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If you haven’t already read Eric Weaver’s post on why direct marketing’s push practices suck you may want to take a look. Eric’s a terrific writer and the concepts he beautifully formats in his post from start to finish ring true and resonate.

Eric’s voice was a call-to-arms for Adrant’s Steve Hall. Steve added commentary as well as posing a few questions that are likely to drive additional reflection and assessment by those in and around the direct marketing industry in a SloFlow post:

Is DM dead? Does it need to change? Should it change? Can it change?

I personally don’t believe direct response is dead, however, I believe the industry as a whole has tried to rely on a mass audience approach to selling and those tactics are clearly not working as we attempt to move in a more meaning direction that include connections with individuals that use a product or service. It is clear, however, direct response needs to change if the industry wants to be relevant moving forward.

Back in the mid-90’s, direct response or relationship marketing seemed to have latched on to a one-to-something sentiment that for a brief moment was the banner for success but it has unfortunately become a one-way medium that seems to irritate more than it illuminates. Metrics mattered more than deepening individual relationships. To make matters even worse, teleservice bureaus adopted technology that created automated call branching, data capture and VRU’s that universally pissed people off. The challenge is perhaps then a simple matter of timing the sale.

As Eric notes in his 11 point prose we’ve come to the point where our culture demands a “DON’T SELL TO ME!” approach that is counter to the whole concept of direct response that lives and breathes everything about selling at anytime of the day or night.

Weaver’s general theme is that industry practices are not on the verge of being outdated but are rather so offensive to consumers that members of the marketing community are themselves also embarrassed. It’s true. I’m tired of the shirtless guy selling the great ab invention of my lifetime and funny DRTV shows on real estate, ebay auction success, remix tapes from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, kitchen knifes that you can program not to cut human skin, and any other goofy product we can think of.

Which brings us to a strategic industry moment: How does the direct response industry move towards a more relevant role in the marketing mix? Here’s a few observations:

1. Publishing is the Universal Medium

2. Simplicity Powers Scale

3. Communities of Interest Fragment Toward LCHE’s (lowest common human emotions)

4. Models Must Change to Reflect that Marketing is Non-Linear Process

5. Artificially scripted “real user” endorsements must stop and can’t replace the impact or power of product or service recommendations that are shared between individuals in closed networks

6. Strength of Ties is More Important than Strength of Influence

TAGS: Eric Weaver, Steve Hall, AdRants, Sound Principles, Direct Response, Direct Response Marketing