Count On Coffey

By Sherilee Coffey, VP of Business Development and Client Experience

Digital channels are indispensable. They are also increasingly crowded.

For hospitals and health systems trying to strengthen brand awareness and patient engagement across the whole community, direct mail plays a unique role: It delivers a focused, tangible experience that feels intentional—and often more trustworthy than just another message in an inbox.

In Lob's 2025 consumer research (2,000 U.S. adults, surveyed April–May 2025), 84% say they read direct mail immediately or the same day it arrives, and 49% view brands that send mail as more credible than those that don't.

Why print works for community-wide engagement

When your objective is not a single conversion, but conversions that also include awareness and engagement, you need channels that can do three things well:

Earn attention without demanding it. A printed piece can be skimmed now, saved for later and re-read when the timing is right, especially when the content is educational and not overtly promotional. Lob's research underscores the real-time factor of that engagement, with most consumers reading mail quickly after receipt.

Convey credibility. Healthcare consumers actively filter out "noise" and gravitate toward sources that feel authoritative and authentic. In a media environment where people question what's real, trustworthiness matters.

Support understanding. Education-first marketing works when people can absorb information at their own pace. Print supports revisiting and sharing—two behaviors that are particularly relevant to health decisions.

This also aligns with the direction McKinsey describes in its "health media" framing: Health systems have an opportunity to use their clinical expertise and reputation to engage, support and educate consumers through content across channels (including nondigital).

Direct mail isn't competing with digital—it's completing it

The most effective healthcare marketing today is not print versus digital. It's print plus digital, each doing what it's best at.

RRD's research reveals that direct mail remains a purposeful, habit-driven channel for many consumers, with 72% of survey participants saying they regularly read or look at ads in the mail. In other words, print still shows up in people's routines. Digital then provides the convenience layer—such as online scheduling, service-line depth, videos and portal access—once interest is sparked.

Lob's report reinforces the bridge value: When mail is relevant, 67% of consumers say relevance is what drives them to take action, and 81% say they're more likely to re-engage with a brand after receiving a direct mail piece.

For brand awareness and engagement, this is the point: Print creates a moment of attention and trust; digital makes the next step easy.

Make the digital bridge obvious (and offer three paths)

Because you want to emphasize QR codes, vanity URLs and phone calls, do it in a way that respects different comfort levels:

• QR code for the "scan and go" audience.
• Vanity URL for people who prefer typing (or want to share it).
• Phone number for those who trust a human path or aren't digital-first.

The goal isn't to make print "feel digital." It's to make print feel trustworthy—and make the next step accessible in whatever way the recipient prefers.

Categories: Print