Commonsense Direct Marketing [Paperback]

Drayton Bird (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0749431210 | ISBN-13: 978-0749431211 | Publication Date: August 25, 2000 | Edition: 4th

As direct marketing activities are now allocated a higher marketing budget than ever before, due to the opening up of technologies in this area, it is more important that this medium is understood.To plan and execute a dynamic and ongoing campaign, and to successfully deploy the new technology now at our disposal, any marketer need look no further than Drayton Bird's latest edition. In his lively style, Bird shows the reader how to plan clearly, reach the right audience and turn ideas into brilliant campaigns. This book provides information which guarantees results and the opportunity to learn the success secrets of one of the world's most respected direct marketing gurus.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Everything the testimonials say, and a bargain at any price.' Robert Heller 'Read it and re-read it. It contains the knowledge of a lifetime.' David Ogilvy 'Remarkably personal, yet authoritative.' Ed McClean, DM News, New York 'So clear and concise that selective quotations fail to do justice to the richness of its texture.' Campaign 'If you can spare the time to read only one direct-mail book - this is it. Beg, borrow or steal it.' Graeme McCorkell, Founder , MSW Rapp & Collins 'If you read no other book on direct marketing you should find the time to read this one.' Direct Marketing International 'For sheer readability, it's still hard to beat Commonsense Direct Marketing.' Direct Response 'Probably the best book written on direct marketing in the UK and certainly the easiest to read.' Direct Marketing Strategies

About the Author

Drayton Bird has over 40 years' experience as a copywriter and creative director. He was VP and Creative Director at Ogilvy and Mather and today runs his own marketing partnership.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kogan Page Business Books; 4th edition (August 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749431210
• ISBN-13: 978-0749431211
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 7.5 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,266,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is it! Everything you need to know about the business, July 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Commonsense Direct Marketing (Hardcover)

This book contains all of the information you need to know about direct marketing. It puts aside the myth regarding the 1-2% return on mailings. I had no idea that a 50% return was possible! The book is full of proven advice and tips; planning, list selection, the offer, pricing...it goes on and on. Reading it from cover to cover gave me the information necessary to execute my own mailing which cost me less than $200 but reaped close to $100,000. Read it!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable overview of the direct marketing business, May 22, 2008

By 

Loren Woirhaye "Direct Response copywriting ... (Easthampton, Massachusetts - Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing (Paperback)

I own an earlier edition of this book, written before
the internet stuff was added.

Still, Drayton Bird is a fine writer and he explains
things lucidly and he has hella' experience and knows
of that which he writes.

He has a good sense of humor. Sort of droll.

No book can cover it all, but this one does a good job
of touching on major points any direct marketer should
really get a grasp of.

It isn't until about half-way through that Bird gets into
Copywriting but he covers a lot of ground quickly in this
area. If you write copy you SHOULD read a lot of books
and read a lot of copy - one book doesn't do it.

It's not obvious to everyone but there are some "copywriters"
out there that don't actually know marketing very well.
They are best avoided if you are paying for copy, and this
book will help you a lot if you are thinking of writing
your own copy or thinking of hiring somebody to do it for you.

Favorite quote (of many):

"If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys"

Funny guy, that Bird.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Wisdom From a Master, August 3, 2010

By 

Mark (Perth, Western Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing (Paperback)

IF you know about Drayton Bird, then you know he's a bit of a legend. If you don't know about him, well then what are you doing in marketing/advertising?

But seriously, this book is a goldmine of marketing ideas and advice that are designed to get results.

If results matter to you, then get this book.

If you want fancy marketing and branding theory, then this is not for you.

It's a big book packed with tips on what to do and how to do it.

All delivered in Bird's irascible and highly amusing style.

As the name implies, it's about direct marketing. In other words the hard nosed approach towards getting the sale and the profit.

It should be required reading for all marketers and advertisers, but sadly it isn't.

That makes it a secret weapon for those of us in the know.