Results of a survey conducted by Direct magazine show that e-mail is becoming a more important marketing communications tool. Use of e-mail to communicate with both existing customers and prospects is on the rise according to the survey. 72% of the firms surveyed send e-mail to customers (up 10%), and 50% send e-mail to prospects, up 9%). Direct mail, while still a vibrant channel, declined in terms of the percentage of respondents saying they send to customers (66%, down 4%) and to prospects (59%, down 1%). Direct mail will likely face further scrutiny by direct marketers as costs to produce and mail pieces climb as well as calls from advocacy groups and some consumers to curtail the amount of natural resources expended to produce mail pieces.
The results of the survey send a clear message about the importance of multichannel marketing efforts. E-mail marketing is more prominent, direct mail will continue to have a significant role, and search engine marketing (used by 39% of those surveyed, up 10%) and internet advertising will be used more extensively. The days of advertising campaigns consisting of traditional media only are over. What is needed today is an integrated effort that can include traditional media elements such as print or broadcast mediums. Direct marketing’s inherent capabilities to measure effectiveness make tools such as e-mail, direct mail, and search engine advertising indispensible elements in today’s integrated marketing campaigns.
Link: Directmag.com : “E-mail Gains in Usage but Traditional DM Media Decline: Survey”
