Model Citizens

It may be bad form to revive the old us-vs.-them fight between direct marketers and brand advertisers. We’re all one big, happy family these days, right?

But DMers are getting a disproportionate share of the blame for the anti-marketing mania now going on.

True, all forms of marketing are getting singed. A writer for The New York Times Magazine was shocked to see brand logos on the floor during an airport security check.

But DMers are getting positively scorched.

Consider the facts.

You can opt out of almost any form of DM, including e-mail, telemarketing and direct mail. In some cases, this right is protected by law. And you can tune out TV advertising with TiVo.

But you can’t opt out of the massive corporate logos that dominate ballparks and streets, or the ads that cover bus windows. And short of leaving, you can’t opt out of the spots shown on screen in movie theaters. (No wonder people are staying home and watching films on DVD. Theaters gouge them on popcorn prices and then barrage them with unwanted commercial messages.)

Advertising was once largely a passive experience. You could ignore an ad in a magazine or turn the sound down on the TV.

Now it’s popping up everywhere, including places where the consumer has little control — like dentist’s offices. Guerrilla marketers are causing panics with some of their stunts.

Sorry, but we find those things far more intrusive (and threatening) than unsolicited e-mail.

When it comes to public responsibility, direct marketers are leading the way once again.