Direct mail was more likely to spur consumers to action this year than in 2001, according to a new survey from Vertis.

Barely more than a third of those polled said they responded to a direct mail solicitation either by mail, telephone, a Web site or an in-person visit during a 30-day period in 2001, the last year the question was asked. That percentage has soared to 46%, Vertis noted.

This may partly be a result of some ethnic groups and older consumers becoming more comfortable with the Internet, a channel that offers one more way to respond to direct mail offerings, said Scott Marden, Vertis' director of marketing research.

Young baby boomers (those born between 1956 and 1964) led the pack in direct mail responsiveness. In 2001 36% of them did so, while this year that figure has jumped to almost half. The explanation? It's an age segment that's still taking risks and seeking pleasure, Marden speculated.

But it's also a segment that is responsive to special offers, Marden continued.

Young baby boomers also showed notably greater willingness to contribute to charities through direct mail. While 47% of them did so in 2001, 59% indicated they did in 2003.

Likewise, the donor level for men went from 45% in 2001 to 57% this year. Men had not been among the higher donor categories. But the events of 9/11 spurred an increased awareness of charities, Marden explained.

Overall, just under half of all consumers made donations through the mail in 2001, a figure that has risen to nearly six out of 10 so far this year.

The study's other findings included:

• While direct mail readership within a seven-day period remained steady, at 55% in 2002 and 2003, among households with incomes above $75,000 it climbed from 53% to 59%.

• Readership of direct mail offers remained constant between 2002 and 2003, moving from 73% a year ago to 74%. But among consumers born before 1930, it jumped from 65% to 75%.

• Finally, while overall readership of financial service and credit card-related direct mail slipped from 34% last year to 32%, among adults aged 50 or older it rose from 27% to 31%, and among those 65 and older it went from 18% to 27%. Marden speculated this might be due to older adults seeking to gain control of their finances in a time of economic downturn.