According to the Direct Marketing Association Inc.'s survey of 1,200 online consumers, based on results from America Online's [AOL] "Opinion Place" research earlier this year, 58 percent of respondents said they have made an interactive purchase and almost 40 percent said they will purchase more via new media in the next year.
It may still be left to debate as to how much your employees (your key internal audience) or shareholders and the media (your key external audiences) are relying on the Internet for day-to-day transactions. But the findings are a dose of reality when it comes to discerning how important (and effective) your customer relations endeavors are. We suggest that if you aren't yet a champion and advocate for pushing your company into the digital era that you put this on your to-do list ASAP. (DMA, 212/790-1525)