The automotive industry has entered 2025 with one of the most significant recall environments in recent memory. In Q2 alone, more than 7.3 million vehicles were recalled across 49 OEM campaigns—with Ford, GM, Stellantis, Nissan, Honda, and Toyota leading the way (BizzyCar, July 2025).

For the last 35 years, GSM has been a house hold name to thousands of dealerships nationwide when it comes to fixed-ops marketing. In 2021, GSM was acquired by Force Marketing and since then has looked to add the brightest and best onboard to their client success and performance teams. 

Their latest edition is a game-changer for GSM clients, with mountains of experience and a completely unique perspective. 

Is direct mail a thing of the past? Or rather an ancient way of connecting with consumers who pay no attention unless it's in digital form?  The truth is, direct mail is still incredibly effective in today's world. While digital marketing strategies are still a successful way of connecting with consumers, don't discount the great benefits of direct marketing. Here are a few ways direct mail is still effective in today's world.

Millennials Love It

Direct mail marketing proves to be a winner amongst millennials. Without a doubt, millennials are definitely the digital generation, however, they still maintain the same built-in emotional response to receiving physical mail. According to the US Data Corporation, millennials are more likely than any other generation to read their mail, in great part due to the fact that they actually enjoy receiving mail; in fact, a study found that 25% of millennials consider reading direct mail a leisure activity.¹ If you use a strategically targeted direct mail campaign, you’ll be sure to generate qualified leads and drive online traffic to your company’s website.

You’ve heard it time and time again: direct mail is dead. But as much as the recent technological advances may make you think no one reads snail mail anymore, the reality is that direct mail marketing is still incredibly effective. 

Global advertising spend is expected to exceed half a trillion dollars for the fourth year in a row, and American brands are once again fueling that growth. The main difference this year is that U.S. companies are expected to spend more on digital advertising than traditional media, with digital predicted to account for 54.2% of total advertising.

As it turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Advanced printing, targeting, and automated marketing technologies have revolutionized the capabilities of old-fashioned marketing channels like direct mail. With these modern enhancements, traditional channels are now more effective than ever at driving conversions in a digitally saturated market.

How to energize vehicle sales with direct mail -
We get it; working in sales is not easy. It requires a lot of patience, positivity, repetition, and extensive knowledge of what you're selling. Luckily, you can include direct mail as a member of your sales team. With direct mail's help, you can energize vehicle sales or trade-ins and grow market share. But, before digging into more complex strategies, we need to cover the basics. 

Consumers remember and react better to print advertising; perhaps because our world has become so saturated with digital content causing ‘digital fatigue.’

In 2018, millennials are single-handedly the nation’s largest living generation with ages ranging from 21- 37. Why is this important for dealers and marketers alike? Because, this generation now holds the largest share of the American workforce and has the most spending power of any generation – ever! This year alone, millennials are projected to have a spending power of $3.39 trillion, providing dealers with endless opportunities to win big with this generation.