An inside view of Direct Marketing

target your customers

Many people have the misconception of grouping advertising and direct marketing as the same thing, yet they are so fundamentally different. Advertising is a form of marketing communications, it is not a method of selling or a channel distribution. With advertising you seek to create, build or maintain awareness of a product or service, when done well it supports the selling process. Advertising is used to gain attention, stimulate interest and provoke desire. Advertising when done in conjunction with direct marketing can be very effective.

Direct marketing on the other hand is not only a form of marketing communications, but is also a channel of distribution. There are many forms of direct marketing including direct mail, radio, catalogs, and opt-in emails. With advertising you create awareness with a potential customer, with direct marketing you provoke action. You need the action to make sense of your advertising dollars. With direct marketing you are taking the opportunity directly to the consumer, if you have the right message you will see real time result.

Source:

http://www.smg2020.com/