I was in planning mode, you know the scene, desk cleared, note pad ready to
capture the thoughts I had been gathering over the past few days...and then I
thought I would check out what the press were saying about our industry and
where it is heading and saw this article. “Is direct marketing’s golden age
over?” Of course they were once again mixing up Direct Marketing with Direct
Mail...so my immediate reaction was...YES I hope so!
That’s right ...and I’m glad that it’s over. Direct marketing...and its
association with direct mail has held the industry back for far too long.
So finally it seems direct mail has been knocked off its golden podium, the
crowds have gone home and the dreary anthems players have packed their bags, or
have they?
Don’t get me wrong, I love direct marketing, I just get it...I really
understand it and use it. I love the measurability of it...its
responsiveness...the craft and the sheer delight of seeing the responses coming
in.
But its direct marketing that gets me up in the morning...not just direct
mail...and I’m sick and tired of people misunderstanding the differences!
It’s time for the industry to re invent itself.
I have worked through two recessions, this will be my third...and there are
two things that you can bank on...firstly people stop talking about their house
price....and... budget holders come to their senses and start to put their
money where they can get their biggest returns, where everything they spend can
be measured against its return. Great. Being predictable will see us through
the recession again. Yawn. But it’s time to grab this opportunity to change the
perception of our industry.
Let’s hope its third time lucky.
I believe there’s already a new breed of direct marketer ...we are not held
down by disciplines of online or offline, we approach campaigns with genuine
creativity and alertness to eyebrow raising techniques ...old and new...that get
our target audiences’ pulses racing! That’s what I want to see...this is going
to be a new platinum age of direct marketing. It’s coming. Just like NEW
Labour...how about NEW Direct Marketing?
