We've all been on the receiving end of bad direct marketing. It's a waste of time and money and alienates more customers than it wins. Good direct marketing, on the other hand, is a totally different story. Some companies are so good at it that they manage to repeatedly target the right customers. Their direct marketing is so sharp that it closes the sale and so consistently useful that customers just keep coming back for more. More importantly, it is no longer a specialist function in a separate department. Few marketing managers can afford to be without a decent understanding of direct and interactive marketing. The Definitive Guide to Direct and Interactive Marketing is the essential handbook for anyone who needs to make sure their direct marketing works.
Merlin Stone is an Executive Consultant in Business Innovation Services for IBM. He is one of the UKs leading direct marketing academics & speakers, a respected consultant and the marketing manager of one of the UK's biggest users of direct marketing.
Alison Bond is a specialist direct and database marketing consultant. She previously worked as Market Information Manager with Air UK.
Elizabeth Blake is Senior Marketing Manager at BSkyB.