Direct marketing 'happens' when a client company (the provider of a product or service) decides to set up a direct relationship with the purchaser of its product or service. It may be that the provider, e.g., Nestl , has a chain of distribution to deal with, i.e., retailers and end users. A direct relationship can be built with both types of buyer the professional buyer who places huge orders on behalf of their retail chain and the end user who just wants one jar of coffee off the supermarket shelf.

The marketer within the client company needs to make the strategic decision to initiate and build this direct relationship, bearing in mind that the relationship must be managed to fulfil the objectives set for it. A key point to consider is that if direct marketing depends upon building a direct relationship with the customer then direct communications are the linchpin upon which direct marketing relies. Indeed, even in the pages of Campaign, a trade magazine seen as a traditional advertising title, there is increasing talk of 'direct communications' and the role played by this growing discipline within traditional, above the line...