Direct Marketing News - Trends for 2006

http://www.accutips.com/ another great resource for surveys and metrics...here's a synopsis and my thoughts:

1) It’s a wide, wide Web-connected world.
80% of firms surveyed stated that Web marketing would take on an increasingly important role in their target marketing activities. Beyond having great online websites for customers and prospects, more than 70% of firms surveyed stated they also plan to invest more in e-mail marketing.

2) Get ready to hit your targets.
As companies seek to ensure their messages are received, marketing strategy is increasingly being driven by insights into unique customer segments or individual customers, hence the rising importance of database marketing and data mining.

3) Measure once, measure twice, then measure again.
"Efficacy" is the overall effectiveness of marketing for the value it brings to the organization. Efficiency + Value = Efficacy
DoubleClick’s recent sixth annual consumer e-mail study = 78% of respondents made a purchase as a result of an e-mail, 59% of respondents redeemed an e-mail coupon in a store and almost 33% have clicked on an e-mail and made an immediate purchase. Another 33% of consumers clicked on e-mails for information and returned later to make purchases. Important to to measure the efficacy of e-mail programming; test and measure results to contact coustomers at the right time, at the right intervals, and with the right messages.

4) Marketing in an instant.
Instant messaging is a cool way for young people to chat. But it’s also a cool way to tell people about your 12-hour sale; introduce a new malt liquor beverage; launch a new album; drive tune-in to an upcoming program; recommend a lunchtime meal option; and so on and so forth. Way faster than even blogging.

5) Trends, hot target markets.
Pet owners
Seniors and retirees
Hispanic families
Hobbyists, from scrapbookers to skiers
Homemakers

6) Are you feeling the "love"?
Customers will be driven more by their feelings about things—they want more sentiment; they want to feel something. The more we are "connected" electronically (or is that really disconnected?), the more we will need that important emotional attachment. Getting involved in team events and social activities is more important than ever now!