Weighing up impact needs holistic focus

By Dita De Boni

Direct marketing agencies may be gaining in popularity, but adspend in mainstream media like television, radio and newspapers will continue to be vital for creating brand awareness, says 3As executive director David Innes.

Responding to last week's Business Herald article on the Direct Marketing Association, Mr Innes said he was "puzzled" by an argument from chief executive Keith Norris that more measurability could be gleaned from direct marketing than mass media campaigns.

"Adspend is a barometer of marketer confidence in the [given] medium," he said, pointing to jumps in adspend on television and newspaper advertising in the 1998/99 year.

"Secondly, accountability for money spent is measured by a range of criteria, not just how many people pick up a phone and ring or respond to a direct communication."

Both the Direct Marketing Association and the 3As agree a combined approach is best, with large, mass media campaigns creating brand awareness to support less subtle direct marketing campaigns.

Even so, "while the methods of measuring the effectiveness of an ad campaign can be very complex, it is usually fairly clear if they generate a response," said Mr Innes.

Adspend was up 8 per cent to $1.6 billion in the year ended March last year and a pick-up in the economy pre-Christmas 1999 is expected to push adspend figures even higher when 1999/2000 figures are released next month.

There is no doubt, however, that direct marketing tactics are gaining ground and the function is now fully integrated in most agencies.

Aim Direct, the largest direct marketing agency in New Zealand, is more than 75 per cent owned by Clemenger BBDO, with Saatchi, Colenso, Singleton Ogilvy & Mather and most others boasting busy direct marketing arms.

And as marketing continues to splinter, ideas like Aim Direct's offshoot Aim Vision - solely to deal with direct response television - are further narrowing the focus of direct marketing.

But an integrated approach is vital, says Anna Chitty, general manager of The Media Palace.

"How you would view measurability is not always a rate of response.

"It depends on the benchmarks you set for the project," she says.

The Media Palace's direct marketing agency "one to one" has been playing its part in the company's marketing mix for over five years.

"What we do is try to surround consumers and target them more specifically at relevant points in time. For that we have to embrace all communication disciplines," says Ms Chitty.

"All methods should contribute to a holistic marketing effort."