Response rates

I was concerned to see a publicity blurb company that contained a sentence along the lines of "anyone in marketing knows that 2% is the average response in direct marketing". It went on to suggest that it is even lower in B2B.

What utter rubbish. In fact any-one who knows anything about DM knows that response rates depend entirely on the product, the offer, the affinity with the audience etc. Response rates frequently are in the the high twenties. I personally was involved in a campaign that achieved 75% response.

There is no reason why B2B cannot achieve similar results. The campaign I just referred to was in fact a B2B campaign.

I suppose as long as clients give their business to people who clearly do not know what they are talking about this hoary old chestnut may continue to be a self fufilling prophecy for them.