Direct Marketing in Your Plans for 2008?

Direct marketing may not be top-of-mind for businesses trying to develop promotion strategies. Traditional mass media advertising, maybe promotions are commonly used. The tendency to gravitate toward advertising and sales promotions is not surprising. After all, we are bombarded with these tactics as consumers.

The less experienced marketer may not be considering direct marketing tactics to reach customers, but chances are they probably should. A recent report released by the Direct Marketing Association indicates that direct marketing expenditures represents more than 50% of the total amount spent on media advertising. Given the potential for direct marketing methods to deliver measurable results of performance (e.g., mail, e-mail, and search engine marketing campaigns), we will continue to see direct marketing gain in importance. This shift will likely continue to occur at the expense of media advertising budgets.

Direct marketing may suffer from a bit of an image problem, but it works! That fact is not lost on decision makers who need accountability from their marketing investments. Link

Author: Don Roy

Don Roy is a marketing educator, blogger, and author. His thirty-year career began with roles in retail management, B2B sales, and franchise management. For the past 27 years, Don has shared his passion for marketing as a marketing professor. Don's teaching and research interests include brands, sports marketing, and social media marketing. Don has authored over 20 articles in scholarly journals, co-authored two textbooks, and self-published three books on personal branding. Don is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running. He and his wife, Sara, have three sons. View all posts by Don Roy