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What is common Direct Marketing formats?

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Posted by Your Guide on October 16, 2005 3:18 PM

  • Direct mail – Often referred to as “snail mail,” direct mail is still the primary form of business advertising and communication. Direct mail is excellent for generating sales leads as well as selling products directly to consumers and businesses alike.
  • E-mail – While still relatively new, e-mail is proving to be a successful means of communication with existing customers. Its use as a prospecting tool, however, is increasingly criticized. Many states have anti-spamming laws (or anti-e-mail prospecting laws) on the books. The US Congress has passed legislation specifically outlining the rights of consumers who do not wish to receive such promotions. For this reason, many companies are steering clear of this potential minefield and have limited e-mail marketing to existing customers only.
  • Telephone – Also heavily legislated, telephone sales or telemarketing ranks near the top of customer frustrations. Viewed as a violation of privacy by many consumers, state laws now assign extraordinary fines to companies that fail to consult the state do-not-call list before prospecting. Consumer activism and backlash have slowed investment in this multi-billion dollar industry.
  • Fax – Like the telephone, use of the fax as a business prospecting tool has been heavily legislated with many of the same restrictions. While companies still use this form of marketing, the advent of electronic communication and commerce has seen the importance of the fax machine steadily decline.
  • Catalogs – Paper catalogs have experienced a re-birth of sorts since the dot.com bust. Marketing managers across the country have opted for a more brick-and-mortar approach after e-mail response rates failed to materialize as they had hoped.
  • Alternative Media – This consists of card decks, package inserts, bind-in cards, blow-in cards, specialty advertising, etc. This area of direct marketing is still heavily utilized and continues to focus on providing qualified leads as well as generating sales.



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