Long live direct marketing!

The DMA held a storming debate yesterday on past, present and future trends in direct marketing. Held at Experian’s conference theatre in Nottingham, the event attracted over 60 marketers from across a broad spectrum of sectors from banking to education, from b-to-b to consumer, agencies and clients.

Our chairman, Brian Child, gave the industry something of a kicking: direct marketing has had its day, he argued. The bad reputation of the industry combined with the failure of agencies to understand the power of branding has seen the emergence of our advertising cousins successfully position themselves as the experts in integrated marketing. The rise of digital was a golden opportunity for direct marketers to apply their skills to a different channel. Yet the low cost of online communications, which put the emphasis on volume rather than timeliness and relevance, has meant that it’s usually not the DM agency the client turns to for digital solutions.

Yet it is our understanding of accountable marketing which is where our future lies. If we focus on return on investment, response rates, testing, and in developing creative that builds relationships with customers then we will thrive. Strategic thinking supported with powerful creative executions will always be in demand. Long live direct marketeers!

The notees from the guest speakers are available here