This term has been heard by all successful businessmen for several decades. Previously, this concept was associated with the promotion of goods by mail. However, at the moment, this sales tool has taken a solid place. Such a rise in popularity and demand of direct marketing campaigns is that the producer or person selling the goods can receive reliable information about the product directly from the buyer, which helps to assess the quality of the advertising campaign.
Forms of Direct Marketing
It is quite difficult to clearly define the forms of direct marketing. According to the majority of authors of various scientific and popular works, direct marketing has such forms:
- personal sale (this is a personal sale through agents, brokers, salesmen of goods or services, taking into account individual customer requests);
- direct mail (this is an addressed mailing of promotional materials or samples of goods to potential buyers of specific types of products);
- marketing by catalogs (this is an individualized dispatch or distribution of catalogs with goods photos and descriptions to potential customers);
- telephone marketing (this is the customeroriented announcement of products in the telephone mode);
- TV marketing (this is a directresponse advertisement on TV, in which the first callers get the right to purchase on preferential terms, or the broadcasting of an advertising directive with a favorable offer on special commercial channels);
- Internet marketing (this is a kind of direct promotion of their products or services through social networks, forums, virtual shops, etc.).
The Internet is becoming more popular than traditional media. The main prerequisites for the implementation of online communication are:
- the ability to provide information to the environment that characterizes the organization itself, its image;
- presentation of the products of the organization and the commercial proposal together;
- the possibility of interpersonal communication between the organization and persons interested in the products of the organization;
- conducting advertising campaigns;
- informing about individual promotions;
- search for sponsors, as well as voice information about sponsors;
- conducting research on the needs and preferences of potential consumers, the results of the conducted advertising campaigns;
- formation of the company's image.
However, the main feature and strong point of Internet advertising is the possibility of the most accurate targeting of the audience. The landmarks can be not only geographic and temporal characteristics but also the sphere of interests of a particular user. That is, by collecting information or browsing entertainment portals, the user provides the potential advertiser with information about himself, his needs.
Another advantage of the Internet as an advertising medium used for development of direct marketing tactics is the ability to act as transparently and efficiently as possible. The advertiser can track not only the number of impressions of advertising but also the transitions on it to the advertised website, the depth of interest of the attracted users (how much time visitors spent on the site, how many pages and which ones were viewed).
The Goal of Direct Marketing
Among the basic communication goals effectively achieved by means of this type of marketing, it is necessary to name:
- attracting the attention of the recipient;
- keeping the consumer in the sphere of the communicator's influence;
- development of longterm personal relationships with the recipient;
- stimulating the act of buying and creating the prerequisites for numerous repeated purchases;
- in some cases, it is the study of the consumer's response to a particular product (the ability to directly obtain valuable marketing information).
Benefits of Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is positively assessed thanks to:
- the possibility of simple integration with CRMsystems;
- communicative selectivity;
- high performance through the individualization of the proposal;
- confidentiality of information on the terms of cooperation;
- establishment of longterm relationships through a dialogue form of communication.
Types of Direct Marketing
The direct marketing includes three types.
1. Direct sales marketing provides the shortest way to reach customer contact for receiving orders. This form of sale provides benefits for both market participants. For the manufacturer, this significantly reduces costs, improves the effectiveness of controlling sales volumes; and for the consumer, it is an operative, convenient form of contact, which makes it possible to adapt to changes in the market situation.
2. Marketing in computer networks (network marketing) presupposes the use of information services. Network marketing has the following advantages:
- prompt receipt of necessary information;
- insignificant expenses of time and money resources;
- wide audience;
- the ability to quickly take into account market conditions.
3. Relationship marketing is a marketing system aimed at establishing long-term relationships with potential buyers. The main task is to save customers, for which the following activities are recommended:
- identification of key consumers with whom close and permanent relationships should be maintained;
- the allocation of a specially trained manager to work with such a consumer;
- development of prospective and current plans of work with clients;
- the control of the activity of the manager on mutual relations with clients.