Dismantling Direct To Find A USP

I know I promised a blog post for yesterday, but I had some opportunities come up that you'll hear about in the coming days.

In the meantime, though, your humble marketing podcast host wants to elaborate on the future of an "International Marketing Association" that forsakes the word direct. Because with that simple act, we leave behind much of the tactical baggage and allow ourselves to focus on the true core strength of the group — education.

Knowledge Is Our USP

I was unaware of this, but I have been assured by many voices more knowledgeable than me that the current Direct Marketing Association is the world's largest resource of direct marketing books, literature, archived worked, compiled results and marketing training session. Surprising, right? There is simply no advertising or marketing industry group with as much history and more focus on preserving that knowledge, than the DMA. For me, this is an incredible selling proposition.

Losing the word "direct" may eliminate the industry's identity as a distinct marketing discipline, but this knowledge of what works in marketing will make a new IMA more relevant than ever to an ad world struggling to justify spend. We truly would become John Greco's proverbial "big tent," increasing both our relevance and participation in all the disciplines of marketing and advertising.

And no, what I'm suggesting is not a reliance on the current methods of sharing the association's information and resources. That obviously is not working or the DMA wouldn't be so deep in the pockets of the USPS and the printers. What I'm suggesting is an association that truly puts its members to work and makes belonging a financial benefit for all.

Money Is A Motivator

We have so many great thinkers among the rank and file of direct and yet we continue to promote the same old seminars with the same people. (Most of them are great folks mind you, but it's time for variety.) We need to mix things up and the only way to attract forward-thinking industry leaders is to give them more definitive money-making opportunities.

This means more than just splitting seminar revenue with top-named individuals. I'm suggesting a process of certifying and then embedding consultants, much as Accenture does. Whether an agency or business needs some pitch advice or project assistance, we have the potential to be a leading resource for bringing response-based sensibility to marketers everywhere. The DMA/IMA would gain a revenue stream, members would have a financial incentive to join and businesses would be directly (excuse the pun) benefiting for our knowledge without having to say they were doing direct.

The key here is that we would no longer be an association immediately seen as "the mail guys," but a group dedicated toward defining more effective marketing programs. If we truly believe our principles work, then actively putting our best evangelists out for hire is the best way to prove that. Because results and dollars talk.

Recognizing The Obvious

We just have to recognize what marketers everywhere have known for years. To sell "direct" programs outside of the direct marketing space, you have to change the name.

Bob DeSena told me a great story during DMA '09 about how he had to call his efforts "marketing directly" inside Mars, just to get management to buy into his efforts. My UK friends lament to me frequently that they have to masquerade as "response advertising" in order to get programs pushed through. The stories are endless. Our ideas and approaches are valued, but our name is not.

I won't be so bold as to say this is the definitive solution. That goes against the mantra that "good marketing takes humility." I only write this to show one possible path and say that there are alternatives to our current brand if we look for them. The DMA clearly has a valuable USP to stand on that's much stronger than the lobbying/advocacy position it occupies now. Let's at least consider it.