Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques such as mobile messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional letters, and outdoor advertising.

Direct marketing messages emphasize a focus on the customer, data, and accountability. Characteristics that distinguish direct marketing are:

Direct marketing is practiced by businesses of all sizes — from the smallest start-up to the leaders on the Fortune 500. A well-executed direct advertising campaign can prove a positive return on investment by showing how many potential customers responded to a clear call-to-action. General advertising eschews calls-for-action in favor of messages that try to build prospects’ emotional awareness or engagement with a brand. Even well-designed general advertisements rarely can prove their impact on the organization’s bottom line.

A recent study by the Direct Marketing Association reports that in 2010, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $153.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.2% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.798 trillion in incremental sales. In 2010, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2010, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.8 million US jobs.

David Lee Foy (born 20 October 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Birmingham City and Scunthorpe United. Since playing in the Football League he has had a long career in non-league football and played for Stratford Town in the 2008–09 season.

Foy, born in Coventry, joined Birmingham City as a trainee in 1979, and turned professional two years later. He made his first-team debut as a substitute in the League Cup in November 1991, and the following year spent time on loan at League of Ireland club Cobh Ramblers. Foy made his Football League debut in Division One (second tier) on 13 February 1993 in a 3–2 home defeat to Portsmouth. He started the next two games, but soon afterwards was allowed to leave for Scunthorpe United on a free transfer. In his debut game he made a late goalline clearance which earned his club a 0–0 draw against Wrexham, but Scunthorpe released him at the end of the season and he joined Stafford Rangers.