Re: Loose Cannon: No Shortcomings in Industry Shorthand, DIRECT Newsline, Oct. 14.
I have heard marketers use “remote selling” as another term for mail order, too. A bit harsher than “distance marketing” but there for your consideration!
Ruth P. Stevens
President
eMarketing Strategy
New York NY
I personally like both “data-based-marketing”, “distance marketing”, and “hand-raisers”. While the first two may be difficult to grasp (compared to database marketing and direct marketing) for beginners in our industry, I think that all three help us to be more precise in what we say or write. Anything that helps us to stop and re-think our practices is good.
Tom Bingenheimer
Former president, Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association
MBNA Procurement Services
Wilmington, DE
Thank you. I’ve been working in direct marketing for more than 30 years, specifying and using marketing databases for more than 20, conducting seminars and writing on these subjects … and your contribution to the DIRECT Newsline has just clarified my thinking on using “database” vs. “data-based.”
I have been using the grammatically incorrect form — “databased direct marketing” — in an effort to describe my primary area of focus but you are absolutely correct that the proper way to refer to it is “data-based (direct) marketing.” I owe you.
With regard to “distance” vs. “direct” I am not so sure I agree there is even a need. To me, “direct” refers to a one-to-one relationship (however it is initiated) as opposed to mass communication leading to anonymous retail transaction(s). The differentiator is the capture of the customer name and an ongoing interaction potential; direct marketing can grow out of a retail marketing-generated contact. (Example: Long before their database was computerized, Victoria
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