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Direct marketing is always evolving as technologies, consumer behaviors, and data analytics reshape the way that businesses connect with their audiences. Traditional methods of communication like direct mail have given way to more personalized and data-driven approaches—including email marketing, social media ads, and automation. Adaptability is the key to success because today’s direct marketing techniques are more dynamic, customer-centric, and more reliant on digital channels than ever before.
To better understand our changing industry, Keypoint Intelligence conducted two direct marketing surveys at the end of 2024: one for business respondents and another for consumers. Let’s take a look at how a specific segment—the 235 US and Canadian respondents, that is—responded to our business survey. Survey participants came from a wide range of vertical industries.
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Consumers’ communication preferences are evolving all the time, and businesses must remain nimble and responsive to these shifts if they hope to retain existing customers, attract new ones, and improve the overall customer journey. Of our total respondents, 193 (about 82% of the total) had implemented policies or strategies to drive paperless adoption. The most popular reasons for implementing these strategies were cost reduction and the drive toward increased adoption of digital channels. It is worth noting, however, that 53% of respondents were doing so to deliver a better customer experience.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing just about everything these days, and this includes the direct marketing world. Thanks to AI, today’s businesses are able to intelligently connect with their customers with more relevance, personalization, and efficiency than ever before. Marketers can use data-driven insights and machine learning to better predict consumer behaviors, tailor their messaging to individual preferences, and optimize campaigns in real time.
Our research confirms that businesses understand AI’s potential. When respondents were asked which technologies they were considering for future implementation, AI tools captured the top spot at 50%.
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Business respondents have high expectations for AI’s potential. When survey participants were asked about the effects they expected AI to have on their direct marketing, the most commonly cited benefits included reduced costs (57%) and improved efficiency/accuracy (53%).
As marketing becomes increasingly digital, AI-driven strategies can help businesses maximize impact, reduce costs, and drive higher conversions with unprecedented precision.
There is no question that today’s direct marketers face a variety of challenges as they strive to effectively communicate with their customers. Modern consumers are inundated with marketing messages across multiple media channels, making it more complicated to capture their attention and foster engagement. In addition, consumers expect—and, in many cases, demand—personalized and relevant interactions that are seamless and consistent across all channels. Balancing these demands while maintaining brand trust and delivering measurable results makes modern direct marketing more complex than ever.
When survey participants were asked about the challenges they faced in delivering a consistent customer experience across channels, the most common included data consistency (46%) and personalizing at scale (41%).
Despite these challenges, direct marketers can take steps to ensure that they are delivering the right messages at the right time. These steps include embracing:
Thanks to technological advancements, evolving consumer expectations, and ongoing regulatory pressures, direct marketing practices continue to evolve. Data-driven personalization, omni-channel engagement, and automation are making marketing more precise and effective, but it is also becoming more complex. Today’s direct marketers must find new ways to deliver the relevant and timely interactions that their customers have come to expect. Direct marketing is changing rapidly, but businesses can position themselves for success by embracing agility, data insights, and knowledge about their customers’ preferences.
Stay ahead in the ever-evolving print industry by browsing our Industry Reports page for the latest insights. Log in to the InfoCenter to view research on direct marketing, customer communications, and new technologies through our On Demand Printing & Publishing and Customer Communication Advisory Services. Not a subscriber? Contact us for more information.
