"Direct marketing tools analyses in e-commerce in Russia (a case study of fashion industry)"

<p>In the course of dynamic development of e-commerce in Russia, in particular of the Apparel segment, and under the pressure of fierce competition, online retailers developed a need to retain customers and build long-term relationships with them. To this end, they choose the tools of direct marketing to be able to take advantage of a more personalized approach to each client based on its his consumer behavior.</p><p>The aim of this study is to analyze the promotional tools in the apparel segment (fashion segment) in e-commerce market in Russia with a focus on e-mail marketing as a leader in ROI among all the direct marketing tools. As a result, this analysis helped to draw conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of these direct marketing tools and advice on how to improve their performance was given.</p><p>In the theoretical part of this research a comprehensive analysis of the literature (both monographs and periodicals) was held, resulting in a definition of direct marketing as a tool of integrated marketing communications, dwelling to the identification of its main features, advantages, disadvantages, and analysis of its primary channels applied to the apparel segment.</p><p>In the empirical part of the research a formalized online survey (n = 83) was conducted. Its main objectives were to identify the exposure of respondents to spam, to find out the most important drivers of subscription to newsletter and to understand what type of information subscribers prefer to get in their mails. In addition, it aims at assessment of subscribers&rsquo; satisfaction with newsletter and willingness to recommend subscription to their friends.</p><p>The main software tool of the data analysis was IBM SPSS Statistics that allowed to obtain descriptive statistics (frequency and contingency tables) as well as to carry out factor analysis.</p><p>In the part devoted to problems and perspectives, there was an attempt to find how direct marketing approach will change in a long term taking into account an increasing number of competitors and market saturation. In this case, it will be important to find ways to the better differentiation. There will be a shift in approach: companies will change their strategy of addressing their messages to large groups to a new one implying communication with narrow segments, including one client. Therefore, existing models of direct marketing campaigns will be replaced by new ones, such as a model of &quot;mass customization.&quot;</p><p>In conclusion, on the basis of the studied material and the results of empirical research, the author made his conclusions and ​​recommendations on the most effective use of the direct marketing tools in the fashion segment.&nbsp;</p>