Does it matter what we call what we do? According to Stephanie Miller, Senior VP at The Direct Marketing Association (US)*, it does. She recently led an interesting discussion on old DM techniques Vs new "Big Data" techniques.

While she presents both sides of the debate (divide?) she doesn't lose sight of the customer's role in the whole story. Are you an old bull or a young bull?

Executive summary

Whether you're an old bull, steeped in the tried and true techniques of Direct Marketing, or a young bull with a fist full of data and feeling not particularly inspired by outmoded terms and concepts, there are learnings here.

Miller argues we should put aside the semantics for a moment and give more thought to the customer and their journey.

She notes the language used in a recent Microsoft research report - "consumers are absolutely desperate for more personalization during their purchase journey." Absolutely desperate. Consumers don't want to encounter gaps between the brands' online, mobile, and in-store presence - they want to have a seamless experience wherever they encounter that brand. Read more

*CAS has been a member of the US DMA for over 20 years. As consumer marketing becomes increasingly direct the lines between "retail" and "direct" are becoming ever more blurred - the upshot is that a lot of the "old" DM ideas are finding application, albeit in a morphed form, in the online world.