Craig Huey is publisher of the industry newsletter Direct Response and president of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), a full-service direct response advertising agency. He is also president of InfoMat, a leading email and postal mailing list brokerage and management company. He is recognized as one of the top direct response marketing experts in the nation.

Over the past 30 years, Craig Huey has shared his expertise through presentations and workshops, association meetings, direct marketing clubs and conventions, private seminars, colleges and universities.

He’s a regular speaker for the Direct Marketing Association. He has lectured at USC and other major universities.

He has also been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs.

In recent years, Mr. Huey has won 57 major industry awards, including recognition from the Direct Marketing Association, Newsletter and Electronic Publishing Association, Business Marketing Association, Web Marketers Association and IIA Direct Marketing.

Articles about or by Mr. Huey have appeared in numerous publications, including Inc. Magazine, USA TODAY, DM News, Direct Marketing, Target Magazine, Hotline, Mail Order Connection, Circulation Management, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, Marketing Financial Services Newsletter, Newstrack, Marketing Communication, Friday Report, L.A. Business Journal, Christianity Today, High Tech Marketing and ADWEEK.

Clients have included Data Transmission Network (DTN), Chevron, Standard & Poor’s, SurfControl, Accutrade, Household Finance Bank, Permanent Portfolio Mutual Funds, Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch and more than 1,000 other companies.

Mr. Huey often has been selected as an expert witness and a judge at individual award ceremonies and is recognized as a noted authority on marketing.

He wrote a book "An Introduction to Direct Marketing - 6 fundamental truths to increase your bottom line"...(see below)

When I speak at major direct marketing conferences around the world, I like to begin each presentation with this statement:

“Direct marketing is simply this: The most efficient buying and selling method ever developed.”

Of course, the Direct Marketing Association has developed a more formal definition: “Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing which uses one or more advertising media to effect a measurable response and/or transaction at any location.”

But I like to stick with this fundamental fact, proven with more than 30 years of experience: There is no better, more cost-effective, more accountable way to reach your very best prospects and your current customers than with proper direct marketing strategies.

Unfortunately, a majority of companies overlook proven direct marketing techniques and waste thousands of advertising dollars.

The power of the 6 fundamental truths

Direct marketing is the answer because of these 6 fundamental truths. I always tell clients that with proper direct marketing, you will:

1. Identify your best market(s) down to the last significant detail.
You can market straight to your prime audience, offering them a scientifically pre-tested Unique Selling Proposition that will persuade a profitable percentage of them to respond—now. This is possible through careful geodemographic and psychographic studies, as well as advance segmentation of available media.

Only with direct marketing can you target your audience and not waste your advertising budget.


2. Reduce the rising costs of your sales calls.
Personal sales calls are expensive. A recent survey found that the average personal sales call costs well over $400. But with direct marketing, you will better identify your prospects, generate higher-quality leads and make more cost-effective calls.


3. Plan campaigns designed to help your future marketing.
By creating a database of customers or prospects, you can develop a key to survival in bad times and maximize profits in good times. The goal of your database is to maximize customer value through conversion, retention and repeat sales.

It also allows you to create new marketing opportunities and increase customer loyalty. As this chart shows, successful direct marketing will move a prospect in your database up the ladder until he’s someone who not only buys your product or service, but recommends it to others.


4. Open new markets, boosting your sales and profits…and existing customers.
Proper direct marketing can help support your sales force…build up in-store traffic…develop affinity programs…boost your overall market share…and go directly to new prospects.


5. Discover immediately how well your promotions are doing.
Because direct marketing brings an immediate response and accountable results, you can prove the sales power of your offer and refine it before approaching the entire market with a major campaign.


6. Tell your entire story.
As a marketer, you know that communication is the key. Direct marketing gives you the chance to tell your prospects everything they need and want to know about your product or service.



The power of selecting the right medium

What are the best media for successful direct marketing? What’s best for your product or service? Here are some examples of media my staff and I have successfully used over the years…

Direct mail is one of the most popular forms of direct marketing because of its relatively short lead time, low start-up costs and targeted marketing potential. Because you are able to conduct inexpensive tests with this medium, it allows you to refine your Unique Selling Proposition before you approach your total market.

Direct marketing websites are essential to your marketing mix. Properly done (by using multiple entry points, search engine marketing techniques, etc.), you can reach your target market. A Webalog or direct marketing website is also critical as an integrated part of all your marketing, since most qualified prospects will visit your website before they buy.

Online direct marketing is one of the hottest complements to your marketing mix. But you must remember that the same direct marketing rules apply. Our greatest success comes from Webalogs for prospecting and special landing pages or microsites to help secure or close a sale or lead. Don’t break the rules!

Direct marketing television (including 30-minute infomercials) and radio have proven to be powerful, cost-effective media for reaching a wider base of prospects, especially targeted consumer audiences. We buy TV and radio time when we KNOW your prospects are watching and listening.

Direct marketing print ads in newspapers and magazines, although a long time standard medium, have recently achieved higher levels of effectiveness than ever before. This is due to continuous innovations in proven direct marketing copy and graphic techniques. More highly targeted publications and the ability to regionalize ads have added to the success in this area.

Direct marketing videos or CDs are proving highly effective when used to market higher-priced or technical products and services. Also, they can be an excellent medium for generating quality leads.

Email is fast becoming a standard direct response medium—but the direct marketing rules apply.

Other forms of advertising, such as 900-numbers, circulars, point-of-purchase displays, card decks, exhibitor booths and billboards have proven to be increasingly valuable support media when used in a comprehensive direct marketing campaign.

In short, direct marketing combines the unique advantages of selective marketing, scientific pre-testing and immediate, direct feedback to provide you and your company with unlimited potential.