Nearly 12 percent of firms’ budgets will support direct marketing

As companies come out of the economic recession and make alterations to marketing plans in an effort to adapt to online advertising, a greater number of firms are switching up their tactics by focusing on initiatives that will increase their bottom line.

According to a report by CMO Council, marketing executives worldwide are allocating a greater portion of their budgets – 12 percent – toward database and direct marketing, including direct mail marketing, email and transpromo, eMarketer noted. Additionally, 64 percent of executives are improving customer segmentation and targeting in an effort to boost the impact and value of their marketing efforts.

“Marketing executives said they would allocate 14 percent of their budget to the development of sales collateral and literature,” eMarketer reported. “Eleven percent of budgets will go toward the cost of reaching their audiences through database and direct marketing, which can include email as well as direct mail.”

It is important that companies do not just send out direct mail pieces that could easily be deemed “junk mail,” however. Therefore they must properly target their audience and ensure that they are on board with the marketing messages.