The DMA's research, which used printed inserts that invited the reader to go online if they were interested in the product advertised, generated an average 52% response rate, with one advertiser recording a 70% hit rate.

The DMA Insert Council carried out its research with the cooperation of Nottingham-based Polestar Chromoworks, which printed more than 4m inserts for five different industry sectors, including retailers, charities and the cosmetic industries, as part of the initiative.

Polestar account director Jeff White said: "It is great to see that the printed insert is in fact a trigger to generate further consumer interest, leading potential customers online to the advertiser, particularly when in the current tough market conditions, the role of inserts can be underestimated and their effectiveness devalued."

The research is claimed to have been the first of its kind in the UK in terms of the volumes involved. Polestar inserts more than 3bn items per year across its UK print sites.