DMA Focus: Comment - Mobile marketing set to see fastest rate of change

Marketing Direct 04-Jan-07

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus pronounced that you can't step in the same river twice. In 500 BC this was thought leadership reinforcing the view that everything moves on - as indeed do DMA chairmen. As I reach the end of my term it might be appropriate to reflect on how fast the DM industry "river" has been flowing and where the waters may lead.

It has certainly been a hard time for cold outbound telemarketing. The
rise of TPS, the large-scale rejection of poorly executed telemarketing
and silent calls are consumer issues of unimaginable proportions.

Thankfully other areas are encouraging. Digital direct marketing

continues to grow, email marketing has moved mainstream and mobile is
becoming a more widely used DM tool, and will show the fastest rate of
change over the next two years. The rise of the paid-for search market
is, or will become, essential to DM practitioners' skills as list
selection, DRTV or press ads.

We've also seen major changes in the mailing sector. Royal Mail's
monopoly has ended, but we are still waiting for the regulator and the
Treasury to resolve the inequalities of the VAT system as applied to new
mail providers. Against this background the DMA has continued to lead in
the protection and development of the industry, from training and
hands-on workshops through to meetings with MPs and the continuing
dialogue with key regulators. Whether the mailing sector can
successfully shed the soubriquet "junk mail" is entirely in consumers'
hands. If they perceive the content as junk they'll treat it as such.
Perhaps the next greatest challenge is to ensure they don't.