Definition
In retailing, direct marketing is a form of non-store retailing in which customers are exposed to merchandise through an impersonal medium and then purchase the merchandise by telephone or mail. [1]
In channels of distribution, direct marketing is the total of activities by which the seller, in effecting the exchange of goods and services with the buyer, directs efforts to a target audience using one or more media vehicles (direct selling, direct mail, telemarketing, direct-action advertising, catalog selling, cable selling, etc.) for the purpose of soliciting a response by phone, mail, or personal visit from a prospect or customer. [1]
Direct to consumer (DTC) is a term used to describe marketing communications that are aimed at patients (consumers) rather than to doctors and other healthcare professionals. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for DTC advertising regulation. [2]
References
- American Marketing Association, AMA Dictionary.
- Investopedia, Direct to Consumer Advertising.