Feature: DMA Digest: Proof positive

Mike Barnes, director of marketing and business development at the Direct Marketing Association, on what consumers think

Every year the Direct Marketing Association cajoles a large number of consumers to comment on all forms of direct marketing coming into their households. It’s called the DMA Participation Media and it’s fabulous. Why? Because it’s the consumer’s view.

Mrs Smith from Dudley giving her comments in a diary as opposed to the biased and bitter press coverage that we get on a regular basis – “Dog brained by junk mail” was one I saw the other day.

So, here is some basic, hot-off-the-press, consumer-owned snippets to stick up the backside of any journalist or colleague who has a biased attitude to what we do.

Direct mail was considered the most convenient and informative medium by consumers and came second to door drops as an “interesting” medium. Positive responses to email marketing rose from 17.6 per cent to 33 per cent. Positive responses to inserts grew by 10 per cent.

Telemarketing was the most likely medium to result in recipients seeking further information. There was a 36.1 per cent positive response to mobile marketing, and field marketing had a whopping 47.4 per cent positive response rate, with marketing demonstrations being the second best method to generate direct purchase above all channels. So get your stand out.

Oh, and by the way, the internet has overtaken mail order as a means of purchasing goods and services so get your website refreshed as well.

And I am not making this up. The marketing industry is growing and has an incredibly positive or, at best, media-neutral image with consumers. Mrs Smith likes us and that’s good news. The full consumer report is available shortly with gold blocking, leather binding and personally delivered on a platter for members. Non-members can see an executive summary by emailing ross.caddy@dma.org.uk.