DIRECT MARKETING AND CUSTOMER RELATIONDHIP MANAGEMENT – 3 OBSERVATIONS Some of us recall the late 1980s and early 1990s when direct mail was positioned as the silver bullet that would revolutionise marketing and change for ever the way businesses communicate with their customers and potential customers. I recall meeting with direct mail consultancies that were […]

DIRECT MARKETING AND CUSTOMER RELATIONDHIP MANAGEMENT – 3 OBSERVATIONS Some of us recall the late 1980s and early 1990s when direct mail was positioned as the silver bullet that would revolutionise marketing and change for ever the way businesses communicate with their customers and potential customers. I recall meeting with direct mail consultancies that were going to take on the world, destroying advertising agencies and making public relations all but redundant. I recall that after a short period and with a view to enhancing their perceived credibility and sources of revenue market leaders changed their area of expertise from ‘direct mail’ to ‘direct marketing’ – broadening their scope and range of services. I recall reading books that went into great detail on how to write the optimal headline, how long a direct mailer should be, how many pages a target would read, how to address a direct mailer, what sort…