Brand Advertising and DM Not So Separate: DMA Study
Brand marketing is no longer the diametric opposite of direct-response marketing, and many brand advertisers have begun incorporating direct marketing tactics into their campaigns across multiple channels, according to a new survey by the Direct Marketing Association.
According to the report, “The Integration of DM and Brand”, 56% of the 296 brand marketers surveyed said they use one or more direct marketing channels in tandem with their more traditional brand awareness advertising. Half use Web marketing with online response channels; 48% said they track Web offers; 45% include calls to action on their Web pages; and 32% use response analysis and modeling.
Fifty-two percent of respondents said they use calls to action in their e-mail campaigns, while 28% said they integrate search engine optimization or search engine marketing with response mechanisms to offers. Thirty-one percent said they use search optimization with targeting, while 25% use search data for list building.
On average, respondent to the Dma survey reported that 64% of their marketing dollars are allocated to direct marketing, with the remaining 36% going to mass marketing.
“Direct marketing’s scalability, measurability, and undeniable ROI have moved it to the forefront of all marketing, including branding, said Eugenia Steingold, DMA senior research manager and the report author, in a release. “Direct marketing tactics designed to inrease consumer awareness and action are ubiquitous — from URLs on all marketing materials to 800 numbers, to calls to action in TV, radio and print ads — and across every other type of marketing media.”
