Today’s event: DMCNY luncheon at the Yale club (very enjoyable). One underlying question of the event: How does direct marketing improve its relationship with consumers? My take: Much of the issue revolves around how marketers deal with consumers’ private sphere (e.g. in sending direct mail to homes). My question: So is the consumer relationship problem the same for traditional DM as for online marketers?
Answer 1: Yes. They’re both about how companies deal with consumers’ personal sphere—there’s little real difference between sending junk mail to your home and, say, online behavioral targeting.
Answer 2: No. When it comes to the home (traditional DM’s turf), the idea of the private sphere is highly defined (say, by the walls of your house). When it comes to the Web, ideas of a private sphere are still very fuzzy.
