Direct marketing 'reaches potential consumers'

22nd November 2007

Direct marketing reaches "the people you want to reach", according to the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

It claimed that as the markets are so "well segmented", not using database material in an effective, targeted way is "almost a criminal waste of money, time and the environment".

Spokesperson for the institute Ray Jones explained that companies need to know exactly who their target audience is and customise adverts accordingly.

"The professional serious marketer knows what is being wasted and they do know, thanks to technology and careful research, where their audiences are," he said.

They know the different types of people who are using the internet, he added, such as "silver surfers" and "young surfers".

In related news, the Internet Advertising Bureau recently claimed that targeted advertising is a useful and successful tool for companies, giving consumers advertisements that are tailored to suit them.

MySpace and Facebook are both offering new targeted advertising opportunities for businesses.