of the general population intends to buy a house in that time frame, 38% of adults 18-24 and 39% of adults 25-34 said they will. Across all age groups, 42% of Asians, 37% of African-Americans and 30% of Hispanics say they will buy a home in the next five years, compared with 20% of whites.

The housing boom of 2004 and 2005 led to a bust that's worse than most expected. Home prices are still falling, foreclosures rising, and homeownership rates are starting to drop. Still, global market research firm Mintel, headquartered in Chicago, says it sees golden opportunities in this dismal market in young adults and minorities. Mintel's latest mortgage report suggests Echo Boomers (currently aged 13-30) and Hispanic, Asian, and Black Americans will be key to the real estate market's turnaround...

The firm Mintel Comperemedia estimated, based on its research, that credit card offers dropped 8% from the first to second quarter of this year (from 1.67 billion card offers to 1.54 card offers).

"Undoubtedly, this is a symptom of the global credit crunch," said Lisa Hronek, senior analyst at Mintel. "Record losses from the subprime fallout and rising delinquencies have squeezed issuers' credit so tight, they're tapping out. Add that to the fact that consumers' credit is already stretched, and you're left with a tough market for credit card issuers."

Married wealthy women want to be treated as equal partners in terms of financial decisions when they meet with financial advisers, according to a study from Mintel International Group Ltd. released exclusively to InvestmentNews. The data showed that 81% of high-net-worth women were married, and most made their financial decisions in tandem with their husbands...

I was really interested to see how confident women are," said Susan Menke, Chicago-based senior financial services analyst for Mintel, which is based in London..."You have to be careful," Ms. Menke said. "They don't see themselves as just wives and mothers, but they see themselves as the roles they've accomplished with their careers."

The volume of mailed solicitations for credit cards dropped steeply in the second quarter of this year, with 14 percent fewer pitches sent than in the same period last year, according to Mintel Comperemedia, a marketing research company…

"I think this reflects a return to safer customers," said Lisa Hronek, a senior analyst at Mintel. Lenders, she said, are "trying to stem the tide of what they're losing from credit card delinquencies, and they're being more cautious about who they're giving their money to."

A survey by Mintel International Group Ltd. said that 77% of online consumers have no interest in receiving their pay on a payroll card. Thirty-nine percent said using their standard debit and credit cards is more convenient; 31% said they prefer using cash or checks for purchases; and 28% said they would be afraid of losing the card. The survey of 2,000 U.S. adults with Internet access was done in April.

Credit unions might find their card marketing a little easier because the number of credit card offers from rival issuing banks continued to drop, according to a market research firm. The firm Mintel Comperemedia estimated, based on its research, that credit card offers dropped 8% from the first to second quarter of this year (from 1.67 billion card offers to 1.54 card offers).

New research from media monitoring service Mintel Comperemedia shows that United States banks continued to mail fewer credit card offers during the April to June period, for the third-consecutive quarterly decline. The estimated number of credit card offers mailed in the second quarter was down nearly 8 percent from the first quarter, Mintel says.

Now on to new research that shows credit card direct mail offers have declined for the third consecutive quarter, an 8-percent drop. Mintel International, which provides consumer research to industries, says thank the global credit crunch for the decline. It says with consumer credit already stretched thin, credit card companies are cutting back on direct marketing. However you may still get mailings, credit card companies did send out one-and-a-half billion solicitations in the second quarter of this year.

Lisa Hronek, a senior analyst with Mintel Comperemedia, blamed the credit crunch, which has forced credit card firms to pull back on marketing directed at obtaining new customers. "It makes sense that they're pulling back and only hitting the best customers," she said.

The number of credit card offers mailed to Americans has declined for the third consecutive quarter, according to new research from Mintel Comperemedia. Estimated acquisition mail volume for credit cards fell nearly 8% from Q1 2008 to Q2 2008 (from 1.67 billion to 1.54 billion).

For the third straight quarter, the number of credit card solicitations mailed to Americans has declined. Acquisition mailings dropped from 1.67 billion pieces in this year's first quarter to 1.54 billion in the second quarter, according to Mintel Comperemedia.

"The actual risk of having your identity stolen online is not as high as many people think," said Susan Menke, senior analyst at Mintel, in a statement. "Financial services companies are trying to reassure consumers, but their marketing messages aren't sticking. Companies need to find innovative new ways to convince Americans that their identities are secure online and when using e-mail."

Wealthy consumers are more likely to conduct their banking at a branch than they are through any automated channel, according to a report the Chicago market research firm Mintel International Group Ltd. released this week. According to the Mintel report that 66% of the mass affluent said last year that they handled some of their everyday banking transactions in person

Thanks to a continued slump in the housing market and consumer anxiety, mortgage and home equity lenders have backed away from making direct mail solicitations--cutting their mailings by 50% over the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, according to Mintel Comperemedia.

Susan Menke, a senior financial services analyst at the market research firm Mintel International Group Ltd., said it is hard to tell whether banks are more actively pursuing this market, since credit card mail solicitations are down overall this year.

A search of Mintel's database found 52 issuers that targeted students through print, direct mail, and e-mail advertisements between January and June. A search for the same period in 2006 returned 72 issuers. However, Ms. Menke said, "the student market is huge" and of "increasing interest."

New data from Mintel Comperemedia shows mortgage and home equity lenders still plagued by faltering home sales, credit woes and consumer anxiety. The direct marketing-tracking firm reports that these lenders have reduced direct mail by 50% when comparing the first six months of 2008 to the first six months of 2007.

Don't even think about a lease. You know the story on real estate loans. Even those credit card offers are drying up. Direct mail researcher Mintel says mailings for new cards are down 20 percent this year.

That may be true, says Susan Menke, senior financial services analyst Mintel International in Chicago, but the use of credit cards may be so culturally ingrained that even economic woes have little impact on the decision to charge. "People are just used to using their credit cards. It's the culture that we're living in and I don't know if you can eliminate that completely," Menke says. "People are still spending discretionarily, they're just spending less."

New research among teens and their parents concludes that prepaid debit cards can help kids maintain a "cool" status while making payments easier, providing payment security and control for parents. According to Mintel Comperemedia 62% of parents are interested in having their children use a prepaid debit card rather than a credit card.

For the teen who wants it all, a prepaid debit card may be the answer, says Mintel. Conveying "cool" status and making payments easier, prepaid cards also offer security and control for parents. A new report from Mintel suggests teenagers-and their parents-could be a lucrative target for prepaid debit cards.

Americans are increasingly worried about the safety of their identities and financial information online, according to new research from Mintel. However, identity theft is actually on the decline, Mintel said. Nearly two-thirds of US adults (65%) are more concerned about online security now than they were five years ago and more than a quarter (28%) say they are "significantly" more concerned.

As the nation becomes more wired, a recently released Mintel research report finds Americans have growing concerns over identify theft and online security issues. In a recent consumer survey, a Mintel report found that two-thirds of adults (65 percent) are more concerned about online security now than they were five years ago. Of those polled, 28 percent said they were "significantly" concerned.

In the wake of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on online advertising and privacy, Mintel has released survey data revealing Americans are more concerned than they were 5 years ago about online security.
--65% are more concerned than they were 5 years ago
--28% are significantly more concerned than they were five years ago

Americans are ever more preoccupied with the safety of their identities and financial information online, a study reveals. 65 percent of adults claim their concerns about online security have reached a higher degree than five years ago. 28 percent claim they are "significantly" more preoccupied with this issue.

New research from Mintel shows that Americans are increasingly worried about the safety of their identities and financial information online. In a recent consumer survey, Mintel found that two-thirds of adults (65%) are more concerned about online security now than they were five years ago. Over a quarter (28%) of respondents to Mintel's survey say they are "significantly" more concerned.

SAS Visual Data Discovery will allow Mintel's business analysts to clarify results before taking action," said Chris Tinnon, Custom Solutions Architect at Mintel. "We can browse and rearrange data at will, using point and click to visually subset data, animate reports and drill down to underlying data. SAS Visual Data Discovery hit a grand slam with its exploratory data analysis and interactive data visualization.

According to research by Mintel Comperemedia, the top credit card mailers in 2007 were Chase, Bank of America and HSBC. This year, those three alone have cut their direct mailings by 15%. It seems the companies are re-assessing their marketing strategies to credit-stretched consumers and saving a lot of postage in the process.

According to the Chicago-based research firm Mintel Comperemedia, credit card direct mail volume has dropped 19 percent since last October. Last year, credit card issuers cut their mailings to current customers by nearly one-third (30 percent). That will free up delivery space for the junk mail we enjoy receiving: coupons.

Zero-balance teaser rate offers have fallen by about 15 percent over the last year, according to Mintel Comperemedia, a marketing research company.

Today, the mix of high-rate debt and meager home equity has squeezed consumers - and threatens to prolong the economic slowdown. Those are the findings of a USA TODAY investigation, based on analyses of credit card data from Equifax credit bureau, Moody's Economy.com, Synovate Mail Monitor and Mintel Comperemedia.

...cross-selling, analysts say, was necessary to keep rivals from luring card customers away with their own offers. "The deeper the relationship runs, the less likely the consumer will go to another bank," says Lisa Hronek, senior analyst at Mintel Comperemedia, which tracks direct mail and print advertising.

...In the first quarter of 2008, Mintel Comperemedia reports that the average rate on fixed rate mortgage offers sent through direct mail declined nearly a full percentage point (0.92%) from Q4 2007...

...In the first quarter of 2008, Mintel Comperemedia reports that the average rate on fixed rate mortgage offers sent through direct mail declined nearly a full percentage point (0.92%) from Q4 2007...

Chris Zagorski, senior market analyst at Mintel International, Chicago, which tracks direct mail among other functions, said he has seen an uptick in direct mail credit report offers in the past six months. Although he said the raw data could not reveal a cause, he speculated it would continue. "Clearly consumers are becoming more savvy about how their credit score affects their purchasing power," he said.

The insurance industry still has its work cut out for it in educating the public about long term care insurance, a market research firm suggests. Fewer than 60% of U.S. adults are familiar with LTC insurance, according to analysts in the Chicago-based U.S. branch of Mintel International Group Ltd., London.

According to a new report from Mintel, nearly three-quarters of Americans said they do not have long-term care insurance, and less than 60% of them are even familiar with the insurance offered. Furthermore, nearly one in five says they don't know why they haven't purchased coverage or say that they don't know anything about it.

"I don't think people understand what's involved with it. Or they don't think they'll need it, or that it will be covered by Medicare or Medicaid," Susan Menke, senior financial services analyst at Chicago-based Mintel, tells Marketing Daily. "A lot of people think they're not going to need it. ... Denial is a very powerful human survival strategy."

No one likes to think about relying on long-term care. But the reality is that any person could fall victim to a disability or need chronic care because of aging. New research from Mintel suggests that many Americans are not prepared for these possibilities.

Overall, direct mailings from financial services companies (including banking, credit card, investment and mortgage and loan companies) are down about 10% over the first quarter of 2008, compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, according to Mintel Comperemedia. The firm estimated the total volume of financial services direct mail to be 4.2 billion for the quarter, down 13% from the same period as last year.

Faced with a slumping economy, the nation's financial service companies have sharply cut back their direct mail so far this year. Such unsolicited mailings from banking, credit card, investment and mortgage loan companies fell 12.7 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago, according to research complied by Chicago-based Mintel Comperemedia.

With the economy shaken and Americans uncertain about their finances, leading financial services companies are cutting back on direct mail. Mintel Comperemedia reports that in the first quarter of 2008, the estimated number of direct mailings sent from banking, credit card, investment, and mortgage and loan companies fell 10 percent.

There's a niche opportunity there for those that want it," Susan Menke, senior financial services analyst at Mintel, tells Marketing Daily. "They don't have the asset accumulation now, but in 10 to 20 years, they'll be making as much as Baby Boomers are now."

According to Mintel research, members of Generation Y--defined as people born between 1977 and 1994--make up only about 5% of financial advisors' client base. And though those twenty-somethings may not have copious amounts of disposable income, they do have financial goals they'd like to achieve, Menke says.

Despite warnings about future shortfalls in retirement savings, many young adults choose not to save for retirement. More than two-thirds (69%) of Generation Y workers who can participate in a tax-deferred 401(k) retirement savings plan are not doing so, according to results of a study from Mintel. In the study, Mintel considered Generation Y to mean those born between 1977 and 1994 (aged 14 to 31). Generation Y comprises 21% of the U.S. population

Mintel, a media research company, says that the majority of people under 31 are not using their retirement plans.

Direct mail offers sent to current customers increased 17% in 2007 with increases in auto, insurance, telecom and credit card mailers up by 52%, 29%, 22% and 18%, respectively. However, over the same period of time, travel and leisure companies sent 40% of 2007 emails to current customers, while banking and credit card sectors were responsible for another 40%.

According to Mintel Comperemedia, e-mail is not about to eclipse direct mail for US marketers. In fact, the number of direct mail offers sent out to US customers increased by 17% in 2007...

As many consumers begin to grub for extra pennies in the face of a teetering U.S. economy, companies have kept up the ante on cash-back rewards cards in recent months. They mailed out 1.118 billion such offers in 2007, up from 1.086 billion during the previous year, according to the market research firm Mintel Comperemedia. This took place even as direct mailings in general declined.

"They're trying to stand out compared to the competition," says Christopher Zagorski, a senior analyst at Mintel. He adds that companies also want to encourage you to use your card for everyday purchases, as opposed to only on a big weekend spree or a plane ticket.

There was a 17% increase in mailings by businesses to current customers last year vs. 2006, according to Mintel Comperemedia. Companies with more mailings included: autos (up 52%), insurance (29%), telecom (22%), and credit cards (18%). The only decline: Mortgage and loan company mailings fell 3% amid the real estate slump. With postage rates rising and people spending more online, Mintel expects marketers to use less paper and more e-mail.

The volume of direct mail credit card solicitations continues to decline steadily, according to Mintel International Group Ltd. The company said Monday that mail volume in February declined 6% from January and 24% from October, to 689 million pieces. Mintel said on April 3 that January's volume fell by 3% from December and 19% from October. Volume has fallen consistently since October...

Since last November, credit card companies have slashed the amount of direct mail they send out, according to figures released by Mintel, a market research firm. Mintel found that fewer pieces had gone out in February, the last month for which figures were available, than in any month since April 2004. Mintel extrapolated the figures from a panel of 9,700 households, recruited afresh every month.

There is day-to-day news that we're bordering on recession, said Lisa Hronek, an analyst at Mintel. "They may be scaling back in response to their target audience just not being there any more, or not as willing to take on new debt."

In the fourth quarter, lenders send more direct mail offers for unsecured loan and credit line products than for secured loan and line products, according to a study by market researcher Mintel Comperemedia.

The estimated amount of direct mail sent by credit card companies in the United States dropped 3% from December 2007 to January 2008, according to research from Mintel Comperemedia, a media monitoring service...

"There have been a few peaks and valleys in 2007, but we observed consistent monthly declines starting in October 2007," said Lisa Hronek, a senior research analyst for Mintel Comperemedia, when reached by e-mail. "Overall, mailings observed during 2006 were higher than 2007."

According to the [Mintel Comperemedia], 86% of direct mail savings account offers from banks offered rates between 4% and 5% (at least when it came to mailings with advertised rates), compared with 60% of such offers in 2006. Comparatively, an additional 10% promoted rates above 5%. In 2004, 99% of direct mail offers promoted rates of 3% or less, and in 2005, 67% were 3% or below.

The rise in rates can be attributed to more competition among banks to secure new customers, says Farah Huq, market research manager at Comperemedia. "It's the new vehicle to lure customers in," Huq tells Marketing Daily. "[They think], hopefully, by getting customers in the bank, they can later sell them a mortgage or some other product."

Mintel Comperemedia reports that in 2007, 86 percent of direct mail savings account offers* advertised rates between 4.01 and 5 percent. Even more, 10 percent of mailings* promoted rates above 5 percent.

Lisa Hronek, a senior credit card analyst at Mintel International Group Ltd., said live check direct-mail solicitations are "a way to really entice that quick response for consumers, but on these pieces they do lay out terms and conditions on the back." Financial institutions are "really trying to avoid that scrutiny by putting all the details out there."

Wondering what to do with your tax return check? You might want to look back in your mailbox. Mintel Comperemedia reports that in 2007, 86% of direct mail savings account offers* advertised rates between 4.01 and 5%. Even more, 10% of mailings* promoted rates above 5%.

Chicago-based Mintel Comperemedia, which analyzes direct mail, e-mail and print advertising trends, reports a drying up in the deluge of junk mail begging consumers to apply for various loan products. Lenders in 2007 sent about 2.6 billion pieces of direct mail such as solicitations to apply for various loan products, down nearly one third from the 3.7 billion pieces they sent in 2006, according to Mintel.

And Mintel Comperemedia brings in a more nuanced point that the annual decrease in credit card solicitations to non-customers from 2006 to 2007 is 11%, but loyalty-based offers sent to current customers actually increased by 16%.

A new report found that the number of credit card direct mailings sent to non-customers dropped 11% while credit card offers sent only to current customers increased 16% last year. Mintel Comperemedia says that in 2005, 56% of credit card offers sent to current cardholders advertised balance transfers or convenience checks. By 2007, however, these types of offers lost out to direct mail pieces promoting non-card products, such as bonus points or rewards. In 2007, 57% of direct mail sent to current customers advertised such non-card products.

Credit card companies are increasing their mailings in order to improve relationships with existing customers, according to a report from Mintel Comperemedia. The number of credit card direct mailings to existing customers increased 16 percent between 2006 and 2007, the study found (via Direct Magazine). During that same time, the number of credit card direct mailings sent to prospects slipped 11 percent.

Finally, a Mintel Comperemedia report says the volume of lenders' direct-mail offerings for mortgages fell 34 percent last year vs. the previous year. There was also a 21 percent decline in mailings for home-equity loans and lines of credit.

Credit card marketers have begun using direct mail more to connect with current cardholders than to prospect for new ones, according to a report from Mintel Comperemedia. The number of credit card direct mailings sent to prospects dropped by 11% between 2006 and 2007. But loyalty mailings sent only to existing customers increased 16% during that time, according to Mintel.

Credit card firms seem to believe it's easier to keep customers than attract new ones. Mintel Comperemedia, which analyzes direct mail, e-mail and print advertising trends, said the number of credit card direct mailings sent to non-customers dropped 11 percent from 2006 to 2007. But credit card offers sent only to current customers rose 16 percent.

Credit card issuers are changing their tune. Instead of using direct mail just to lure in new customers -- as has been done in the past -- they have begun using it more to connect with current cardholders. Mintel Comperemedia reports that the number of credit card direct mailings sent to non-customers dropped 11 percent from 2006 to 2007. However, "loyalty" credit card offers, sent only to current customers, increased 16 percent during that time.

Mail volume for mortgage and home equity loans declined 30% in 2007, compared to the previous year, according to the media monitoring service Mintel Comperemedia. Lenders mailed approximately 2.6 billion direct mail pieces last year, down from 3.7 billion pieces in 2006.

This comes as issuers are doing fewer direct-mail solicitations to new customers. The number of such mailings fell about 16% to about 650 million at the end of November from about 778 million in January 2007, estimates Mintel Comperemedia, a market-research firm. Instead, several banks are more aggressively pitching cards to their existing customers.

The Hispanic population is more likely to accept e-mail marketing than consumers in other demographic groups. That's the finding from research by Chicago-based Mintel Comperemedia, which reports Hispanics welcome e-mail from companies they know up to 11 times a month. Non-Hispanic consumers will only tolerate that type of e-mail about seven times a month.

Hispanics are more likely to open an e-mail marketing message than other consumers, according to a new survey by Mintel Comperemedia. Surveying adults about their attitudes towards e-mail, Mintel Comperemedia found that Hispanics will open e-mail from companies they know up to 11 times a month, while non-Hispanic consumers will only open these e-mails 7.4 times a month.

Credit-card companies are generous when it comes to balance-transfer offers. Nearly a third (32%) of all solicitations mailed out to existing or new card members last year contained a low-rate balance-transfer offer, according to Comperemedia, a subsidiary of market research company Mintel, which monitors direct-mail solicitations nationwide. (An additional 41% threw in a promotional low rate on purchases.) More than 80% of the promotional balance-transfer rates were at 0%, and about 5% of them were at 2.99% APR or lower.

But according to a July report from Mintel Comperemedia, most major issuers are hesitant to use e-mail to target consumers because they are "fearful of being spammed out of existence."

"Credit card companies are still testing the waters with e-mail," said Carmen Curran, a senior analyst at Mintel. "They don't want to flood potential customers' inboxes with offers that could he immediately flagged as spam. They fear if they do, Internet service providers will block their e-mails in the future."

According to Mintel Comperemedia research, the number of mortgage direct mail offers declined 62% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. Also, during the same time frame, 22% of all offers were for adjustable-rate mortgages - the ones being addressed by Bush's plan - while last year at this time 56% of offers were for this type of loan.

According to Mintel Comperemedia, majority of the mortgage companies are in a process of diverting their attention towards limited future risk opportunity owing to the recently knocked housing crisis due to crumpling effects in subprime lending. Mintel Comperemedia recorded a downfall of 70% in floating rate mortgages that direct mail promoted. On the other hand, an increase of 6% in the fixed rate mortgages is quite substantial. This phenomenal shift happened within a short span from June 2006 to July 2007.

Investors are now seeking recourse to safer and more reliable alternatives. They are shifting to choose the fixed rate mortgage instead of a floating rate mortgage. Fixed rate option gives them a relaxed feeling. Monthly payment mode reduces the overall risk of defaulting. This situation is beneficial to both the customer and lender equally. "The subprime fallout created a ripple effect", says Lisa Hronek, Senior Financial Analyst for Mintel Comperemedia.

These are tough times in the mortgage biz, and mortgage companies are responding - by changing those copious sales pitches the postman brings.
Lisa Hronek, a senior financial analyst with Mintel Comperemedia in Chicago, tracks direct mail solicitations. Here's her take on marketing amid the mortgage meltdown.
Q. How have mortgage mailings changed amid a credit crunch?
A. Mortgage direct mail offers have shifted to favor fixed-rate mortgages rather than adjustable-rate mortgage loans. Both lenders and consumers may be wary of variable-rate loans as incidences of defaults rise and price points increase. Fixed-rate mortgages offer a safer, more reliable option for both lenders and consumers.
Q. Do you expect lenders to fall back on old marketing tactics once the crisis boils over?
A. I do not expect mortgage marketers to return to their previous tactics of luring consumers in with risky, yet appealing ARM offers. Lenders are trying to prove their stability and security to reassure consumers that their loans are safe, profitable and basically, a good idea. Once they set that powerful message in people's minds, it would be unwise to undo it, even in a more stable market.
Q. On Sept. 11, the Federal Trade Commission warned mortgage brokers and lenders that some advertising claims may violate federal law. For example, some ads touted rates as low as "1%" but failed to disclose adequately that the stated rate was a "payment rate" - not the true interest rate - that applied only during the loan's initial period. What reaction have you observed among mortgage advertisers?
A. We collect direct mail ourselves and process it into our searchable database, but because of the manual labor required in doing so, we are never right on date with the mail. Currently, we have only processed mail through August 2007, so Mintel has not even examined any offers from September 2007 yet.
However, from what I've observed, the majority of direct mail mortgage offers will disclose both an APR and an interest rate, not just a "payment rate." Direct mail offers tend to be more verbose, informative and inclusive than TV or print advertising.
Q. Do you expect the FTC's warning to lead to changes?
A. The FTC's warning may lead to more standardized disclosures among direct mail offers.
Q. Any other thoughts?
A. The fine print of mortgage direct mail is very complex. I think the average consumer has a hard time understanding that. It's possible the FTC could become more involved. We might see something similar to credit cards. They have a Schumer Box on the back of credit card offers. It will specifically state the introductory rate, how long it's valid, regular pricing fees, and sometimes credit limits. And if the current sentiment and wariness of mortgage offers continue, I don't think it's far fetched for lenders to include a better map of the offer on the back of each direct mail piece.

According to a 2006 study by Mintel Comperemedia, Bank of America was one of the top five direct mailers among financial institutions. It sent 920 million pieces of mail in 2006. Chase Bank led the pack. Also in the top five were Capital One Bank (1.2 billion), American Express (1 billion), and Citibank (980 million). The study found that direct mail volumes from financial institutions, specifically in relation to credit cards, has seen an increase in recent years.

00:18:47 TZ; Mortgage: FTC warns mortgage companies about deceptive mortgage marketing practices. Slow-down in home sales and subprime mortgage market mess are affecting the sector. SI; Jenny Roock, Analyst at Mintel, says we're seeing ARM offers decline. GR; Mortgage Marketing; numbers courtesy Mintel . Fixed Rate Mortgage options are being seen more and more. GR; Mortgage Direct Mail, numbers courtesy Mintel , showing ARM users being targeted by lenders... 00:22:17

And now, according to reports from credit market monitoring companies, all kinds of other credit vehicles are being affected. RK Hammer a bank card advisory firm says that new card approval rates have dropped by five percentage points in the past year. Just a bit more than a third of card applications get approved. Credit lines for customers with lower credit scores have dropped as well. The average card has a line of just 1-thousand dollars these days, down from 12 thousand dollars last year.

Card issuers are even cutting back on waves of mailed new credit card offers. Mintel International says six-percent fewer direct-mail credit card applications are being sent these days. Experts say consumers shouldn't be surprised to see their existing credit lines trimmed or interest rate hikes in the coming months.

Carmen Curran, a senior e-mail marketing analyst at Mintel International Group Ltd., said the conversion rate for credit card e-mail offers hovers at around 1%, the same rate as for e-mail offers for all merchandise. The rate is significantly higher than direct mail, which is below 0.5%.

"E-mail seems to be more successful than direct mail, because it's more targeted and segmented, and banks can capitalize on the relationship and information that they have on the consumer," Ms. Curran said.

Ms. Curran said that in the first quarter, paper mail solicitations sent by banks' merchant partners fell 36% from a year earlier, to 73 million. In the first quarter of last year they fell 34% from a year earlier, to 113 million.

The steady decline is evidence that issuers are increasingly targeting the electronic in-box when sending their marketing message through merchants, she said.

The issuers that have cut merchant-mailed paper offers the most are Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase, Discover Financial Services LLC, Bank of America Corp., and American Express Co., according to Mintel. However, Ms. Curran said the volume of mass direct mail offers from issuers has remained fairly steady overall at 1.8 million in the first quarter, 1.9 million a year earlier, and 1.7 million in the first quarter of 2005.

For the nearly 60 percent of consumers who carry a balance on their credit cards each month and pay interest on it, rewards can be particularly costly, because they can encourage even more debt. "Anything that will make them feel less guilty about using their card is going to increase spending...It would definitely be cheaper for them to get [the rewards] on their own," says Susan Menke, senior financial services analyst at the research firm Mintel.

Even cash-back programs, which typically return between 1 and 5 percent of card spending, can be deceptive. "If you're [paying] a huge amount in interest but getting pennies in savings, people love that stuff, but they're definitely not coming out ahead," Menke says.

The study, conducted in October by the Chicago market research firm Mintel International Group Ltd., found that a considerably bigger portion of Hispanics open direct-mail offers than American consumers as a whole. While 58% of the general population discards the offers without even looking at the letters, 51% of Hispanics open the envelopes, according to Mintel.

"I was surprised by how high it is," said Susan Menke, an analyst at Mintel who researches financial services. "Just because they open it, it doesn't mean they'll respond to it, but at least it's significant that they look at it."

Mintel's research found that 34% of whites and 36% of blacks open direct credit card solicitations. In each of these groups, the majority discards the mail. Overall, only 36% of American consumers open the envelopes. The message on the envelope usually is the determining factor, Ms. Menke said. Consumers are more enticed by teaser offers on the envelopes than preapproval messages, she said.

In 2006, credit card and insurance acquisition mail volumes showed substantial growth over 2005 numbers, according to a report released by Mintel Comperemedia.

The competitive intelligence service that analyzes direct mail, e-mail marketing and print media monthly said the clear gains in mail volumes during the past year are due to an increase in campaign launch activity. Mintel tracks the direct marketing activity of more than 150 credit card companies.

"Emerging campaigns have been the key drivers in the overall mail volume increases," said Jenny Roock, director of Mintel, Chicago. "As companies continue to look for new ways to attract consumers to their products and services, several of the newer campaigns over the last year have focused on tailoring their cards to specific consumers with unique needs."

ETFs are being used in a wider variety of products, from 401 (k)s to variable annuities to 529 college savings plans, according to a recent ETF report by Chicago-based marketing and research firm Mintel.

ETFs have a limited distribution and are sold almost exclusively through broker/dealers, registered investment advisers and wirehouses, Mintel noted. As a result, ETFs are still misunderstood by the general public, said Susan Menke, senior financial analyst at Mintel.

Billions of pieces of mail inundating our mailboxes. Response rates of less than 1%. And yet credit card companies continue to be the single largest industry soliciting new customers through the mail.
In 2006, the average American household received 80 credit card solicitations, according to year-to-year results compiled by Mintel Comperemedia of Chicago.

"New [marketing] campaigns have been the key drivers in the overall mail volume increases," says Jenny Roock, director of Mintel Comperemedia. "As companies continue to look for new ways to attract consumers to their products and services, several of the newer campaigns over the last year have focused on tailoring their cards to specific consumers with unique needs."

Credit card and insurance acquisition mail volumes last year grew substantially over 2005 numbers, thanks largely to increased campaigns, according to Mintel Comperemedia.

Specifically, more than 9.2 billion acquisition direct mail pieces were sent to American consumers in 2006. Chase was the top mailer for the year, sending out more than 1.7 billion acquisition mail pieces, although this number was 4% below 2005 levels. Rounding out the top five for 2006 were Capital One Bank, American Express, Citibank, and Bank of America. Capital One posted at 13% gain over 2005 in their direct mail activity, the biggest gain of the top five.

Issuers last year mailed more than 9.2 billion credit card solicitations, up 6% from 8.7 billion in 2005, according to research firm Mintel International Group. Mintel, whose U.S. operations are based in Chicago, says JPMorgan Chase & Co. repeated as the top mailer in 2006 with 1.7 billion solicitations, though it distributed 4% fewer mailings than the previous year. Jenny Roock, Mintel director, says Chase changed marketing strategies last year, resulting in fewer direct mailings and more efforts to attract cardholders using Web, e-mail and branch promotions.

Also, 64% of the mailings Chase sent last year included a reward component compared with 40% that did in 2005, and the added cost to fund rewards programs likely caused Chase to shift its marketing dollars to less-expensive solicitation alternatives, she says. "What you¹re seeing with Chase eventually will
happen with the market overall," Roock says. "Another expected postage-rate increase and a shift in more online marketing will affect [mailings] as well." Rounding out the top five mailers of credit card solicitations last year were Capital One Bank, 1.3 billion, up 13.1%; American Express Co., 1.1 billion, up 0.3%; Citibank, 987.8 million, down 2.6%; and Bank of America, 920.9 million, down 17.6%, Mintel says.

But the problem is that most sponsors won't offer ETFs until they begin feeling pressure from participants, said Susan Menke, a senior financial analyst with Chicago-based financial marketing and research firm Mintel.

"And most people don't know what the heck they are," she said. The majority of ETF inflows, she added, are coming from institutional, not retail, investors.

As of December 2005, only 19% of retail investors understood enough about ETFs to even consider in investing in them in the future, according to Mintel research.

As news of ETFs trickle into the mainstream media, that awareness is rising, but Menke still does not see a groundswell of pent-up demand. After all, she said, 35% of mutual fund owners gold Mintel they had no idea which funds they owned.

U.S. consumers have been barraged by marketing messages on contactless cards for a year and a half. Research firm Mintel commissioned an online survey of 2,000 U.S. adults in October by Greenfield Online that shows 53% are willing to try paying with a tap of a card. Many younger people are attracted to contactless, and- good news for issuers-so are 58% of those in the highest income bracket, over $100,000.

According to Mintel Comperemedia, a competitive intelligence service that analyzes direct mail and print media, several debit card issuers are promoting rewards programs and sweepstakes. Among these, Visa Extras is one of the most visible. The program is structured to encourage people to use their debit cards for everyday purchases to earn points.

Other issuers are offering extra incentives and points for holiday purchases to further stimulate consumer use.

The Mintel Comperemedia service from Chicago research firm Mintel, which analyzes direct mail and print media, now includes a new service that allows marketers to monitor e-mail. Mintel Comperemedia's e-mail panel will give companies insight into their competitors' acquisition and customer relationship management strategies.

The new e-mail panel allows companies to monitor their competitors within Mintel Comperemedia's key coverage areas: credit card, banking, investment, telecom, insurance, technology, travel, mortgage and loan. Clients will be able to view, search and analyze the actual e-mails that consumers receive from companies. In addition to tracking e-mail strategy for competitors, companies can also use the panel to track campaign timing and frequency. For more information visit www.comperemedia.com.

Recent reports from Chicago researcher Mintel indicate that there are both challenges and opportunities remaining for the annuities industry. Less than half (48 percent) of all respondents to a Mintel consumer survey conducted this year were familiar with annuities, and only 46 percent of those were 65 and over.

Of 1,525 consumers polled recently who own or have used a debit card, 24% said they always or almost always use the plastic for purchases between $2 and $10, while 10% said they always or almost always use it for purchases below $1, according to a new research report from Mintel Comperemedia. "Micropayments is a hot topic right now," Susan Menke, the Chicago-based research company's senior financial analyst, tells CardLine. "Card companies want you to use your card more often. They want you to use your card for smaller purchases, and they want to make people feel more comfortable with that." Rewards programs are one way issuers are encouraging more card use, the report notes. Of those respondents who owned or used a debit card, 24% said they were in some type of rewards program, and 58% said they felt debit card rewards are valuable. In fact, 42% of respondents said they would switch banks to get debit card rewards, the survey found. Of the respondents in rewards programs, 9% received cash-back benefits and 5% received airline miles, according to the report.

However, Drew Schultz, a research analyst in Chicago with the marketing research firm Mintel International, said the low prices have inspired insurance companies to roll out some new products to counter the trend. (The AMA offers discounted life insurance policies to its members, as do many medical societies.)

For example, he said return of premium term life insurance, which emerged a few years ago, allows the insurance company to charge more in exchange for returning the full premium amount back to the policyholder when the term expires.

Consumers received nearly 4.2 billion direct mail credit card acquisition letters from card issuers in the first half of the year, up 6% from the same period in 2005, according to Mintel Comperemedia. JPMorgan Chase easily topped the list of mailers, sending out 904.2 million letters, though that was down 7% from 970 million a year ago. The runner-up was Capital One with 529.6 million letters, followed by American Express Co. with 510.9 million, reports Mintel, a supplier of consumer intelligence with U.S. headquarters in Chicago. Jenny Roock, Comperemedia research director, said in a statement that card issuers targeted homeowners with their acquisition letters. "This can be attributed to the fact that more homeowners are now using credit cards as extended lines of home credit, as opposed to applying for home equity lines of credit," notes Roock. AmEx mailings rose 20%, while Discover sent out 283.2 million letters, a 22% rise. Bank of America saw a decline of 43% year-to-year as it shifted its card mailings to card unit MBNA. Juniper Bank, now known as Barclays Bank Delaware, increased its mailings 76% to 78.3 million letters.

 
   

SMA (separately managed account) assets are projected to increase from $700 billion today to $1 trillion by 2010, according to Chicago market research firm Mintel, which recently issued a report on SMAs based on interviews with 300 SMA investors.

New players in the field want to offer a greater range of investment products to their clients, according to Mintel. SMAs have a number of attractive selling points and have been significant in helping market participants gather assets, especially from high-net-worth clients.

But a recent survey shows consumers are open to the idea of using plastic at vending machines. Nearly a third of respondents agreed with the statement, "I would use vending machines more if I could pay with a debit or credit card," according to an 80-page vending industry study released in December by market research firm Mintel International Group Ltd.

"The wave of Baby Boomers rolling over their 401(k) assets has not even begun yet, but firms are preparing," said Susan Menke, senior financial services editor with Chicago-based Mintel International, a supplier of consumer, media and market research.

Many products will be developed that help investors make their retirement money last throughout the rest of their life. "Insurance companies are tweaking annuities, and [investors] are going to have many more options," Menke said.

In fact, internet-based phone services, or VoIP (voice over internet protocol), sent out 77 million direct mailings in the first five months of this year, according to a study released last week by Chicago-based research firm Mintel Comperemedia.

That is already more than the 60 million direct mail pieces sent out by VoIP services in full-year 2005.

Mintel estimates that VoIP penetration will grow from 3 percent to 20 percent by the end of this decade. VoIP is not expected to surpass traditional landline phone services in the foreseeable future, in terms of penetration.

Another popular choice for whittling down debt is to transfer your balance to a zero-percent card and pay it off quickly. But that option, too, may soon be history- zero-percent balance-transfer (introductory only) offers are harder to find. They fell 36 percent in 2005 from the previous year, according to direct-mail tracker Mintel Comperemedia.

More travel-related direct mail campaigns and advertisements that target the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Gay and Lesbian Travel Market are predicted to surface, according to Mintel Comperemedia, a competitive intelligence service that analyzes direct mail and print media.

According to the Chicago-based company, the GLBT market is growing, with more than $76.5 billion in expenditures. It is also a booming travel market, predicted to increase by more than $20 billion over the next five years.

Mintel said it has seen several DM-related campaigns emerge lately that focus on GLBT travel outings, such as the ROmanCE Voyages, a cruise line that works with American Express Travel Services representatives.

Despite a barrage of recent negative press, homeowners remain optimistic about housing prices over both the short term and the long term, according to new proprietary research from Mintel International Group, Chicago.

According to the Mintel survey, many homeowners are still planning to refinance their homes to lock in lower interest rates, as well as for a number of other reasons, which could portend continued optimism on origination volumes. "Although the impact of rising rates cannot be ignored, there are a number of other factors that will help to insure the health of the mortgage marketplace, particularly over the long term," the report said.

Interest rates are not the only factor driving housing prices and origination volumes, the survey found. Demographic changes, greater efficiencies in business processes and securitization facilitated by automation and innovations in the capital markets leading to lower risk in the marketplace are among trends that should significantly impact the mortgage market in the coming years, Mintel said.

Adds Susan Menke, Chicago-based senior financial services editor at researcher Mintel International Group Ltd., "Mutual fund companies have been losing share to wirehouses and banks. It is fairly significant, and it is something that is concerning them."

So, some of the big competitors are introducing programs aimed at providing that personalized service. "[For instance,] Fidelity and Vanguard have a new push to provide advisory services," Menke says. "This is a new thing for Vanguard. They have had a do-it-yourself focus in the past."

ISSUERS SENT 8% MORE OFFERS IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY: Credit card issuers mailed 1.311 billion acquisition letters in January and February, topping the same period in 2005 by 8%, according to Mintel Comperemedia. The top 10 mailers accounted for 89% of the acquisition letters in the two-month period. JPMorgan Chase Co. led the group with 257 million letters in January and February, up 6% from the same period in 2005. The biggest gainer was MBNA Corp., sending out 95.7 million letters in January and February, up 73% from the same period in 2005. Bank of America Corp. bought MBNA last year. BofA's mailings dropped 1% to 59.9 million letters. Washington Mutual also increased its mailings, generating a 48% rise to 92.8 million in 2006. WaMu bought credit card issuer Providian Financial Corp. last year. Cap One reduced its mailings by 24%, putting it behind American Express in this year's early going. Citibank decreased its mailings by 20% to 141.2 million.
For full year 2005, issuers mailed 8.177 billion acquisition letters, with the 10 largest mailers accounting for 7.587 billion, or nearly 93%, of all letters mailed, Mintel found.

In other news, the market research firm Mintel International Group Ltd. of Chicago said Thursday that in the fourth quarter American Express passed JPMorgan Chase & Co. as the card industry's leading direct mailer.

Mintel said one reason for the volume increase at Amex was its new issuing partnership with Citigroup Inc., and it said a good chunk of its mailings promoted new Amex products, including the IN:LA, IN:Chicago, and One cards.

In some cases, cards now offer 0% teaser rates good for a year or longer. For instance, AmEx and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. are offering 0% rates on balances for up to 15 months and 12 months, respectively. By contrast, in the first quarter of 2005, many card issuers offered introductory rates ranging from 3% to 5.99% for a period of six to eight months, says Jenny Roock, research manager of Mintel International Group Ltd.'s Mintel Comperemedia unit, a direct-mail monitoring service.

As mortgage rates have increased over the last year, lenders have acknowledged that homeowners are less interested in refinancing their mortgage. According to Mintel Comperemedia, the volume of mail advertising mortgage refinancing peaked in August, alth

More than 1,000 direct mail campaigns from insurance companies regarding healthcare marketing were sent to their independent agents or brokers between September 2004 and September 2005, according to data released yesterday from Mintel International Group's Comperemedia, a Chicago-based media monitoring system.

That number is up from 500-plus such mailings sent from insurance companies to their agents/brokers from September 2003 to September 2004.

About 50 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population is unbanked, according to marketing research firm Mintel. Citigroup offers services specifically for this market, which is helping the bank increase and retain its Hispanic customer base, according to the research firm.

An estimated 60 percent of credit cards are tied to some kind of reward, according to Comperemedia, which tracks direct-mail offerings.

In 2004, roughly 3.8 billion direct-mail pitches contained offers for reward programs such as cash back, points for merchandise, frequent-flier miles, and other freebies, according to Comperemedia, which tracks direct-mail offerings. That figure is up about 35 percent from almost 2.8 billion just a year ago. Why the sudden jump? "Issuers are trying to figure out how to hook a new customer or maintain an existing customer," says Lisa Hronek, a research analyst with Comperemedia. Already, more than 60 percent of all general-purpose accounts include rewards programs.

Mail volumes increased significantly in the financial cross-selling category from January 2004 through the first quarter of 2005, according to data released last week by Comperemedia. "Financial companies understand that existing clients are just as powerful, if not more, than new clients," said Carrie Merritt, director of financial research at Comperemedia. Merritt also said better incentives and service bundling will pave the way to more successful cross-selling programs.

Last year, just over half of the 7.5 billion new-card solicitations sent out involved some sort of rewards offer, up from 44 percent in 2003, according to Comperemedia, a mail-tracking service.

For the three months ended Feb. 29, 53% of all direct-mail pitches were for cards that earn cash refunds, travel, or other rewards. That's up from 30% in the same period two years ago, according to Mintel's Comperemedia, a tracker of such offers.

With the amount of junk mail clogging Americans' mailboxes these days, credit card marketers need to add extra enticement in order to avoid the dreaded shredder. And the majority are, according to Mintel's Comperemedia.

According to Mintel's Comperemedia, a media monitoring system, consumer credit card offers dropped 17% in 2003, meaning almost 750 million fewer offers than in 2002.

Telecom companies have boosted their marketing of bundled service packages through direct mail campaigns, according to Mintel International Group's Comperemedia, a Chicago-based media monitoring system.

Mintel's Comperemedia says that during November, the amount of time the introductory rate was applicable decreased compared to previous months and is more likely to be for six to seven months, compared to 12+ months as seen earlier in the year.

Consumers received 750 million fewer credit card offers in 2003, a 17 percent decline from 2002, according to data released last week from Mintel International Group's Comperemedia, a Chicago-based media monitoring system.