Direct marketing is a collection of techniques that enables organisations to market goods and services directly to customers (business-to-customers or B2C). It is a pro-active approach to marketing that takes the product and/or service to potential customers rather than waiting for them to come to a store or other point of access. It is a form of non-shop' shopping and is sometimes referred to as precision marketing' or one-to-one' marketing. Rather than the marketing firm sending out a general communication or sales message to a large group of potential customers, even if these constitute a well-defined market segment, direct marketing tends to target specific individuals or households. In a business-to-business (B2B) context this would be an individual or a specific organisation or firm. Direct marketing is not just concerned with marketing communications. It is also concerned with distribution. In using direct marketing, the firm is making a choice to cut out the use of marketing intermediaries and sell the product or service direct to customers. This has implications for both channels of distribution and logistical decisions.
Direct marketing comes in a variety of forms. It is one of the fastest growing areas of marketing and is being propelled by technical advances, particularly in the field of computer technology and the www. Academics and consultants have taken up direct marketing with enthusiasm, and have helped to drive the subject forward both intellectually and practically.
1.1 Direct marketing is not new.
Direct marketing is not new, as many companies have sold products direct to the public for years e.g. Kleeneeze and Avon who have sold products door to door for many years. Direct mail through the post and mail order catalogues have been utilised for a long time and all are forms of direct marketing. Direct marketing originated in the early 1900s and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) was established in the USA in 1917.