This book offers guidelines and practical steps - often illustrated by case studies - which can be put to immediate use in the reader's own business. Section 1 provides an introduction to direct marketing and the opportunities it offers for various types of firms. Section 2 covers consumer, retail and business applications. These include the mail-order buyer, the offer, formats, catalogues, telephone marketing, mailing lists, print media, television, publicity and fulfilment. Section 3 focuses on the preparation and response of a direct response programme and covers research, budgeting, agencies, staffing, scheduling, postal and legal information, design, copy, print, testing and reading results.