Shoestring Marketing Alf Nucifora is a marketing consultant in Atlanta. The consumer marketplace has been talking about database marketing for some time. And already, smart consumer packaged-goods companies are shifting more of their dollars to the database environment.
Marketers can no longer afford to simply throw money at the customer.
In essence, there has been a redistribution of power from the marketer to the buyer. In the 1970s, the marketer controlled the buying process by virtue of information flow and distribution. In the 1990s, the buyer controls the transaction. In short, database marketing allows you to identify the most profitable market segments, understand the needs of each segment, and establish a personal dialogue with the customer. It also enables you to identify and isolate those accounts that will be making buying decisions, get there first, and market to them effectively.