Disruptive Direct Marketing- continued

In an earlier blog, I had mentioned that one branding web site accused direct marketers of disrupting people’s lives. The comments to this blog saw direct marketers as the curse of the marketing universe. It was actually quite entertaining and revealed that some general advertisers were really feeling the pressure to deliver ROI on their advertising dollars.

Personally, I like the term "disruption" when used as a reference to direct marketing. All successful advertising must ultimately lead people to make an unplanned purchase. It strikes at the core purpose of advertising in a free market.

The strength of the Internet medium, for example, also contains a weakness. It possesses a low disruption capability. The advertiser has to wait until somebody decides to visit his web site. That is why other media are often used to drive people to a given web site.

Disruption, as some choose to call it, is essential. And the more disruptive, the better. It prompts people to take notice.

When I write a direct response advertisement in any medium, I do not want the prospect to feel comfortable. I want her to feel uncomfortable as she realizes that she needs my product. Otherwise, I have lost the sale. So this disruption factor goes beyond the medium and drives the creative strategy.

Getting people to pay attention and consider your product requires disruption. Because in the scheme of things, people do not want to hear what you have to say until you show them that you can satisfy some unmet need.

Do you agree with this assessment? Or is this disruptive quality we strive for something direct marketers need to reexamine?