THE TIME IS NOW
Among the many ways of connecting with consumers, direct marketing is unique. While the challenges of the emerging marketplace are disruptive for most forms of marketing, they portend a boon for direct marketing. Why? Because the need to reach consumers in a direct and measurable way is growing stronger as a result of new technologies, new consumer expectations, new competitive pressures and new demands for demonstrable marketing return on investment.
Like marketing as a whole, though, direct marketing has struggled over the past few years. For example, figures from the Direct Marketing Association for the most recent year measured show that despite a $1 billion-plus increase in spending on direct mail, the total number of people purchasing by mail was down nearly 2%. In the midst of a sluggish economy, direct marketers have been struggling to stay even. But notwithstanding this battle for business, there is an underlying strength to direct marketing that positions it well for the future.
In particular, direct marketing enjoys fierce consumer allegiance. A pioneering study of DM consumers completed last year by Direct and Yankelovich (
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