When you hear the term direct marketing many marketers thoughts turn, not surprisingly, to tactical, one-off ‘campaign’ style communications delivered 'below the line'.

Which is why we prefer to talk about Relationship Marketing rather than Direct Marketing. We regard Relationship Marketing as a broader, channel and communications neutral concept that focuses on building strong relationships across all touchpoints. It recognises that the experience a customer has before and after receiving a communication is often more important than the communication itself. Which is why you’ll find us talking about the total customer experience, and the importance of contact management.

A commitment to Relationship Marketing may even mean that a traditional marketing communications approach is not the right solution to a particular customer programme.