Our point of view on "the new."
The long-standing definition of direct marketing is out the window.
The direct response discipline is currently driven by an evolving marketing landscape where the interaction of response, engagement, sales, and measurability is blurring the lines between direct marketing and general advertising. Neither is quite the same. It’s a whole new world.
Or is it? more
Direct marketing hasn't been about "direct mail" for decades. Now more than ever, it cannot be defined in terms of any one medium, or as a channel, or in terms of any technology. It’s not just about “going direct” to a consumer, either. But, while the lines are blurring, direct remains a distinctly unique discipline demanding particular skills and techniques.
Nearly all communications today are direct.
They all target a segment of consumers or businesses, attempting to generate a first step response or action to engage with the advertiser. To approach any marketing communication today without direct marketing discipline limits a consumer’s motivation and options to respond, and a marketer’s ability to track meaningful response and actionable data. more
Increasingly, response is no longer measured only in terms of leads or sales and associated costs. The first visit to a store or website, the first text response – each can be just as important as (even critical to) the first sale.
While measurement criteria now recognize that true engagement may take time, you—and your business—deserve more than an accounting of exposed "eyeballs," accumulated click and open rates, or mentions in the press. The lines between general and direct may have blurred, but fuzzy metrics such as these are just not acceptable. We maintain that hard-nosed "old-school" numbers such as cost-per-lead and cost-per-sale, and maintaining a positive R.O.I. have inherent and timeless value. They remain part of what makes direct marketing programs from DMW Direct a different and desirable marketing discipline for our clients.
You want, and should get "It All."
That is: the power of new approaches plus traditional accountability and results. It’s not asking too much. We see no reason to discard traditional disciplines in order to embrace new media. more
While solutions for our clients have evolved as media and demographic profiles have evolved, some vitally important constants remain. Our clients’ need to track real response, cost-per-action/lead/sale, and keep a hard-nosed approach to keeping marketing costs in line with marketing revenue. There are many things we are rethinking today: the ways each channel is used, how to apply proven direct response techniques to social, digital and mobile media, what we want each communication effort to do, and how the parts now fit into a new overall communication strategy. We remain focused on efficient targeting strategies, developing compelling offers and measurably persuasive creative.
Wondering how you can leverage our innovation and experience?
Put our time-tested strategic, creative and media approaches in the "new world" to work making your business thrive. Click here to contact us.
