Customer marketing and engagement specialist, Salmat, has released new data from Roy Morgan Single Source that shows Letterbox Media – catalogues and unaddressed mail – is the fastest growing media with Generation Z (10 to 24 year olds), while newspapers, magazines, commercial TV, radio and even Facebook are losing traction with this generation.

Since 2013, Letterbox Media has achieved more growth among Gen Z than any other media, with reach increasing by 7 per cent to reach 45 per cent of Gen Z in 2015.

Sarah Pike, chief marketing officer of Salmat said, “Gen Z are the next generation of consumers and are just starting to come into their purchasing power. They’re starting to move out of the parental home and enter the workforce, and as such, are becoming big spenders. The media industry are watching their consumption habits closely, because in many ways, this generation will determine who has a future and who doesn’t.

“Gen Z are digital natives, but that doesn’t mean traditional media can’t reach them effectively. As we see more of Gen Z renting, they are more likely to be emptying the mailbox. They’re also more likely to be buying groceries and other items you need when you move out of home like homewares and small electrical appliances, which means Letterbox Media has become increasingly important to them,” Pike said.

Salmat found that Gen Z are using letterbox media to help with purchasing decisions. Half (51 per cent) of Gen Z letterbox readers name Letterbox Media as most useful media for buying groceries while a third (33 per cent) said it is most useful for buying small electrical appliances. In fact, two in five (39 per cent) bought from a printed catalogue in the last week.

Across all age groups, the reach of Letterbox Media continues to grow while most other traditional media has declined. Comparing the reach of media across all age groups in 2013 to 2015, commercial TV and radio, newspapers and magazines all declined while Letterbox Media grew alongside outdoor advertising, Facebook and Google Search.

Across Australia, Letterbox Media reaches the same amount of people as Facebook, with both media at around 60 per cent.

“Australians have always been avid readers of Letterbox Media, and this tradition has remained strong despite all the new media channels people are exposed to today. In fact, GfK found that 90 per cent of catalogue readers are likely to read a printed catalogue the next time they receive one in their letterbox. While 80 per cent of people reading printed catalogues are ‘just browsing’, 59 per cent of those browsers are converted into buyers as a result of reading a printed catalogue. This highlights how effective letterbox media can be in not just reaching people, but in driving sales,” Pike said.