Traditional Direct Response Channels – Still in Flux

Twelve years ago I asked some of the best direct response fundraisers to write about their craft and balance their thoughts on traditional channels and new ones. I’ve gone back and grabbed a few thoughts from Fran Jacobowitz, CFRE, and Kay P. Lautman, CFRE:

“Someday, the Internet and other new technologies may alter the way we practice direct response fundraising, but it won’t eliminate direct mail as one of the primary fund raising tools for a good long time – if ever. It may change some of the strategies, tactics and production of direct mail packages and programs, but direct mail is here to stay.  So we still need to understand the immediate trends for this most important sub-segment of direct response fundraising.”

I think it’s intriguing to look back at these comments. Without a doubt the Internet and other new technologies are having profound influence on traditional channels BUT what really jumps out for me is the thinking that there are trends still going on with the traditional channels. I’m throwing out the reminder (from 10 years ago from these multi-decade direct response fundraisers) that there’s still flux and change with direct mail, the telephone, and other channels. A channel like direct mail has creative, tactical, and strategic successes and failures all the time – 10 years ago – and today.

So, Kay and Fran would simply say “keep testing” – whether that’s online or offline.