What are the successful direct marketing methods ?

 

Direct marketing has grown beyond its roots in traditional mail order to embrace a host of new technologies, customer relationship-building techniques, and performance measures. Today, businesses and nonprofits of all kinds use direct marketing, which now garners25% of the U.S. marketer's budget, surpassing newspapers and broadcast TV.

Hailed as the “bible” of direct marketing for over30 years, Successful Direct Marketing Methods has been completely updated and expanded with all the latest tools and techniques needed for success in today's digital, multi-channel marketplace. Written by world-renowned direct marketing experts Bob Stone and Ron Jacobs, the Eighth Edition of Successful Direct Marketing Methods contains major revisions to chapters on the creative process, fully covering the development of direct mail advertising, catalogs, and print advertising. The Eighth Edition also explores such new topics as:

• The expanding objectives of direct marketing in the digital age
• Techniques for optimizing customer acquisition, up-selling and cross-selling, reducing defections, extending loyalty, and improving retention
• CRM applications, data mining, call center, campaign management, and sales force automation
• Customer experience management--connecting customers and brands at every touch point
• Brand building with direct marketing tools and techniques
• The growth of direct marketing in Europe, Asia, and Latin America
• Methods of international marketing--both direct and telemarketing

Successful Direct Marketing Methods offers professionals a comprehensive roadmap for direct marketing success across today's multiple marketing channels.

 

Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising which allows businesses and nonprofit organizations to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques that can include cell phone text messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, database marketing, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional letters, targeted television commercials, response-generating newspaper/magazine advertisements, and outdoor advertising. Amongst its practitioners, it is also referred to as Direct Response. Direct marketing messages emphasize a focus on the customer, data, and accountability. Hence, besides the actual communication, creation of actionable segments, pre- and post-campaign analytics, and measurement of results, are integral to any good Direct Marketing campaign. Characteristics that distinguish direct marketing are: A database of names (prospects, customers, businesses, etc.), often with certain other relevant information such as contact number/address, demographic information, purchase habits/history, company history, etc., is used to develop a list of targeted entities with some existing common interests, traits or characteristics. Generating such a database is often considered part of the Direct Marketing campaign. Marketing messages are addressed directly to this list of customer and/or prospects. Direct marketing relies on being able to address the members of a target market. Addressability comes in a variety of forms including email addresses, phone numbers, Web browser cookies, fax numbers and postal addresses. Direct marketing seeks to drive a specific "call to action." For example, an advertisement may ask the prospect to call a free phone number, mail in a response or order, or click on a link to a website. Direct marketing emphasizes trackable, measurable responses, results and costs from prospects and/or customers—regardless of medium. Direct marketing is practiced by businesses of all sizes—from the smallest start-up to the leaders on the Fortune500. A well-executed direct advertising campaign can prove a positive return on investment by showing how many potential customers responded to a clear call-to-action. General advertising eschews calls-for-action in favor of messages that try to build prospects’ emotional awareness or engagement with a brand. Even well-designed general advertisements rarely can prove their impact on the organization’s bottom line. The demonstrable result of Direct Marketing is the reason for its increasing popularity.

Direct marketing has grown beyond its roots in traditional mail order to embrace a host of new technologies, customer relationship-building techniques, and performance measures. Today, businesses and nonprofits of all kinds use direct marketing, which now garners25% of the U.S. marketer's budget, surpassing newspapers and broadcast TV. Hailed as the “bible” of direct marketing for over30 years, Successful Direct Marketing Methods has been completely updated and expanded with all the latest tools and techniques needed for success in today's digital, multi-channel marketplace. Written by world-renowned direct marketing experts Bob Stone and Ron Jacobs, the Eighth Edition of Successful Direct Marketing Methods contains major revisions to chapters on the creative process, fully covering the development of direct mail advertising, catalogs, and print advertising. The Eighth Edition also explores such new topics as: The expanding objectives of direct marketing in the digital age Techniques for optimizing customer acquisition, up-selling and cross-selling, reducing defections, extending loyalty, and improving retention CRM applications, data mining, call center, campaign management, and sales force automation Customer experience management--connecting customers and brands at every touch point Brand building with direct marketing tools and techniques The growth of direct marketing in Europe, Asia, and Latin America Methods of international marketing--both direct and telemarketing Successful Direct Marketing Methods offers professionals a comprehensive roadmap for direct marketing success across today's multiple marketing channels. Author comments Bob Stone was the cofounder and Chairman Emeritus of Stone & Adler, Inc., now a Young & Rubicam company. One of the pioneers of direct marketing, he was an eight-time winner of the Direct Marketing Association's “Best in Industry Award.” A former director of the Direct Marketing Association, Mr. Stone was one of the earliest inductees into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. Ron Jacobs is president of Jacobs & Clevenger, a multichannel, direct marketing communications agency that provides direct, digital, and database marketing services; transactional branding; and customer marketing programs. J&C’s practice areas include cross-channel strategy and planning, implementation, and creative and database optimization. The author of many articles on direct marketing and a frequent speaker, he works with clients and organizations in the U.S. and around the world. Back cover copy “The most thorough, straightforward, and informative book available on direct marketing…As the industry continues to grow, it is essential we have one central resource to fall back upon which clearly states the defining principles, practices, and applications of the direct marketing discipline. This book represents that one key resource for clients, agencies, and students of direct marketing.” —John R. Goodman, President, Pareto Marketing, Inc. “A totally current, authoritative marketing corpus for students and executives alike… Stone and Jacobs present a compelling guide to understanding and profiting from the shockwaves of change that have shattered the mass market into pieces as small as a single customer, driving relevancy in marketing and rewriting all the rules.” —Daniel Morel, Chairman and Global CEO, Wunderman “…Bob Stone and Ron Jacobs have done an excellent job of laying out the requirements for the new era of one-to-one marketing online.” —George S. Wiedemann, former President and CEO, Responsys.com “The single most comprehensive and contemporary tool in direct marketing. It is rich in its coverage of the expanded direct marketing l

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