What Is The Direct Marketing Association?
Overview
The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the world’s largest trade association dedicated to advancing and protecting responsible data-driven marketing. Founded in 1917, DMA represents thousands of companies and nonprofit organizations that use and support data-driven marketing practices and techniques.
In 2012, marketers — commercial and nonprofit —will spend $168.5 billion on direct marketing, which accounts for 52.7 percent of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures will generate approximately $2.05 trillion in incremental sales. In 2012, direct marketing accounts for 8.7 percent of total US gross domestic product and produces1.3 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly support 7.9 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.2 million US jobs.
DMA is headquartered in New York City and has an office in Washington, DC. It represents its members' interests in each of the 50 states as well as on Capitol Hill, at the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and other agencies such as the United States Postal Service (USPS). Each year DMA tracks thousands of proposed laws and regulations in Washington, DC and across the nation. We address key Federal and state policy issues that affect the direct marketing community such as behavioral marketing, data security, privacy, postal reform, Do Not Mail legislation (DNM), the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA), and others.
DMA provides best-in-class education and professional development including specialized seminars; webinars; in-house training; certificate programs; access to direct marketing databases and information; a library and resource center; as well as case studies; white papers; in-depth analyses; performance benchmarks; thought-leader trend briefings; and research reports. DMA's comprehensive education programs have content available online through virtual seminars and self paced e-Learning modules. The programs are delivered in collaboration with thought leaders from across the community and top experts in the appropriate fields including the newly expanded Search Engine Marketing certification program and the DMA Certified Marketing Professional Program.
DMA hosts numerous, events, conferences, and exhibitions including the All for One Summit Presented by DMDays; The Email Evolution Conference; the National Center for Database Marketing Conference & Exhibition (NCDM); the National Conference on Operation & Fulfillment (NCOF); multiple Nonprofit Conferences; and the largest gathering of cross-media/channel marketing professionals, the DMA Annual Conference.
We are increasingly active in international government relations, including the Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and have forged partnerships with the China Direct Marketing Association (CDMA) and the Arab Direct Marketing Association (ADMA). DMA keeps an online roster of different Direct Marketing Associations from around the world, as well as numerous international resources and business links. We operate a Safe Harbor Program, The International ECHO Awards Competition, a Global Advisory Board, and an International Council.
DMA also promotes the direct marketing community and member companies to consumers, fights negative perceptions, ensures fair treatment by the media, and proactively addresses the issues affecting marketers. We maintains our Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC) Program, part of our continued emphasis on empowering consumers and strengthening their trust with the direct marketing community, where members follow specific practices to protect consumer preferences and privacy, as well as preserve self-regulatory actions. In October 2008 DMA launched DMAchoice.org, a site empowering consumers to opt-out of commercial mailings they would prefer not to receive and opt-in to get commercial mailings they do want, all from a single, free, Web-based account. DMAchoice is a portal for all channels, enabling marketers to reach audiences with maximum efficiency, and effectively communicate with people who are interested in their products, services, or messages.
To enhance networking and learning opportunities for its members, DMA has over 20 Special Interest Councils: Agencies; Analytics; Broadcast; Business-to-Business; Catalog and Multichannel Marketing; Circulation; Contact Center; Customer Relationship Management; EMail Marketing; Hispanic Marketing; Insert Media; Insurance & Financial Services; International; List & Data; Marketing Technology; Mobile Marketing; Nonprofit; Pharma and Healthcare Marketing; Retail Marketing; Search Engine Marketing; Social Media; and Travel and Hospitality.
DMA publishes Point, a digital publication focused on one timely, highly relevant topic, explored in-depth by several high-level experts representing a variety of viewpoints in the marketing spectrum, per installment. Soon to debut is CinemaDMA, where direct comes alive, an online video library featuring thought leaders, pace-setting innovators, and industry trend-setters sharing their thoughts and experiences from today’s direct, digital, cross media, multichannel environment.
DMA is actively engaged in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
For more information about DMA or its subsidiaries, call 212.768.7277 or e-mail us at membership@the-dma.org.
What DMA does
In today's world, direct marketing has evolved into a data-driven, cross media, interactive, multichannel process for building and cultivating mutually beneficial relationships between you and your customers and prospects. The future of your organization depends a great deal on how you communicate, and direct marketing is your most important tool.
DMA Mission
DMA’s goal is to keep all marketing channels open and economically viable, as well as maintain the flow of data that fuels multichannel marketing. DMA advocates with legislators and regulators, provides reputation management, cutting-edge research and education, as well as networking and market making opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. We call this combination The Power of Direct.
DMA's Five Centers of Excellence of Member Service
DMA shapes the way organizations apply direct marketing methods to all marketing, sales, and customer service. The outstanding array of the membership benefits is organized in five areas:
- ADVOCACY
DMA is the voice of the direct marketing community on state, federal, and international levels. We act as advocates for direct marketing standards and self-regulation to ensure responsible marketing, and we also serve as a liaison to government officials to represent direct marketing interests in public policy, media, and other venues. - REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
DMA promotes the direct marketing process and member organizations to consumers, fights negative perceptions, and addresses issues affecting marketers. We promote responsible business practices through outreach to marketers on most important topics, as well as establish and continuously update stringent ethical guidelines for marketers. We also assist our members with setting and adhering to those ethical standards and support them in their compliance efforts. - EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DMA is committed to providing professionals with educational and training opportunities. Through seminars, virtual seminars, conferences, in-house training programs, certificates, and many events, we help our members stay abreast of news and developments, improve their overall marketing expertise, and enhance their ability to compete. - NETWORKING & MARKET-MAKING
As a DMA member, you will be a part of the largest network of direct marketers anywhere. Member organizations get unparalleled opportunities to share ideas with the finest minds in the community, connect with peers, and forge business relationships. - MARKET INTELLIGENCE/RESEARCH
DMA membership gives you access to a wealth of information to help you make knowledgeable marketing decisions. Research publications and DirectLINK online provide valuable market intelligence for every segment and topic of the direct marketing community. The cutting-edge research lets you accurately keep pace with trends and measure your organization’s activity relevant to current direct marketing.
To learn more about specific DMA activities, view our Annual Report.
Explore DMA Services or download our Products and Services Brochure.
Who are DMA members?
DMA's members can be categorized into three broad segments: marketers, vendors and suppliers to the direct marketing community, and nonprofit organizations.
Both consumer and business-to-business marketers are the users of direct marketing techniques. These marketers employ a number of media, including websites, catalogs, television, inserts, mobile, magazines, email, and search. The suppliers are those companies that provide marketing companies with supplies and services.
DMA’s membership roster includes companies such as: Google; Microsoft; Procter & Gamble; Time Warner/AOL; Xerox; Yahoo!, and nonprofits such as: American Red Cross; American Institute for Cancer Research; Habitat for Humanity; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; North Shore Animal League America; and The Nature Conservancy.
Join this group of gold standard marketers and suppliers when you become a DMA member.
What is direct marketing?
Direct marketing is defined as an interactive process of addressable communication that uses one or more advertising media to effect, at any location, a measurable sale, lead, retail purchase, or charitable donation, with this activity analyzed on a database for the development of ongoing mutually beneficial relationships between marketers and customers, prospects, or donors. Along with mass advertising, direct marketing allows organizations to inform potential customers, create brand awareness, or spur immediate purchase behavior. In addition, direct marketing enjoys certain advantages over mass advertising such as measurability, accountability, efficiency, and higher return on investment. The Power of Direct means relevance, responsibility, and results.
The process of direct marketing:
- Begins with data for identifying and addressing categories of prospects, customers, or donors (by nonprofit organizations) judged most likely to be interested in the product or service. Direct marketing therefore depends on a vibrant list and database infrastructure.;
- Analyzes this data through a variety of data to develop relevant and effective offers and communications between the marketer and customer or prospect;
- Utilizes a variety of addressable media, individually or in combination, to produce, deliver, and receive such communications and/or exchanges of value (products, services, payments) between marketers and customers;
- Uses market segmentation and optimization to measure such communications and transactions between marketers and customers, especially transaction responses (response rates and average order size) driven by, or related to, communications messages exchanged;
- Tests new communications against past communications to improve future interactions between marketers and customers in an ongoing "learning process" leading to long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.
Source: The Power of Direct Marketing, 2009 – 2010 Edition
When fully integrated throughout the organization, direct marketing processes increase the organization's overall efficiency, from initial product research and development decisions through final customer sales and service. Because today's direct marketing processes are so efficient and powerful, a business that does no direct marketing is increasingly rare. Every company should consider expanding its use of direct marketing techniques and benefit from The Power of Direct.
The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.
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