Direct Marketing Services
Companies in this industry develop advertising campaigns and related materials for direct distribution to customers by mail or online. Major companies include Epsilon Data Management, Harland Clarke, Harte Hanks, Merkle, and VML (all based in the US).
The global direct marketing services market has been valued at about $77 billion in 2023, according to Statista. Direct marketing operates independently and relies on direct communication to individual consumers through various delivery systems, such as mail, email, social media, texting campaigns, and more. Email marketing in particular is a cost-effective way for global marketers to reach consumers, especially in countries that lack a traditional direct marketing infrastructure.
The US direct marketing services industry includes about 2,500 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $10 billion. The industry is part of the larger advertising and marketing sector, which is covered further in a separate profile.
Competitive Landscape
Demand is driven by economic activity and corporate profits. The profitability of individual companies depends on their targeting services, creative skills, and marketing ability. Large companies have economies of scale in database analytics, marketing, and automated operations, which allow them to compete more aggressively on price. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing in a particular industry, geographic market, or service type. The US industry is concentrated: the 50 largest firms account for about 50% of revenue.
Direct marketers compete against various print and electronic media and other forms of advertising for marketing and advertising dollars.
Products, Operations & Technology
Major services include direct mail advertising (about 75% of industry revenue), letter shop services (10%), and direct mail advertising printing (10%).
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Sales & Marketing
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Finance & Regulation
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Regional & International Issues
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Human Resources
Also includes the following chapters:
Quarterly Industry Update
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Industry Indicators
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Business Challenges
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Trends and Opportunities
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Call Preparation Questions
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Financial Information
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Industry Forecast
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Industry Websites
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Glossary of Acronyms