June 18, 2014 –

Big banks and other major financial institutions are sending more direct mail to attract new customers, according to a recent report by the industry news site Financial Brand.

The volume of direct marketing focused on customer acquisition grew by 18 percent during the six-month period that ended March 31, the report states. The increase was driven by a 32 percent increase in checking offers mailed and an 18 percent increase in savings offers mailed.

Chase and Capital One 360 continue to lead the industry in mail volume. Discover and American Express also had big increases in volume during the first three months of the year.

Conversely, the industry’s volume of customer communications via email dropped during the first quarter, according to the report.

The data, which comes from the business research firm Mintel Comperemedia, includes direct mail, email, print, online and mobile campaigns.