Holiday spending took a toll on many Americans, with a large number taking on some debt to afford gifts. Over one-third (37%) of consumers racked up holiday debt this holiday season, averaging $1,223, according to recent data from LendingTree. This figure is up from $1,181 last year and the highest since 2022. Nearly half (48%) of parents with children under 18 years old borrowed to cover the holidays, taking on an average of $1,324 in debt. Among those who took on debt this holiday season, four-in-10 (41%) said they are still working on paying off last year’s bills. Overall, nearly six-in-10 (59%) of consumers with holiday debt this season said they are “stressed about it,” while 47% regret spending as much as they did. This was more common among parents of young kids (52%).

Deborah Corn is the founder of the Print Media Centr (www.printmediacentr.com), providing strategy, intel, and insight for printing and marketing professionals and print enthusiasts around the world. Every mailer can be an Oscar-worthy experience, not just a printed thing that shows up in a mailbox and ends up in a pile. The moment it is picked up becomes showtime, with the audience standing in their kitchen or sitting at their desk, deciding in seconds whether to give you their attention or move on. There is a psychological reason those first seconds matter so much. It is known as the threshold effect. It describes the moment when someone crosses from one state of awareness into another, when distractions fall away and attention resets. On the other side of that threshold, people are more present and more open to what comes next. When a strategically crafted mailing invites someone to touch it, unfold it, explore it, or notice a detail they did not expect, their attention resets. Curiosity takes over. The recipient moves from mail sorter to an engaged audience member. What happens next determines whether the performance earns applause or closes on opening night. Thinking like a director, rather than just a sender, alters how mail is perceived. Directors concentrate on the audience’s experience at every moment. This same approach is relevant to direct mail. Read the full article here: Direct Mail is a Performance