For even more on surviving the downturn, listen to our audio interview with Warren Storey.

To survive the “Great Recession” of the past year and a half — and to out-perform competitors in the economic recovery to come — brands today have to better understand their audiences, says Warren Storey, of marketing services firm ICOM.

And Storey, the director of marketing, isn’t just talking about demographic data — but also about an intimate recognition of consumers’ communications needs and preferences. For instance, think e-mailing customers rather than sending a direct mail piece is helpful? Well, he points out, remember that consumers’ computer inboxes are likely overloaded, and your messages — and your brand —could wind up deleted if you add to the excess.

Co-author of a recently published ICOM study, “Marketer’s Survival Manual: Best Practices Guide to Marketing in Uncertain Economic Times,” Storey talked with Deliver about his research, the recession and the role of marketing in today’s landscape.

Q. How would you describe the current economic climate for marketers, especially those who rely on direct mail?

WARREN STOREY: Marketers are finding this climate pretty tough. In times like this, it’s important to understand whom we’re marketing to and what you want them to do. Customers or prospects will respond to offers that are timely, relevant and, most important, appropriate to their needs. Those are the keys to driving ROI in this or any other environment

Q: What indicators should marketers pay attention to when trying to understand the economy?

WARREN STOREY: We’re seeing a mixed picture. Jobs, house sales, car sales, stock market and retail sales — all of the retailers have just announced their earnings and many of those numbers are poor. Some of our research recently identified emerging trends that are affecting the economy and consumers, such as increased use and desire for coupons, reduced use of credit cards, and relying on trusted companies and brands when making purchases

Q: What do you see as the role of direct mail in light of the challenges marketers face today, and how is this role different than it was, say, 16 months ago?

WARREN STOREY: The great thing about direct mail is that it is highly measurable, and it’s been proven time and again to provide solid results if done well. With shrinking budgets, you’ve got to be sure that every dollar counts. There’s an opportunity now that didn’t exist 16 months ago — and it’s kind of counterintuitive. People are mailing a lot less. So, it’s actually easier to cut through mailbox clutter.

Q: Can you tell me about a recent mail campaign that illustrates how direct mail can be effectively used in this economy?

WARREN STOREY: During the 2008 holiday season, a client of ours used a direct mail program targeting households that used its products in three different categories. Using our database, they sent a direct mail package that included samples and/or coupons to about a million households. The redemption rate far exceeded expectations. On average, 2.5 coupons were redeemed by each household.

Q: What advantages does direct mail offer marketers in this economy that e-mail can’t?

WARREN STOREY: For us, it is not really about the choice between e-mail and direct mail; it is which — or which combination of them — is appropriate for your target audience. With mail, consumers can go home, open the mail, put it down, and maybe read it after dinner. They can refer back to the mailer days, weeks and months later when they need it.

With e-mail, you delete it, forget where you put it. Some consumers actually told us they already get too much e-mail. It’s hard to sort through e-mail and find out what’s of value and what’s not. The other benefit about direct mail that we heard from our study was all-around security and sensitive information. There is implied security around a known medium, as opposed to e-mail.

Q: Are there reasons why investment marketing is especially important during an economic recession?

WARREN STOREY: Research confirms that those who maintain or increase their marketing spend during a recession on average have higher sales growth during the immediate three years coming out of a recession.

If you don’t invest in the consumers who are loyal to your brand and driving a lot of volume, they’ll leave you. Then, when the economy turns around and marketing spend increases, it’s so much harder to win them back.