Difference between mass marketing and direct marketing

Direct Marketing is the practice of delivering promotional messages directly to potential customers on an individual basis as opposed to through a mass medium while mass marketing is a simultaneous standardized marketing to a very large target market through mass media. Mass marketing and direct marketing have been operating in the wave of consumer market that is promising to make some transformation while the two waves till precedes it as from world war two to date.

It was in the 1970s and 1980s that the consumer marketing power shifted to mass retailing because of large deployment of the Universal Product Code (UPC) and the so-called electronic scanner technologies, which put the consumer marketing in the hands of the retail trade. Here is where the importance of using both direct and mass marketing strategies starts. The ability of mass marketing is to get the message to all people through advertising; this has remained and as well remains to be a very useful and cost effective marketing strategy.

However, the current business situation is taking hold of the new world trend by spear-heading the power of direct marketing as one of the unique capability. This has occurred for those aiming at mass marketing to form a very powerful and new marketing force that can clearly call direct marketing or mass marketing which is the best way of reaching the market currently. In direct marketing marketer think of the applying their strategy in the new era of individualized marketing. Direct marketing consist of direct connection with carefully targeted individual consumers to both obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relation. ”(Kotler and Armstrong, Principle of Marketing, 2001). This can always accomplished by making an offer or inviting then by one of the most appropriate communication means such as mail, phone, fax, computer, and email.

In conclusion, direct marketing and mass marketing both represents a total entity, and this is the new component in the marketing mix that can successfully win the intended market. The two strategies combines contact, involvement, activation and cultivation in a seamless continuum and had a big impact in the current competitive world business.