A report of leading Australian brands by international research body Forrester has found that Australian marketers are set to “shift their focus from consolidation to growth” in 2010.

The report, which also interviewed the likes of Warner Music, Nokia and Vodafone, said: “2009 was a period of consolidation for many marketers in Australia, who used the year to prepare for a
recession that, in technical terms at least, did not occur.

“They trimmed underperforming activities and shifted their focus toward the retention end of the marketing funnel. In 2010, they will shift their focus from consolidation to growth,” it said.

The report’s author, Steven Noble, told ProPrint that marketers were focusing less on any one communication channel itself and more on customers. He added that targeting would be crucial in printed marketing.

“In other words, it’s not paper and ink that are on the nose, it’s ‘spray and pray’ marketing,” he said.

Rob Edwards (pictured), chief executive of the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA), agreed print had a powerful role in the media mix. “The shift to interactive and electronic media is inexorable, but there’s still a role with better segmentation and targeted mailings.”

“A well-placed piece of direct mail can drive people to a website and vice versa,” he added.

However, Edwards said the days of sending out “two-million in the hopes of getting 2,000” were well and truly over.

“Printers need to understand the importance of data and work with clients to understand how to use that data.

“They need to be more than just a supplier – they need to provide customer insight,” added Edwards.

ADMA members include printers such as Bluestar, Geon, Offset Alpine and PMP.

How can printers get keep up with the growth in targeted direct marketing? Leave your comments below.

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