US interactive and direct marketing revenues rose by 9% to $1.9 trillion during 2001, according to the latest data from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). This rise comes despite a year ‘marred by economic uncertainty and public concern over anthrax in the mail’, notes the DMA.
Forecast According to Association’s
Economic Impact: US Direct & Interactive Marketing Today study, over the next five years direct marketing sales growth will outpace overall sales growth in the US by 3.5% points. Sales are projected to reach more than $2 trillion in 2002; overall direct marketing sales growth is forecast at 8.3% annually through 2006, while total US sales growth is estimated to be 4.8% per year.
The study also reported that spending on direct and interactive marketing rose 3.6% to $196.8 billion in 2001, from $189.9 billion in 2000. According to the data, direct and interactive marketing represents more than 55.2% of total US traditional advertising expenditures.
“In an industry that accounts for nearly 8.6 percent of the U.S. economy, it is no surprise that direct and interactive marketing is still growing at a healthy pace,” said Robert Wientzen, president and CEO of the DMA. “The rise during 2001 is particularly noteworthy considering that the year’s direct mail growth for the second half of the year was marred by public concerns over the possibility of anthrax being sent through the mail.”
Direct marketing growth to outstrip advertising From 2001 to 2006, direct marketing are sales projected to grow steadily, compared with continued slower growth in both ad spending and employment, says the DMA report. While direct marketing sales growth for 2001 to 2006 are is forecast be 8.3%, ad spending is projected to grow at a slower annual rate of 6.5% per year.
