The Great Debate: Direct Mail vs. Online Acquisition

In an effort to uncover some of the benefits and challenges of online and DM acquisition, I moderated a debate at the Bridge Conference in Washington, D.C., last week. Krista Harte Sassaman, senior account director at marketing solutions provider Epsilon, argued on behalf of DM campaigns; and Vinnie Wishrad, senior director, online community at Conservation International, an organization that applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect biodiversity around the world, discussed online recruitment. While neither participant would actually recommend most groups use only one method, I asked each one to defend her or his turf, in an attempt to surface the true pros and cons of each channel.