Quad Launches Direct, a New Full-Service Agency

After more than a decade of marketers shifting budgets toward digital channels, brands are rediscovering the power of direct marketing as consumers increasingly seek out physical brand experiences. To help marketers capitalize on that shift, Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: QUAD), a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, has launched Direct, a Quad Agency.

The new full-service agency helps marketers create, execute and measure more effective direct marketing campaigns by bringing audience intelligence, pre-market creative validation, production and measurement together in one connected offering. Carl Fischer, Vice President of Direct Marketing, will lead the agency.

“The strongest marketing happens when physical and digital experiences work together to capture attention, build connections and inspire action,” said Joel Quadracci, Quad Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “As brands return to direct marketing, Direct, a Quad Agency, brings together the capabilities Quad has built over decades to help marketers lead the discipline’s next era.”

One Unified Offering

The agency is purpose-built to connect every stage of the direct marketing journey into one offering. Direct’s capabilities include strategy and planning; audience intelligence powered by Quad’s proprietary household data stack, which reaches 97% of the U.S. adult population; pre-market creative validation through Quad’s Accelerated Marketing Insights (AMI) platform; execution through Quad’s in-house production platform and direct mail automation with At-Home Connect by Quad; industry-leading postal optimization and logistics technology; and end-to-end campaign analytics and measurement.

Direct clients will be able to take advantage of these services seamlessly, helping them improve response rates, reduce print and postal costs, and deliver more memorable and impactful campaigns.

A Measurable Comeback

Direct marketing is reemerging as a strategic advantage as brands compete for attention amid digital and AI-generated content. According to Winterberry Group, the U.S. addressable direct marketing industry is projected to grow from $525 billion in 2026 to approximately $700 billion by 2029. While traditional batch-mail volume is declining, targeted and triggered programs are growing. Triggered direct mail can generate two to three times the response of batch campaigns and is projected to represent 25% to 30% of direct-mail volume by 2029, as reported by the USPS Office of the Inspector General.

This projected growth aligns with a broader shift in consumer sentiment. The Harris Poll found that 69% of consumers say print media has influenced them to choose one brand over another in the past year. The appetite for direct marketing, and direct mail in particular, is especially strong among younger consumers: 72% of Gen Z and Millennials say they wish more brands focused on surprising them through the mail.

Carl Fischer to Lead the Agency

Fischer, the new head of Direct, brings more than 25 years of experience in audience strategy, marketing intelligence and direct marketing execution. He joined Quad through the company’s 2020 acquisition of Realyze, the pre-market testing and insights firm he co-founded, which now powers Quad’s AMI platform. His career includes agency leadership at CFM Direct, later acquired by Merkle, and client-side experience as head of marketing for a national insurance company.

“Quad has the experience and ambition to lead the direct marketing renaissance because we never left the discipline. We have continually invested in the people, intelligence and innovation shaping its past, present and future. Now, we’re bringing those strengths together through our agency to make it easier for clients to realize the full potential of direct marketing for their brands,” Fischer said.

Direct is headquartered in Sussex, Wisconsin.

Source: Quad