communication channels in direct marketing:e-mail vs direct mail

Communication Channels in Direct Marketing

A Dissertation

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background

Marketing is the process of planning and executing conception pricing , promotion of ideas , goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives (online American Marketing Association . Numerous other authors (Kotler Keller 2006 online Chartered Institute of Marketing ) have discussed the possibility of a marketing science and have presented their visions to describe the characteristics of such a science . Fundamentally , these visions must come to grips with the idea of "truth " and the role truth

plays in theory and research . Zinkhan and Hirschheim (1992 ) argues that as marketing is viewed as a science , they described the essential problem of science in general and discussing the issues that shape the notion of a marketing science in particular . They note two limiting factors in viewing marketing as a science (1 ) marketing as an applied field and (2 ) marketing 's attempts to explain human behavior-a phenomenon that is mutable , unpredictable , and reactive . For the purposes of our discussion , we shall be using the definition set forth by the American Marketing Association as our working definition for this dissertation

Marketing is rooted in the word market . A market is a collection of buyers and sellers in the marketplace exchanging ideas , goods , and services to satisfy their individual and organization objectives Gronroos (1991 ) also highlights that marketing is to establish maintain , enhance relationships with customers and other partners at a profit so that the objectives of the involved parties are met . Buttle (1996 ) highlighted the four traditional tools of marketing . These are known as 4Ps that marketers use to manage demand which are product price , promotion and place . A product is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need . Price is the amount a buyer pays to acquire the goods and services . Promotion includes advertising , sales promotion , publicity , and personal selling and refers to the various methods of promoting a product , brand , or company to the market Placement or distribution refers to how the product gets to the customer . It refers to the channel by which a product or service is sold (e .g . online or retail stores , which geographic region or industry or to which segment (young adults , families , business people

The 4Ps are often referred to as marketing mix and a marketer use these four elements to craft a marketing strategy to meet the needs and requirements of customer . Marketers sets clear objectives such as finding the right product that customers need , selling the product at a right price , using the appropriate distribution channels to reach its target market , and using the most suitable promotional techniques to entice buyers to acquire the product

In the course of history , several techniques and strategies have been used to achieve their marketing objectives . One type of marketing that is widely used nowadays is direct marketing

Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing which uses one or more advertising media to affect a measurable response at any...