Even today DM programmes are rarely in the media plan of many big brands. Why so?
A. This is an issue of integration versus disintegration. Many agencies are trying to integrate all communication disciplines together – such as direct marketing, public relations etc. On the other hand, there is also a belief that integration is not the best way to move. It is best for each discipline to grow in its own right. I think it is a more fundamental issue. Since I come from an advertising background, I can look at this more objectively. People in advertising agencies are of the view that customer knowledge or brand knowledge resides with the agencies. In fact, most agencies decide what information to share with other disciplines and at which point in time. In today’s context, the need for DM or other disciplines is driven more by the client than the agency. Q. But there so many agencies that claim to provide 360-degree communication… A. Integration in perception is different from integration in reality. I may tom-tom the fact that my agency is integrated, but how many peop
