Direct marketing is characterized by which feature?

• A. It goes straight from a firm to a consumer.
• B. It relies on broad, non-targeted mass media.
• C. It requires a large physical storefront.
• D. It is always free.

Answer: (A)

Direct marketing centers on direct, targeted contact between a company and a specific consumer, with a clear call to action and a trackable response. Because messages are sent straight from the firm to the individual or a tightly defined audience, it enables immediate response and measurement. This direct path to the customer is what makes direct marketing distinctive, as opposed to using broad, non-targeted mass media that reaches many people with one message. It doesn’t require a large physical storefront, and it isn’t free—the costs to reach the customer (addresses, printing, postage, or digital platforms) are part of direct marketing. So, the feature that goes straight from a firm to a consumer best captures this approach.