Electronic Marketing Questions for Tuesday's Class 2/23

What are some of the benefits of direct mail compared to electronic means of marketing?

The main advantage that I immediately think of when considering anything that is personal or confidential is security. I feel as if one major advantage of direct mail is security. With electronic mail there are multiple ways that people could get into your account. It is also a lot easier for someone to open up one of your emails accidentally as often times emails are not addressed to a specific person but instead an email address which could easily be typed wrong. Also it is very easy to set up folders with email that automatically put mail you may not be interested in into a junk folder. With this being the case you may never reach your intended audience.

Bar codes seem so promising, but what are some of the possible concerns with their use?

There are many concerns with bar codes. First off they are difficult to implement. In order for them to be used many people will need something that is able to read these bar codes, and this will prove to be costly. This could be an expense that could take people a while to accept and in turn hurt companies that choose to use them. Also bar codes and the technology for them seems to target a younger audience that is more tech-savvy. Older consumers may not pick up on this type of marketing which could also hurt companies that rely on this audience for their sales.

Do you think e-marketing techniques will replace traditional forms of marketing?

I think e-marketing forms have already begun to take over traditional forms of marketing. Almost every company you go to in this day and age has their own website. Along with their website they offer opportunities to create accounts with them in which you can tally your purchases and earn points. These points then add up and you receive coupons directly via email. These companies also target which areas within the store you tend to shop in and give you coupons pertaining to those sections. I work in a store that offers the ability to sign up for a discount card and in the last 3 years the process has almost entirely switched over from looking up people by home addresses to now email addresses.

What are some other companies that would benefit from direct mail efforts, how would they benefit?

I think smaller companies could benefit from direct mail. I think this is the case because direct mail allows you to build a more personal relationship with your customers. A hand written letter shows your customers you are far more interested in them and concerned with their business than a mass email sent out to many. I think this could help them to build customer loyalty and in turn it could also give them a good perception which could lead to people spreading a good word about them and how they conduct their business.


What do you think about these articles, how do you prefer to be approached? Do you feel more apt to read a letter you receive in the mail or a letter you receive in your inbox?