Once upon a time, brand lived here and direct lived there — waaayyyy over there.

Today, they're roommates. Many brand advertisers have begun incorporating DM techniques in their campaigns across multiple channels, notes a new survey by the Direct Marketing Association.

According to the report, “The Integration of DM and Brand,” 56% of the 296 brand marketers polled say they use one or more direct marketing channels in tandem with brand-awareness efforts. Half use Web marketing with online response mechanisms, with 48% employing trackable Web offers.

Calls to action are used on 45% of respondents' Web pages, and in 52% of their e-mail campaigns. In the search engine optimization arena, 28% say they pair SEO and/or search engine marketing with response mechanisms, while 31% incorporate targeting into search initiatives. Twenty-five percent use search data for list building.