Direct Marketing: true partnership between client and agency - a new paradigm to be changed
August 19, 2009 by admin
For professionals and direct marketing agencies and marketing managers working in large companies and are responsible for hiring this service, it is impossible not to notice the evolution and professionalization of the sector in recent years. Looking back, about 15 years ago, we see a work of "parking fund", pardon the term, being held at the bottom of the advertising agencies and advertising, where marketers and customers saw the Direct Marketing exclusively as a sales channel and, in rare cases, as a tool for customer relationship.
We hitch a ride stage of the budget advertising campaigns, but, unfortunately, direct mail, e-marketing and telemarketing are still considered by many agencies and their clients as just a sales channel for products and services and not as a tool relationship that drives sales through offers real value to customers, which in turn offers his loyalty and fidelity.
The new paradigm should be to lessen the distance by the agencies with the client's business. More than just providers, direct marketing agencies should be business partners. Professionals who meet the bill need to thoroughly understand the client's business, so they are able to find solutions to the most cost-effective. It seems obvious, and while difficult - especially in times of financial crisis, but a good negotiation with the suppliers, bearing in mind a win-win relationship, can bring actions with cost savings, without changing the quality and duration of the work.
The budget of the client must be used in a creative and intelligent and this attitude must start at the action planning with the customer. However, the effectiveness of the use of intelligence in the use of the budget depends on the alignment of agencies with their customers through intensive methods, processes and technology, something that some agencies urgently need to invest to enable the paradigm shift is performed.
And speaking of crisis, the Brazilian and international press have widely reported losses billionaires and mass layoffs in the auto industry giants and financial, to mention just two examples. Without seeing a light at the end of the tunnel during this period of turbulence and economic uncertainty, cost reduction has become the focus of businesses as well as the establishment of more aggressive targets. Let me make use of a phrase and cliché, but the rule is now "doing more with less."
Therefore, I insist on the fact that the tools of Direct Marketing must become a sales channel for networking tool, which will strengthen the relationship with the consumer and will realize the value of the product and the company.
Moreover, it is necessary that agencies start to prioritize investments in database marketing that will make them partners of their customers from construction planning through execution, which of course should force them to be committed to the return and measurement. Indeed, the commitment to results will very soon be a condition of maintaining and attracting new customers. It is certainly very good public recognition with the achievement of industry awards, but nothing better than an indication of a satisfied customer to gain recognition and visibility in the market, and other gains.
You also need to invest in highly qualified professionals and technology as an efficient process management facilitates the work in all phases of direct marketing, such as planning, service, establishment, operations, finance and database marketing.
These suggestions may seem simple and obvious, but the Brazilian market for direct marketing has yet to put them into practice. And as they say: "The obvious is the treasure buried underneath our bed, always at our fingertips." Discover this treasure and good luck!
(*) Vp for Latin America of Williams Lea, a British group Deutsche Post World Net has come to serve the Brazilian market in the areas of direct marketing and graphic production
