Direct marketing and

other media
Chapter 15
Lecture 2
Direct Marketing

 “Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing which uses one or more

advertising media to affect a measurable response and/or transaction at any
location.”
 First, direct marketing involves interactive marketing in that it entails personalized
communications between marketer and prospect.
 Second, direct marketing involves one or more media (for instance, direct mail with
telephone follow-up marketing; social media with e-mail).
 Third, direct marketing via media such as direct mail and online advertising allows for
relatively greater measurability of response in comparison to indirect media such as
television advertising.
It is easier to measure because purchase responses to direct marketing:
 Typically are more immediate than responses to mass-media advertising and
 Can be tracked to specific customers in response to specific marketing efforts.
 Finally, direct marketing takes place at a variety of locations—online, by phone, at a
kiosk, by mail, or by personal visits.
 The marketer’s purpose with direct marketing is to establish a relationship with a
customer in order to initiate an immediate and measurable response. Direct
marketing is accomplished using direct-response advertising (via direct mail and
cataloging, online marketing, social media), telemarketing, and direct selling.
Direct-Response Advertising
 Direct-response advertising includes direct mail and other media (e.g., online
advertising, social media). Direct mail is by far the dominant direct-response
advertising medium, but some direct-response advertising is placed in
conventional mass media (newspapers, magazines, and television—e.g.,
infomercials; see Marcom Insight). In general, three distinct features characterize
direct-response advertising:
 It makes a definite offer.
 It contains all the information necessary for the prospect to make a decision and
 It includes a response device (coupon, phone number, web link, or some
combination) to facilitate immediate action.
 Direct Mail

 These advertisements take many forms, including letters, postcards, programs, calendars,
folders, online and offline catalogs, DVDs, order blanks, price lists, and menus. At least four
factors account for the widespread use of direct mail by B2B as well as B2C marketers.
 First, rising costs of television advertising and increasing audience fragmentation have led
many advertisers to reduce investments in the television medium.
 Second, direct mail enables unparalleled targeting of messages to desired prospects.
 “Third, increased emphasis on measurable advertising results has encouraged advertisers to
use that medium—namely, direct mail—that most clearly identifies how many prospects
purchased the advertised product.
 Fourth, many consumers have favorable attitudes toward mail advertisements and would be
disappointed if they could not get direct-mail offers and catalogs.