Despite direct marketing’s ascent in the minds (and budgets) of the
wider marketing community, there is still a shroud of mystique
surrounding the skill and knowledge base which is thought to be required
to succeed in the discipline.
While advertising people have increasingly been gravitating towards the
below-the-line agencies, tempted by the promise of wider creative and
strategic opportunities, many others have been put off by the
comparatively formulaic image, having to deal with statistics, jargon,
peculiar print formats and databases.
Exacerbating this, perhaps, are the DM stalwarts who jealously guard
their area, levelling criticism against the young upstarts who have
escaped from above the line advertising to surf the DM wave.
Richard Bagnall-Smith, the managing director of Wunderman Cato Johnson,
is new to direct marketing, but found the move from above the line less
daunting than he was led to expect. He says: ’The principles of direct
marketing are quite simple, but they are hidden behind a private
language.’
So what is it that direct marketing practitioners need to know? Is it
about knowing what a Johnson box or a bangtail is?
Nigel Jones, a founding partner of Jones Mason Barton Antenen and the
former planning director of BMP DDB, says these are just tricks that you
will eventually get the hang of. ’The whole thing is based on the idea.
The two disciplines might have their differences, but it is still about
getting consumers to respond. Providing I understood that, entering
direct marketing wasn’t difficult. The other elements are important, but
they are just details that can be learnt.’
Chris Barraclough, the chairman of Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray, adds:
’People need to understand what makes people buy. They don’t need to
know the tricks and techniques.’
What does help in these days of DM’s expanding remit is knowing who to
talk to in order to present an interactive TV idea to a client, which
media agencies can come up with a quick solution for a direct response
problem and, perhaps, knowing where some of the best creative thinking
came from.
Some industry people were brave enough to have their general marketing
knowledge tested by Campaign (see above). Some of the questions have
definitive answers; some don’t. Corrections to trickett@haynet.com.
QUESTIONS
CHRIS BARRACLOUGH - Chairman, Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray
How do you construct an AB split test for a DR press ad?
Run two different executions/offers in two halves of the print run
What’s the main legal difference between a (i) prize draw and (ii) a
competition?
(i) can’t be linked to purchase (ii) can, as it contains an element of
skill and judgment
What nationwide food retailer launched the UK’s first loyalty programme?
What was it called?
Tesco, Clubcard
Who is the worldwide chief executive of DAS?
Don’t know
A direct response press ad for which book gained one million mail orders
in three years?
Don’t know - but I know that my John Watson Memorial Plate offer in
Campaign got three ...
Who is the sales director of Open?
It’s recently changed ... I don’t know
Who said: ’The consumer is not a moron; she’s your wife’?
David Ogilvy
What’s cross-ruff couponing?
Er ... is it something to do with coupons?
Who conducted the first formal nationwide opinion poll in the world?
Gallup
Define regression analysis
I refuse to struggle with this, a mere two hours after returning from
Chelsea v Milan
Name three media agencies/offshoots which specialise in direct
Prager & Partners, TMD Direct, CIA Direct
IAN TAYLOR - Managing partner, Lowe Direct
How do you construct an AB split test for a DR press ad?
Find publication which does it; establish coding system for two
different ads; establish response against ad split
What’s the main legal difference between a (i) prize draw and (ii) a
competition?
(i) has no element of skill attached and no purchase necessary (ii)has a
skill element
What nationwide food retailer launched the UK’s first loyalty programme?
What was it called?
Tesco, Clubcard
Who is the worldwide chief executive of DAS?
Michael Greenless? I’m not sure
A direct response press ad for which book gained one million mail orders
in three years?
How to Make Friends and Influence People
Who is the sales director of Open?
I don’t know, but I know Mark Booth, so I’d give him a ring
Who said: ’The consumer is not a moron; she’s your wife’?
David Ogilvy
What’s cross-ruff couponing?
No idea
Who conducted the first formal nationwide opinion poll in the world?
MORI
Define regression analysis
Taking historical data and work back from it, to get the most likely
future outcome
Name three media agencies/offshoots which specialise in direct
MediaVest Direct, Mediacom Direct, All Response Media
LESLEY MAIR - Managing director, WWAV Rapp Collins
How do you construct an AB split test for a DR press ad?
Alternate between two versions of an ad in a 50/50 split of the
publication
What’s the main legal difference between a (i) prize draw and (ii) a
competition?
(i) is a game of chance (ii) is a game of skill
What nationwide food retailer launched the UK’s first loyalty programme?
What was it called?
Tesco, Clubcard
Who is the worldwide chief executive of DAS?
Michael Birkin
A direct response press ad for which book gained one million mail orders
in three years?
World Atlas of Wine
Who is the sales director of Open?
Oh gawd, I don’t know
Who said: ’The consumer is not a moron; she’s your wife’?
Stan Rapp or David Ogilvy
What’s cross-ruff couponing?
Don’t know
Who conducted the first formal nationwide opinion poll in the world?
MORI
Define regression analysis
Urrr ... a clever thing that my stats people do
Name three media agencies/offshoots which specialise in direct
WWAV Media, CIA Direct, Universal McCann
TERRY HUNT - Chairman, Evans Hunt Scott
How do you construct an AB split test for a DR press ad?
Take the same space in the same publication on the same day, and
regionally run different creative or offer, see which wins
What’s the main legal difference between a (i) prize draw and (ii) a
competition?
(i) Not allowed to link to purchase (ii) includes skill, so you’re
allowed to make purchase a condition of entry
What nationwide food retailer launched the UK’s first loyalty programme?
What was it called?
The Co-op, the Divi, and I can still remember my mum’s divi number
Who is the worldwide chief executive of DAS?
No idea
A direct response press ad for which book gained one million mail orders
in three years?
How to Win Friends and Influence People, by, um, an incredibly rich
man
Who is the sales director of Open?
It’s a Nick ... I know his name’s Nick ...
Who said: ’The consumer is not a moron; she’s your wife’?
David Ogilvy
What’s cross-ruff couponing?
Not sure, I think it’s when you’ve got something like two offers on one
coupon
Who conducted the first formal nationwide opinion poll in the world?
Gallup
Define regression analysis
Taking a variety of data and work out key determinates to make one
assumption, but I think I’ve just bullshitted this
Name three media agencies/offshoots which specialise in direct
All Response Media, Prager & Partners, WWAV Media
ANSWERS
1 Same space, same media, same day, different copy/offer in a 50/50
split of the print run
2 (i) No skill required, and you can’t link entry to purchase (ii) skill
required, purchase may be an entry requirement
3 The Co-op, Dividends
4 Michael Birkin
5 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Vic Schwab
6 Nick Bryant
7 David Ogilvy
8 A sales promotion campaign in which Brand A carries a coupon against
Brand B
9 George Gallup
10 A statistical tool which uses data from historical results to predict
future outcomes
11 Various, including All Response Media, Prager & Partners, WWAV Media,
Mediacom Direct, Carat Direct, MediaVest Direct, Zed, CIA Direct.
