What is Direct Marketing? Strategies, AIDA Model, and Fashion's Creative Edge

Table of Content

• An Introduction to Direct Marketing

  • Purpose of Direct Marketing

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Marketing

• What is the AIDA Model?

• Brand Ad v.s. Direct Ad

  • Similarities and Differences

  • Examples

Moose Knuckles, 2021

What is Direct Marketing?

Direct marketing is a promotional method that relies on direct communication or distribution without the use of a third party such as mass media or the middleman. Companies deliver their messages through social media, email, mail, phone calls, or messaging. Catalogues such as magazines are also considered direct marketing.

Here are the 5 elements that a direct response ad consists of:

1. Targeting a specific audience

2. Personalised

3. Clearly outlines the benefit

4. Makes a specific offer

5. Has a clear CTA

The Purpose of Direct Marketing

Why choose direct marketing over the other methods? Direct marketing is most effective when your ultimate goal is persuasion. The call to action (CTA) is an essential part of direct marketing ads and that is what you are persuading your audience of. Since most customers are not ready to make the purchase immediately, though it’d be nice, most CTAs include:

• Visiting a website

• Calling for more information

• Providing a contact

• Returning a mail

• Requesting for a quote

Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Marketing

RunwaytoRevenue, 2023

Using the AIDA Model for Direct Marketing

The AIDA model is a marketing, advertising and sales approach methodology that is designed to provide insight into the customer’s mind and represent the steps needed to cultivate leads and generate sales. Since introduced, it has been one of, if not the most popular marketing model amongst all the classic marketing models.

AIDA is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Often referred to as a communications tool rather than a decision-making model, companies use AIDA to identify how and when to communicate to their audience during their buying journey.

RunwaytoRevenue, 2023

An additional 5th stage of the AIDA model is retention, which happens after action and aims to determine the likelihood of your customer repurchasing and/or retaining loyalty. Some questions to ask during the retention period are:

• What is the proposition to retain loyalty?

• At what stage do we encourage this online and offline, and how?

Did You Know?

The AIDA model was introduced by businessman Elias St. Elmo Lewis in the late 19th century. His idea came from his formula of a successful advertisement:

“The mission of an advertisement is to attract a reader, so that he will look at the advertisement and start to read it; then to interest him, so that he will continue to read it; then to convince him, so that when he has read it he will believe it. If an advertisement contains these three qualities of success, it is a successful advertisement.”

Brand Ad v.s. Direct Ad

Now that we are familiar with what direct marketing entails, try to picture how direct marketing is involved in your day-to-day life. For example, the amount of coupons and special deal mails overflowing your mailbox, an ecommerce store you recently browsed popping into your inbox, or your phone carrier calling you to inform you about their upcoming deals. These are all situations we encounter frequently, and are all considered direct marketing.

Oftentimes, customers like you and I would mistake brand ads from direct ads, and vice versa. This isn’t an either/or situation where one is always better than the other. Rather, the two strategies differ fundamentally in how they view the “time to purchase.”

• Direct Ads, aka Direct Response: aim at closing a sale or a transaction effective immediately

• Brand Ads, aka Brand Awareness: investing ad money in building brand equity and establishing a brand’s value proposition into consumers’ minds.

RunwaytoRevenue, 2023

The fashion industry and advertising have a close and dynamic relationship. Advertising plays a crucial role in shaping and promoting the fashion industry, while the fashion industry, in turn, provides opportunities for creative and visually compelling advertisements. Like always, we will apply everything we’ve just discussed to analyse some of the most prominent fashion ads out there!

This is a screenshot of an Instagram ad -- it’s as direct as a direct response ad can be. Let’s recall the 5 elements of a direct response media and see if this ad checks all the boxes:

1. Targeting a specific audience --- ✓

As stated at the top of the image, this ad targets “new VIPS only,” which means new customers.

*Remember the AIDA Model? This part captures your attention!

2. Personalised --- ✓

The use of the word “your” in the text “Your First Pair is $10” holds personalisation intentions, as well as the choice of product. The ad chooses which pair of shoes to present to the user based on their recent searches and/or browsing history. It’s all about the algorithm.

3. Clearly outlines the benefit --- ✓

The benefit here is the discount itself. $10 for a pair of boots is a special deal and that is the clear benefit that the ad promotes.

*Now there’s interest. You want to learn more!

4. Makes a specific offer --- ✓

Tying criteria #1 and #4 together, the specific offer here is that this deal is meant for new VIPS only, which presents some sort of urgency and it makes the targeted user feel special. When you click on “Shop Now,” it takes you to their website which states “+ 50% off sitewide” and displays all the special discounts for new VIPS.

*Here comes desire. There is a value proposition presented in front of you that makes you want to make a purchase (clicking the “shop now” button).

5. Has a clear CTA --- ✓

The CTA here is sales! The ad wants you to click on the “shop now” button which directly takes you to their website filled with deals and promotions, urging you to make a purchase due to the limited time.

*Time for action. You’ve landed on their website and are convinced to make a purchase!

Here are some creative fashion brand ads. Notice how they don’t necessarily have a CTA, are more unique and creative in telling a message, and usually have a main subject.

Key Takeaways

• Direct marketing is a promotional method that involves direct communicatoin or distribution without involving a middleman or mass media.

• The 5 elements of a direct response ad are targeting, personalisation, clear benefit, specific offer, and clear CTA.

• The purpose of a direct response ad is its CTA.

• The AIDA model is a popular marketing approach for understanding consumer behaviour and customer buying journey.

• Brand ads focus on building brand equity and awareness; Direct ads focus on closing a sale or transaction.