As can be illustrated by the variety of messages everyone receives each day, Direct marketing can take many forms. Historically, the most prevalent methods have been telesales/telemarketing and direct mail. Other communication channels used for Direct Marketing now include e-mail and personalized web sites, where messages and promotions are tailored to each customer or visitor on a 1 by 1 basis.
Direct Marketing is big business, accounting for approximately 50% of the marketing dollars spent in the U.S. each year. The $60 billion spent on inbound and outbound telemarketing in the United States during 1999 generated $460 billion in sales of goods and services and employed approximately 8.7 million people. Over $40 billion was spent on direct mail promotions. Direct Marketing is obviously in-style, and it is interesting to note that its close cousin, "brand/broadcast marketing," in the form of large brand building/awareness ad campaigns, has lost some of its luster.
Interestingly, the renewed focus on Direct Marketing is not driven by any new strategic marketing insights or by any long-held beliefs that have been challenged. In fact, most Direct Marketers have historically agreed with a key central idea: