Research shows the continued importance of direct marketing in the marketing mix
With our focus on digital media, it’s easy to forget that traditional marketing communications are still widely used and important drivers of leads and sales. This new research has shown that
“Almost a quarter (23%) of overall turnover (sales) can be attributed to direct marketing”
This is based on research from DMA who are are naturally keen to make the point about the ongoing importance of direct marketing in its latest forms. In their recent research completed by the Future Foundation on direct marketing effectiveness in the UK ,600 companies were surveyed including 453 detailed interviews with companies involved in direct marketing.
It’s interesting to look at the range of options available from what can be considered direct marketing and we can learn from the most popular since this suggests what is most effective today. If we look at the four most popular techniques we can see they are a blend of traditional direct marketing and digital direct marketing.
- Display advertising in newspapers and magazine (20% of spend)
- Direct mail and door drops (16% of spend)
- Email marketing (16% of spend)
- Search advertising (pay per click - 15% of spend)
Proportion of direct marketing spend by media channel. Source: DMA (2012)
Of course, the importance of direct marketing varies by sector. I highlight these percentages of investment in direct marketing by sector to help with benchmarking.
Proportion of sales attributable to direct marketing by sector. Source: DMA (2012)
Of course, no research is complete today without an infographic... This one also shows that most of the future growth will be in the digital channels