Even though today the option is available for the Danes to receive some of their mail by e-mail, e-Boks (an electronic mailbox), online banking and SMS or to visit websites for information, there is still a large preference for receiving a physical letter.

A survey (Qualitative strengths of the letter in a digitised everyday life) which Tranberg Marketing has conducted for Post Danmark demonstrates that this is the case. The Danes were asked how they prefer to receive information from business enterprises, public authorities, trade unions, humanitarian organisations and sports clubs.

Replies showed that, regardless of type of information, the letter is preferred for receiving information from business enterprises and public authorities. For receiving information from business enterprises, 62 percent prefer a letter, 17 percent an e-mail, while 11 percent prefer to receive the information in their e-Boks. For receiving information from public authorities, 58 percent prefer a letter, 23 percent an e-mail, while 12 percent prefer to receive the information in their e-Boks.

- This is the first time the Danes have given their opinion of the qualitative strengths of the letter in relation to a number of digitised media. Their opinion is clear; the letter is the preferred medium despite increasing competition from electronic communication, Anders Due, Deputy Executive, Post Danmark, says.

The letter is also a clear winner when it comes to receiving information from trade unions, humanitarian organisations and sports clubs. 57 percent prefer to be con-tacted by letter, 34 percent by e-mail and 2 percent through use of their e-Boks.

However, e-mail is a favourite when it comes to receiving newsletters from organisations and associations with a 46 percent preference for receiving them electronically and a 45 percent preference for receiving them by letter.

e-Boks users prefer to receive some of their mail electronically, excluding newsletters, member bulletins, invitations, sales letters and insurance documents which they prefer to receive by letter.

Another fact established by the survey is that the Danes are not particularly interested in collecting information on the sender's own website - regardless of type of informa-tion and sender.

Qualitative strengths of the letter
Why then do the Danes prefer a letter to an e-mail whose strengths, the survey shows, are that it is practical, fast, easy to store and easy to pass on? Indeed, these are strengths which are all much asked for when we communicate.

It concerns qualitative strengths. A letter signals higher importance and reliability than an e-mail. 62 percent of the Danes evaluate the letter as reliable while this is only the case for 10 percent in relation to an e-mail. Besides, the sender of a letter is found to be more serious and professional than the sender of an e-mail. No less than 63 percent evaluate the sender of a letter as serious while correspondingly this is the case for 12 percent in relation to the sender of an e-mail. It can therefore be concluded that senders must communicate their message by means of a letter if they wish to be taken seriously by the recipients.

The full report "Brevets kvaliteter i en digitaliseret hverdag" (Qualitative strengths of the letter in a digitised everyday life) can be viewed at postdanmark.dk.

Source: Post Insight website