This should be a measurable activity and it is very often media based, with a view to creating and sustaining a mutually rewarding relationship.
The goal is to provide the customer with information relative to their needs and interests. A profile on the direct and interactive marketing industry offers a useful way of looking at it as a cyclical process with six distinct phases:.
1. The creative stage and design phase, where the marketing plan is constructed and appropriate media channels are selected.
2. Data compilation where both internal data, such as customer lists and outside data from a database company or list broker is assembled in preparation for the next stage in the programme.
3. Database management, where information is mined', fused', aggregated or disaggregated, enhanced and standardised for use in the programme.
4. Database analysis, or fine tuning the database which further focuses on an optimal target market.
5. Execution and fulfilment where customer inquiries and orders are acted upon and information on response rates are collected for final post programme analysis.
6. Response analysis where the results of the campaign are examined for effectiveness before the cycle begins again.
3 The Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
The DMA is the oldest and largest trade association for users and suppliers in the direct, database and interactive marketing fields. Founded in 1917, the DMA has more than 4,700 member organisations, commercial as well as not-for-profit, from the USA and over 50 nations on six continents. Reflecting the revolutionary impact of the WWW and e-commerce on the industry, The DMA has acquired two e-commerce trade associations, the Association for Interactive Media (AIM) New York and the Internet Alliance (IA) Washington, D.C. The DMA shapes the way organisations apply direct/interactive-marketing methods to marketing, sales and customer service activity. Their mission is to encourage growth and profitability of their members and adherence to ethical standards.