Toward “marketing” the image of direct mail marketing among promotional managers of financial institutions

Abstract

The following “research in brief” summary relates to an exploratory research study of the promotional managers of a small number of financial services firms. It was conducted to determine the overall image of direct mail marketing and other promotional media. Participants assessed the suitability of the various media to perform certain advertising tasks. Although direct mail marketing was evaluated relatively favorably in terms of the selected “suitability” measures, as well as in terms of cost, it was not viewed as positively in its perceived effectiveness in communicating the advertising message. Thus, while direct mail marketing might actually be capable of fulfilling timely communication objectives, its overall image among the relevant promotional decision makers may have hampered its acceptance. Implications for the providers of direct mail marketing services are discussed.