Direct marketing offers the powerful benefit of providing an ongoing relationship between company and customers. As mention by Kotler:,

F Now is the time for really remembering those customers of yours, the nuances, what and when they bought, what they are interested in, keeping up with their needs, and showing your continued interest in them. (Engel, Warshaw ,and Kinner)

Direct marketing involves direct communication between a firm and its target customers to generate a response or transaction. Direct marketing also involves the use of a much wider range of different forms of communication than advertising. These include mail (direct mail/catalogues), telephones (telemarketing), the traditional broadcast and print media (direct response advertising via television, radio, newspapers and magazines), and new electronic media (the Internet, 'Kiosks').

Direct marketing consumers have a range of search mechanisms at their disposal and these can be the best way in searching for information about the product or services. The use of Direct marketing channels such as direct mail, telemarketing, e-mail, personal selling and etc to create awareness and interest will help consumer in this decision making process. New electronic intermediaries such as Web directories, Web-based search engines, focused directories and information brokers (O'Keefe & McEachern 1998), direct mail, telemarketing, catalogue marketing have emerged to link between potential consumers and suppliers. Retailers need to ensure their websites are accessible via these established and emerging search mechanisms. This is by no means a trivial task and retailers need to carefully consider the search criteria and typical keywords that their potential consumers may use when searching for information about their products.

1. Supporting the Online Consumer Decision Process: Electronic Commerce in a Small Australian Retailer, Rens Scheepers, School of Information Technology Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

Problem recognition occurs when a customer feels a need for a product. Factors that help include environmental stimulation, individual experience, and inner motivation of the consumer. Direct marketing may help buyers developing and stimulating a need particularly in strengthening existing needs or deriving new ones. For example following exposure to any of direct marketing tools, consumer may experience varying degree of awareness, and therefore will lead to the purchase of the product or services.

Catalaogue marketing is another example of direct marketing. Marketers can design a catalogue that feature a range of products. This can be seen as an additional medium for marketers in cultivating sales. The use of catalogue as an information source can help consumer to save time and money. This is because most of the catalogue that is send to customers include most of the product that can be found in retail shop.

How does the consumer process competitive brand information and evaluate the value of the brands? Unfortunately there is no single, simple evaluation process applied by all consumers or by one consumer in all buying situations.

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O'Keefe McEachern, Purchasing Decision, Direct Marketing, Rens Scheepers, Source Adopted, Kinner Direct, Information Search, Selection Alternatives, Evaluation Post-purchase, Shimp Direct, direct marketing, direct mail, decision process, information search, consumer decision, help consumer, post-purchase evaluation, consumer buying, create awareness, direct response, consumer decision process, decision process electronic, evaluation selection alternatives, direct marketing involves, help consumer save,
Approximate Word count = 1977
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)