What would we build in its place?

Now that I’ve jumped from the direct advertising agency side of the business to the eCommerce side of the business I can say without any hesitation that the word “direct marketer” as a noun is dead.

Two years ago I was attending a national DMA function. I was standing next to a gentleman who is considered a pillar in the direct field. He turned to me and said, ‘Jon, I don’t know anybody in this room.”
I nodded in agreement and replied, “That’s because you and I are direct marketers, and most of these people aren’t. They’re “marketers” who are here to learn how to use direct marketing as part of their total marketing mix.

Direct mail is dying. It’s slow, cumbersome, expensive and not “green”. I believe that the United States Postal Service (USPS) has some smart cookies working there and that they are very aware that they are in deep shit.
I’m sure that they are asking themselves,

“If there was no Post Office, what would we build in its place?”

Would we build anything in its place? Would we even miss it?
(I just thought about my NetFlix account and realized that even NetFlix is starting to stream movies to me.)

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has the same problem and they’re looking for a new president. I’m sure that they’re talking to all of the right people (they did not call me). Whoever takes the job has to ask the same question.

If there was no DMA, what would we build in its place?

If the DMA disappeared tomorrow, would we miss it?
I hope the next President of the DMA is a visionary who is given the freedom to do
what has to be done.

Jon