Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing describes a collection of tactics and communications channels via mail order, Internet sales, personal sales, etc. It also an approach to marketing which aims to create and continue a direct relationship between an organisation and its customers on a one-to-one basis. Direct marketing offers the powerful benefit of providing an ongoing relationship between company and customers. Direct marketing involves direct communication between a firm and its target customers to generate a response or transaction. Direct marketing also involves the use of a much wider range of different forms of communication than advertising. These include mail (direct mail/catalogues), telephones (telemarketing), the traditional broadcast and print media (direct response advertising via television, radio, newspapers and magazines), and new electronic media (the Internet).