Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing consists of connecting directly with carefully targeted consumers, often on a one-to-one, interactive basis. Using detailed databases, companies tailor their marketing offers and communications to the needs of narrowly defined segments or individual buyers. Beyond brand and relationship building, direct marketers usually seek a direct, immediate and measurable consumer response.
The New Direct Marketing Model
Early direct marketers-- catalog companies, direct mailers, and telemarketers-- gathered customer names and sold goods mainly by mail and telephone. Today, however, spurred by rapid advances in database technologies and new marketing media-- especially the Internet-- direct marketing has undergone a dramatic transformation.
Benefits of Direct Marketing
Benefits to Buyers
For buyers, direct marketing is convenient, easy, and private. Direct marketers never close their doors, and customers don 't have to trek to and through stores to find products. From their homes, offices or almost anywhere else, customers can shop the Web at any time of the day or night. Business buyers can learn about products and services without tying up time with salespeople.
Direct marketing gives buyers ready access to wealth of products. Direct marketers can offer an almost unlimited selection to customers almost anywhere in the world.
Direct marketing channels also give buyers access to a wealth of comparative information about companies, products and competitors. Good catalogs or Web sites often provide more information in more useful forms than even the most helpful retail salesperson can provide. Direct marketing is immediate and interactive: Buyers can interact with sellers by phone or on the seller 's Web site to create exactly the configuration of information, products, or services they desire and then order them on the spot. Moreover, direct marketing gives consumers a greater measure of control. Consumers decide which catalogs they will browse and which