For readers who missed the special 48-page Outlook 2004 supplement in this week’s print edition of DM News, all of the stories can now be found on DM News’ Web site.
Outlook 2004 is a once-a-year analysis, recapping 2003 and predicting the rest of this year for all of the DM categories, including circulation, agencies, DRTV, lists, insert media, production and printing, database, nonprofits.
The predictions include that online marketing, direct response television and insert media will grow as viable business channels. Leads generated in these ways will bolster traditional mail marketing. It helps that the U.S. Postal Service has kept a lid on costs and is doing so again this year and next.
“Companies have been controlling costs and are generally leaner than they were, so they should be poised to come back stronger in the mail in an economic upswing,” said Ray Schneeberger, senior vice president of list management at List Services Corp.
Meanwhile, the wounds inflicted on print media since the burst of the dot-com bubble are taking their time to heal, though industry estimates indicate that print markets may grow 3 percent over last year.
The supplement also contains catalog expert Donald R. Libey’s top 20 predictions for consumer DM and business-to-business, as well as commentary from Shop.org’s Elaine Rubin and Scott Silverman; Joe Sanscrainte of Call Compliance; and Wunderman’s Daniel Morel. The guide is a must-read for marketers interested in the leading trends that are shaping today’s direct marketing field.
Next week, Outlook 2004 will be available for electronic download as a PDF. For more information, go to www.DMNews.com.
