• ClickZ, Tuesday, January 24, 2006 10:16 AM

The proliferation of user data--especially in interactive marketing campaigns--means that targeted, direct response marketing is increasing at a faster rate than mass media branding efforts. In a new study by the Winterberry Group, the growth of so-called below-the-line initiatives has outpaced above-line branding efforts, growing an average of 7.8 percent annually in the last two years. Above-line spending has increased at a rate of 5.5 percent per year. Researchers who conducted the study said that below-the-line efforts have been more successful in a media climate driven by accountability, which has led to a greater number of targeted, direct response deals in marketing campaigns. They also predicted the demand for quantitative results will continue to intensify over the next five years. Despite above-line spending being "propped up" somewhat by cable TV spending over the last five years, the group attributed the shift to changing consumer attitudes, saying that relevant results based on demonstrated behaviors play better with today's consumer.

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