The Role of Direct Marketing in the Development of Russian Small Business

Abstract

In conditions of intense competition in a crowded market, when the struggle is for each customer and the products are customized for a very narrow marketing niche, the use of generally accepted marketing brand communications in small business is tantamount to ruin. The article substantiates that creating a brand should not be the goal of a small business, but should be an enjoyable side effect of direct marketing. The main idea of the article is that a multiple increase in prices for goods and services is possible without significant growth in the cost price in small companies by selecting the most highly profitable customers, creating an individualized marketing message and selecting the relevant message channel. The author cites some aspects of direct marketing tools, given the high information noise in the media and the "advertising blindness" of potential customers. The article contains recommendations for various types of small businesses on the use of classic offline direct marketing tools.