Direct Marketing creative and execution needs more cohesion

This is according to Ian Geary, founder and managing director of Computer Facilities, one of South Africa's leading specialist direct marketing bureaus and a founder member of the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa.

"In South Africa there are only a handful of creative agencies that are truly specialists in direct marketing and who fully understand the complexities of direct mail in terms of logistics. There are many marketing and advertising agencies that are all dabbling in direct marketing as if it were an 'add-on' service - and delivering a poor result and experience for both clients and recipients.

"When developing a direct mail campaign, in-depth consultation is needed between the agency developing the direct mail campaign and the supplier tasked with its execution in terms of getting it delivered to the recipient on time and in the format it was intended," says Geary.

He says direct marketing production is the back end of what happens once a direct mailing campaign has been created. A DM bureau would typically handle aspects such as data processing, personalised laser printing and mail room processes. "We have highly experienced individuals who specialise in the various aspects of direct marketing processes and yet time and again we find ourselves faced with having to get direct mail packs out for clients that are impractically designed, leading to significant additional costs for reprinting, packaging, additional folding, increased postage and so on."

In developing direct marketing campaigns, consultation between the creative agency and an experienced campaign manager prior to the development of the creative work will prevent bottlenecks in the process. "Direct marketing by its very nature is usually time sensitive and driven by huge deadlines and even bigger budgets. This is where working with a thoroughly experienced DM specialist can save the agency and client money, time and their reputations. The physical aspects of the production process - space, procedures, equipment - are easily found. However, the intellectual aspects of a successful business match are harder to identify. An incorrect match inevitably leads to disappointment, not to mention increased costs and lack of innovation," Geary concludes.