However, direct marketing clearly falls within the realm of marketing communications, irrespective of its use as a vehicle for distribution or dialogue. Direct marketing is both a sender and a receiver of messages, therefore highlighting the importance and relevance of direct marketing facilitating two-way exchanges of information. This interaction or dialogue is made possible through a wide range of media, each of which can be utilized on its own or as part of a battery of media. Thus, although direct marketing developed from mail order and was thus considered to be a means of direct selling, it is increasingly playing an important role in marketing communications. On this basis it is clear .that direct marketing can be used for both communication and distribution. .
The committee of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), a trade association, developed the most widely accepted definition of the direct marketing : .
" Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing which uses one or more advertising media to affect a measurable response and/or transaction at any location.".
This definition isolates a number of issues which distinguish direct marketing from other forms of marketing and communication. There are four elements of this definition :.
An interactive system. Direct marketing is interactive in that marketer and prospective customer engage in two-way communication. Unlike advertising which speaks to people en masse, direct marketing can isolate and communicate with customers as individuals. In other types of marketing, a general marketer provides the target audience with one way communication of information, but the audience is not encouraged to respond via a telephone call or by returning a coupon. For example shampoo advertisement. Direct marketing also ensures feedback from the customer, and thus facilitates interactive dialogue.
One or more communication media. Although the DMA definition uses the specific term advertising, more general term `communication' is more apt given the increasing range of media and approaches within the direct marketing repertoire.