What characterizes direct marketing?

Direct marketing is characterized by the direct communication between a business and its consumers, bypassing intermediaries such as retailers or wholesalers. This approach allows businesses to engage with their target audience in a personalized manner, often utilizing various channels such as direct mail, email, telemarketing, and online ads. The key aspect is that the communication occurs directly, enabling businesses to tailor their messages and offers specifically to the individual consumer, which can enhance engagement and response rates.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the essence of direct marketing. Utilizing only digital platforms for communication limits the scope of direct marketing, as it can also include traditional methods like postal mail. Sending promotional materials through mass media relates more to general advertising, where messages are broadcasted to a wide audience rather than personalized to individual consumers. Focusing solely on in-store promotions confines the marketing effort to a physical setting and does not encompass the broader, direct communication methods that define direct marketing practices. Therefore, the core characteristic of communicating directly with consumers without intermediaries is what distinctly defines direct marketing.