Canadian Marketing Blog

Is Direct Marketing still direct?

I've been pondering this question for a while (as much as it pains me to admit this publicly). However, as an individual who has built my career in the field of Direct Marketing, I've stayed close to how our business is evolving courtesy of the internet.

Direct Marketing used to be about stamps, data models, customer segments and reams and reams of results (good or bad). It was one to one. It was what we understood. It was our arsenal for clients who complained that they couldn't prove the worth of tv or radio.

Now, Direct Marketing is still about data, still about customer segments, but less about talking to one consumer in one specific way. The internet has enabled us to create customized campaigns and target niche audiences - but it's really one to many, vs one to one, or in the 'olden days' - one to everyone.

I believe Direct Marketing is still about developing insight based communication but now it's broadcast to smaller groups of like minded individuals via the world wide web. Blogs, social media forums, sponsored content, outbound emails, applications, etc etc....are all created daily to cater to the needs of distinct groups. Mail is no longer the only way to speak to a consumer 'directly'.

That said - in light of our new reality - how would you define the new DM?

From my perspective, it's not so much "direct marketing" as it is "audience marketing." For today's marketers, rich, powerful tools allow marketers to segment their audiences into much deeper and nicher segments, far beyond the traditional measurement of "brand" vs. "direct."

Platform and technology advances allow marketers to group audiences not simply by demographics and purchase proclivity - but rather, by a multitude of dimensions. Direct vs. brand / awareness because just one of the "measures" that comprise an audience.

Direct marketing your new snowboard bindings? How about 14-34 year olds, adventurous types, high energy, willing to purchase online. What's your audience marketing strategy for them, knowing that some audiences are more accommodating to DM then others?

Yes, blogs, social networks, et al provide various vehicles to reach your audience(s), but identifying the real platform tools that find and identify your audience will help marketers transition from direct marketing to a more "audience marketing" approach.

Very insightful - the definition of direct marketing is much broader today then ever before. And I suspect that as concerns over the environment increase, cost / communication becomes even more of a sensitive issue and online capabilities explode - audience marketing will take over the traditional form of direct marketing as we know it.

Wonderful food for thought.

Anyone else?