Marketers plan new '89 strategies

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Feb, 1989

Marketers plan new '89 strategies * Parsippany, N.J.--Over 70 percent of direct marketers made no changes in direct mail strategies during the first half of 1988, despite third-class postal rate increases of up to 32 percent, according to a survey conducted among 186 business-to-business marketers by Dun's Marketing Services.

Other finds of the survey, however, indicate that many plan to test new strategies in 1989. The Dun's survey, which received a 41 percent response rate, revealed the following:

* Most direct marketers did not expect to change the volume of mailings to customer lists for the second half of 1988. However, 40 percent said they would decrease prospect mailings by about 12 percent.

* Twelve percent plan to test or use private mail delivery services. One-fifth said they are currently using or plan to test the use of facsimile machines as an alternative source of distribution.

* Fifty-eight percent favored privatization of the U.S. Postal Service, saying that a privately owned distribution service would be more efficient and offer better rates.

* Nearly all respondents planned to increase prospect list segmentation/selectivity during 1989 through response analysis, list enhancements, highly selective compiled lists and emphasis on house lists.

* Seventy percent did not expect to shift direct marketing emphasis away from direct mail, but many planned to test or increase activity in telemarketing, space advertising and card deck promotions during 1989.