IPA: Time for DM practitioners to take up the torch
The latest IPA/BDO Bellwether Report shows that confidence is returning to marketing departments. But this time round direct marketing faces much greater competition from other disciplines for a slice of the budget. Chris Whitson, head of the IPA’s DM Group, warns now is not the time for complacency – DM practitioners must ensure they spread the word to the client community…
Did you know that a wreath of laurels was first used as a symbol of victory or distinction back in the ancient Pythian games, founded around the 6th century BC in Delphi in Greece, and a forerunner to the modern day Olympics? It is said that, even back then, winners were warned not to rest on their laurels for fear of living off their reputation or refraining from further effort.
But while this mini history lesson may provide an interesting snippet into the origins of the phrase, what, you may ask, has all this got to do with the humble world of direct marketing?
Well, look no further than the latest IPA/BDO Bellwether Report. While it made reassuring reading for most of the advertising world, by suggesting that optimism is creeping back in to the nation’s marketing departments, it is far from a done deal, and there is no room for complacency.
To be fair, this optimism seems to match the anecdotal feeling across the direct marketing community that it is all very busy at the moment. New business in particular seems to be significantly increased on last year. All this optimism though must be tempered with a tinge of concern because, whilst the report showed DM to be in a good position at the start of 2010, many marketing directors believe their DM budgets will decrease as the year progresses.
Understandably the increased optimism has led some marketers to think more about a return to main media channels and disciplines and the early indications are that, to finance it, direct budgets will suffer.
Long gone are the days when the DM community could just sit back and wait for marketing spend to come back to them. In these times, there is a battle royal going on for share of budget. That is why it is so crucial for those in direct marketing to promote the role they should play in a recovering economy and post digital landscape. We have all spent the last few years honing the new skills required for the new media environment, but have we spent enough time and effort in getting this message across to clients?
On the IPA DM Group, all the agencies represented talk specifically about how the work they are doing for their clients and the specialist resource they have to call upon is dramatically different to what it was even two years ago. So, it would appear that DM agencies are well placed to advise their clients on everything from social media, mobile and information architecture but, importantly, they can do it with a deeper understanding of managing customer behaviour and creating sustainable relationships.
In a year where numerous specialists are cropping up to meet the need clients have for these new and, perhaps, scary media channels it is crucial for DM agencies to prove their ability and focus on the importance of their discipline. If we don’t, we may lose the best opportunity we’ve had for some time to change the perception of direct marketing forever, as one of a modern communications discipline.
Crucially, there has never been a more important time to get the message across to the client community. All too often DM practitioners have been guilty of hiding their light under a bushel. While those in adland “talk the talk and walk the walk”, and digital agencies wow clients with the latest gizmo, many people in DM have been reluctant to spread the word for fear of being labelled ‘junk mailers’. We all know that direct marketing is the most effective way to build and maintain strong customer relationships, tailoring communications – both off and online – to people’s preferences. The laurels are there to be won… let’s make sure we get on the winner’s podium.