Editing Database marketing (section)

== Growth and evolution ==
The growth of database marketing is driven by a number of environmental issues. Fletcher, Wheeler and Wright (1991)<ref>Fletcher, Keith, and Colin Wheeler, and Julia Wright. "Success in Database Marketing: Some Critical Factors." Marketing Intelligence & Planning 10 (1992): 18-23.</ref> classified these issues into four main categories: 
#Changing role of direct marketing
#* The move to relationship marketing for competitive advantage.
#* The decline in the effectiveness of traditional media.
#* The overcrowding and myopia of existing sales channels.
#Changing cost structures
#* The decline in electronic processing costs.
#* The increase in marketing costs.
#Changing technology
#* The advent of new methods of shopping and paying.
#* The development of economical methods for differentiating customer communication.
#Changing market conditions
#* The desire to measure the impact of marketing efforts.
#* The fragmentation of consumer and business markets.

Shaw and Stone (1988) noted that companies go through evolutionary phases in the developing their database marketing systems. They identify the four phases of database development as:
# mystery lists;
# buyer databases;
# coordinated customer communication; and
# integrated marketing.