Royal Mail is to offer advertisers a 20% discount on direct mailings in an attempt to increase use of the channel.

The two-month “DM sale” aims to encourage brands to trial the use of direct mail in their campaigns and encourage existing users to include it in marketing activity. The discount will be available on new and additional mailings sent next March and April.

According to Marketing Week’s Direct Mail Attitudes survey, direct mail has stood up well to the challenges posed by the recession.

The survey found that 56% of marketers believe direct mail has influence with the top executives or board members at their companies.

The postal strikes that have crippled the UK’s direct mail and e-commerce businesses have been called off in an 11th hour interim deal between Royal Mail and the Communications Workers Union (CWU).

The two parties last night agreed to the temporary agreement which will see no further threat of further strike action in the run-up to Christmas.

Key figures from the direct mail and marketing industry have voiced concerns about the effect ongoing postal strikes are having on their businesses.

Fresh strike action continues today as talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have yet to reach an agreement.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is going to the High Court to stop Royal Mail using temporary workers to clear the post backlog caused by the strikes.

Royal Mail had planned on hiring 30,000 temporary workers to deal with the backlog of post, especially direct mail, and insist it’s within the law. However, the CWU believe it can clearly show that Royal Mail is breaking employment law.