Who's Spending What?

Complete results of the 2013 direct marketing media usage survey

Every year we send an in-depth survey to our readers about how their media spending budgets and plans compare to the year before. The result is our annual Media Usage Forecast issue. But we don't have room in print to fit all of the data we collect.

Here is your chance to read some of that behind-the-scenes information for yourself. Below are the complete results of the multiple choice section of the survey. We hope it's just as useful to you as the data and analysis in the magazine.

Would you describe your company's business activities as primarily? Check one only.

• B-to-B 50%
• B-to-C 23%
• Both 27%

B-to-B Answers  

What is your primary job function?

• Corporate and general management 24.0%
• Marketing and sales management  65.3%
• Operations/fulfillment management 3.3%
• List/database/circulation management 0.0%
• E-commerce management 0.0%
• Other 7.4%

What is your company's annual direct marketing expenditures?

• More than $5 million 4.1%
• $1 million to $5 million  9.9%
• $500,000 to $999,999 6.6%
• $100,000 to $499,999 14.9%
• Less than $100,000 56.2%
• Don't know 8.3%

Has your direct response media budget increased, decreased or stayed the same compared to 2012?

• Increased 25.4%
• Decreased 18.4%
• Stayed the same 50.0%
• Don't know/not sure 6.1%

For 2013, will your customer acquisition budget increase, decrease or stay the same compared to 2012?

• Increase 49.1%
• Decrease 5.3%
• Stayed the same 36.0%
• Don't know/not sure 9.6%

For 2013, will your customer retention budget increase, decrease or stay the same compared to 2012?

• Increase 31.6%
• Decrease 5.3%
• Stayed the same 51.8%
• Don't know/not sure 11.4%

For each of the following direct marketing methods, do you plan to increase, decrease, keep consistent your 2013 budget or not use? (Select one answer for each method.)

Advertising on outside websites       

• Increase 28.4%
• Decrease 4.6%
• Keep Consistent 35.8%
• Not Use 31.2%         

Affiliate marketing    

• Increase 18.3%
• Decrease 1.8%
• Keep Consistent 31.3%
• Not Use 48.6% 

Direct mail     

• Increase 24.8%
• Decrease 10.1%
• Keep Consistent 43.1%
• Not Use 22.0% 

DR radio        

• Increase 1.8%
• Decrease 2.8%
• Keep Consistent 3.7%
• Not Use 91.7%

DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.)          

• Increase 14.7%
• Decrease 8.3%
• Keep Consistent 27.5%
• Not Use 49.5%

DR television 

• Increase 2.8%
• Decrease 2.8%
• Keep Consistent 1.8%
• Not Use 92.7%

Email  

• Increase 64.2%
• Decrease 1.8%
• Keep Consistent 28.4%   
• Not Use 5.5%

Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.)    

• Increase 6.4%
• Decrease 2.8%
• Keep Consistent 26.6% 
• Not Use 64.2%

Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps        

• Increase 23.9%
• Decrease 2.8%
• Keep Consistent 12.8%
• Not Use 60.6%

Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone    

• Increase 14.7%
• Decrease 2.8%
• Keep Consistent 13.8%
• Not Use 68.8%

Search engine marketing       

• Increase 45.9%
• Decrease 1.8%
• Keep Consistent 33.9%
• Not Use 18.3%

Search engine optimization    

• Increase 53.2%  
• Decrease 1.8%
• Keep Consistent 33.0%
• Not Use 11.9%

Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.)

• Increase 52.3% 
• Decrease 4.6%
• Keep Consistent 29.4%
• Not Use 13.8%

Social media paid advertising 

• Increase 20.2% 
• Decrease 3.7%
• Keep Consistent 16.5% 
• Not Use 59.6%

Telemarketing (outbound)     

• Increase 26.6%   
• Decrease 3.7%
• Keep Consistent 25.7% 
• Not Use 44.0%

Webcasts    

• Increase 41.3%
• Decrease 0.9%
• Keep Consistent 24.8% 
• Not Use 33.0%

Please indicate which of the following direct marketing methods were used in 2012 for customer acquisition.

• Advertising on outside websites 40.6%
• Affiliate marketing 19.8%
• Direct mail 55.7%
• DR radio 1.9%
• DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.) 17.0%
• DR television 1.9%
• Email 88.7%
• Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.) 15.1%
• Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps  8.5%
• Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone 7.5%
• Search engine marketing 48.1%
• Search engine optimization 59.4%
• Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.) 54.7%
• Social media paid advertising 14.2%
• Telemarketing (outbound) 32.1%
• Webcasts 34.9%

Please indicate which of the following direct marketing methods will be used in 2013 for customer acquisition.

• Advertising on outside websites 44.2%
• Affiliate marketing 28.8%
• Direct mail 63.5%
• DR radio 3.8%
• DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.) 18.3%
• DR television 2.9%
• Email 90.4%
• Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.) 19.2%
• Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps 29.8%
• Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone 15.4%
• Search engine marketing 56.7%
• Search engine optimization 70.2%
• Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.) 62.5%
• Social media paid advertising  21.2%
• Telemarketing (outbound) 42.3%
• Webcasts 52.9%

Please indicate which of the following direct marketing methods were used in 2012 for customer contact/retention.

• Advertising on outside websites 20.0%
• Affiliate marketing 15.0%
• Direct mail 44.0%
• DR radio  3.0%
• DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.) 12.0%
• DR television 1.0%
• Email 92.0%
• Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.) 15.0%
• Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps 9.0%
• Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone  5.0%
• Search engine marketing 28.0%
• Search engine optimization 39.0%
• Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.) 41.0%
• Social media paid advertising 9.0%
• Telemarketing (outbound)27.0%
• Webcasts 28.0%

Please indicate which of the following direct marketing methods will be used in 2013 for customer contact/retention.

• Advertising on outside websites 24.5%
• Affiliate marketing 15.3%
• Direct mail 51.0%
• DR radio 4.1%
• DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.) 9.2%
• DR television 2.0%
• Email 91.8%
• Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.)17.3%
• Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps 20.4%
• Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone  11.2%
• Search engine marketing  36.7%
• Search engine optimization 48.0%
• Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.) 52.0%
• Social media paid advertising 15.3%
• Telemarketing (outbound) 35.7%
• Webcasts 43.9%

Of the following direct marketing methods, please indicate which one delivers the strongest ROI for customer acquisition.

• Advertising on outside websites 4.1%
• Affiliate marketing 2.0%
• Direct mail 19.4%
• DR radio 0.0%
• DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.)  0.0%
• DR television  0.0%
• Email 39.8%
• Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.) 1.0%
• Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps 0.0%
• Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone  0.0%
• Search engine marketing 5.1%
• Search engine optimization 9.2%
• Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.) 1.0%
• Social media paid advertising1.0%
• Telemarketing (outbound) 12.2%
• Webcasts  5.1%

Of the following direct marketing methods, please indicate which one delivers the strongest ROI for customer contact/retention.

• Advertising on outside websites 2.0%
• Affiliate marketing 1.0%
• Direct mail 13.3%
• DR radio  0.0%
• DR space (magazine, newspaper, etc.) 0.0%
• DR television 0.0%
• Email 53.1%
• Insert media (package inserts, FSIs, etc.) 1.0%
• Mobile marketing via mobile Web/apps 0.0%
• Mobile marketing via text/SMS/phone  0.0%
• Search engine marketing 1.0%
• Search engine optimization 4.1%
• Social media engagement (fan page, interaction, etc.) 1.0%
• Social media paid advertising 0.0%
• Telemarketing (outbound) 14.3%
• Webcasts 9.2%

For each of the following direct marketing tactics and technologies, do you plan to increase, decrease, keep consistent your 2013 budget or not use? (Select one answer for each method.)

2D barcodes (QR Codes, SnapTags, Microsoft Tags, etc.)  

• Increase 20.2%
• Decrease 1.1%
• Keep Consistent 25.5%  
• Not Use 53.2%

Augmented reality     

• Increase 2.1%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 4.3%
• Not Use 93.6%

Automated/triggered messages (via email, print, etc.)    

• Increase 31.9%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 18.1%
• Not Use 50.0%

Blogs  

• Increase 50.0%   
• Decrease 2.1%
• Keep Consistent 21.3%
• Not Use 26.6%

Content marketing (creating editorial content to use online and/or in lead generation)      

• Increase 58.5%
• Decrease 2.1%
• Keep Consistent 22.3%
• Not Use 17.0%

GPS/location-based messaging  

• Increase 3.2%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 3.2%
• Not Use 93.6%

Loyalty programs 

• Increase 12.8%
• Decrease 1.1%
• Keep Consistent 20.2%
• Not Use 66.0%

Mobile SMS, short codes 

• Increase 10.6%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 10.6% 
• Not Use 78.7%

Mobile-optimized website 

• Increase 38.3%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 11.7%
• Not Use 50.0%

Mobile apps

• Increase 19.1% 
• Decrease 1.1%
• Keep Consistent 7.4%
• Not Use 72.3%

Personalization 

• Increase 35.1%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 26.6%
• Not Use 38.3%

Personalized URLs (PURLs)

• Increase 12.8%   
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 14.9%
• Not Use 72.3%

Podcasts  

• Increase 11.7%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 11.7% 
• Not Use 76.6%

Response Boosters 

• Increase 2.1%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 14.9%
• Not Use 83.0%

Variable data printing (VDP) 

• Increase 14.9%
• Decrease 0.0%
• Keep Consistent 14.9%
• Not Use 70.2%

Video

• Increase 43.6%
• Decrease 1.1%
• Keep Consistent 11.7%
• Not Use 43.6%

Webinars  

• Increase 47.9%
• Decrease 1.1%
• Keep Consistent 19.1%
• Not Use 31.9%

• MORE ON
• B-TO-B
• ONLINE MARKETING