Lisa Hronek, a financial and credit expert working at Mintel Compremedia, has asserted that  the credit card industry is trying to adjust to the tempestuous conditions of today’s volatile credit market. “The credit card industry is pulling back,”Hronek explained.

She continued, “people are worried about financial risk, [so] companies are rethinking how they use direct marketing to generate business.”

In other words, during these trying financial times, when so many people’s credit is ruined, potential customers may be leery of receiving yet another credit card advertisement promising infinite borrowed wealth.

The research of Mintel Compremedia reveals that the highest rates of decrease in mail volume are in the number of offers sent through the mail by credit card companies to those who are already customers-those who are already making payments to the company on one or more credit cards. The amount of advertising materials and new offers mailed by credit card companies to their already-existing customers went down by 30% from December 2007 to January 2008. That is a staggering decrease over the course of just one month.

The amount of advertisements and other materials sent by credit card companies to potential customers went down as well during that period-but only by 7%.

Hronek went on to elucidate that the 2007-08 holiday season was when most credit card companies decided to alter their marketing strategy.