Unique in its incredible thoroughness, this is the most comprehensive direct/interactive marketing book on the market. Current and relevant concepts--customer relationships, database marketing, information privacy, telemarketing, research and testing, global and ethical issues, and more--will prepare individuals to be competitive in the job market and workforce. Other "hot topics" include legal issues, non-profit organizations, business-to-business applications, customer service and fulfillment, and creative and quantitative issues. For any business professionals working for a for-profit or nonprofit business or governmental agency; professionals of businesses of any size; and entrepreneurs.

Contemporary Direct Marketing, conceived as a college textbook for a core course in direct marketing, was developed to have practical relevance for those interested in, about to enter, or already involved in direct marketing. It is designed to encourage interactivity and creative discussion both in and out of the classroom. We two authors have endeavored to combine theory and practice for college students as well as for experienced professionals. Our objective has been to identify and organize the proven principles and correct concepts of direct marketing. Mind-boggling technologies have appeared only recently . . . yet what appears in this text has been evolving long before that among mail-order merchants and users of direct mail. There was significant innovation in direct marketing tools and techniques during the last half of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, an abundance of overzealous "dot-coms," coupled with what they felt to be unlimited potential of an "e-commerce economy," did not know these proven principles and correct concepts of direct marketing. A host of failures inevitably resulted. From our combined learning (spanning many decades), from our extensive classroom work, and from our on-the-job practical experiences, we have watched direct marketing evolve to what it has become today. Our backgrounds are extensive, yet diverse. It must be remembered that instruction in direct marketing is anextension ofnot analternative tobasic marketing. The roots of direct marketing, as it emerged as a discipline in its own right, lie in the basic philosophy of the total marketing concept. It interacts with the two other major functions of organizationsfinance and productionas well as many related academic disciplines including computer science, quantitative analysis, economics, and the behavioral sciences. These related disciplines are often viewed and sometimes even repeated in this text, but always in the context of direct marketing. Attributes of direct marketing; distinguishing it from traditional marketing, are these: measurement and accountability along with reliance on lists and databases. As costs have soared, business firms as well as nonprofit organizations of every size have recognized that the efficient use of the elements of direct marketing can be one of the best ways to produce positive results. Most direct marketers are practical, pragmatic people. They do enough things right, but they can improve by measuring what they do against proven theory. Theory guides practice. Understanding "why" is as important as knowing "what" or "how." Virtually everyone uses direct marketing in today's environment. Today, mounting numbers of both commercial firms and nonprofit organizations are initiating or expanding direct marketing in their operations. These actions can be observed in a broad range that includes big corporations and entrepreneurial companies as well as organizations and associations like educational and health institutions, theater and arts groups, services, financial firms, in fact, all types of enterprises. The effective use of the elements of direct marketing has become one sure means of increasing profits, fundraising contributions, attendance, memberships, or political actions. The explosive growth of direct marketing has made it difficult to find enough people with the skills demanded in the discipline. By gaining the knowledge needed to guide firms and organizations to direct marketing success, trained professionals also boost the chances for their own career advancement. Inevitably, college education in direct marketing has been advancing rapidly. ORGANIZATION AND PEDAGOGY The total marketing concept serves as a basic philosophy in understanding the elementsconcepts and theoriesof direct marketing. Tools and techniques relative to these elements are presented in