Business concept: target and Video Marketing on wall backgroundIn many business schools you’re taught through case studies of big corporations like Apple and Starbucks and it seems like these marketing methods are shown to be what will give you the best success.

But does brand marketing work for everyone? For small and medium businesses the focus shouldn’t be on brand marketing like the big corporations, rather it should be on direct marketing.

Dan Kennedy gives 10 rules from his book to help businesses refocus on direct marketing:

  1. Always include an offer
  2. Give a reason to respond right now
  3. Give clear instructions
  4. Focus on tracking, measurement, and accountability
  5. Only do no-cost brand building
  6. Always follow-up
  7. Make it look like mail-order advertising
  8. Strengthen your copy
  9. Focus on results, period
  10. Put your business on a strict direct marketing diet

Brand building is great but only if you’re not paying for it; making no-cost brand building the best choice. Don’t start with the brand building campaign right way, let it be the result of your direct marketing.

If direct marketing is a better fit for most small and medium sized businesses why do business schools focus their case studies on larger corporations? Should case studies be also taught on smaller businesses and their successes with direct marketing?

What do you think?
Disclaimer: Based on an article by Alex Banayan at http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237901