October 2007
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DIRECT Newsline
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| BMW's Dealer Mailings a Hit |
Some BMW of North America dealers have seen conversion rates as high as 10% to recent prospect mailings created using a new system that's designed to...
By Larry Riggs |
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| International Flair |
Everyone knows that a culturally diverse workplace is seen as a positive thing. And we also know successful businesses are better at understanding and...
By Jane Ragotte |
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| Rolling Strikes |
Who says the word “free” doesn't work with e-mail? Brunswick Bowling and Billiards has turned an offer of an hour of free bowling in return...
By Ken Magill |
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| Trick Shot |
A Web site redesign helped PoolDawg.com increase online conversions by 27% and improve its search engine...
By Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| We'll Get That for You |
Going overseas and don't want to burden your neighbors to bring in the post — or miss any important mail? Earth Class Mail may be the solution....
By Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| WORKER'S PARADISE |
Tony Hsieh, CEO of online shoe merchant Zappos.com, asks each employee to write a 100- to 500-word description of the company's culture every year for...
By Ken Magill |
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Features
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| In a Perfect World… |
An ideal direct mail offer should: Be tied to the brand and its advertising positioning in the market. Be linked to the product being...
Robert Blinick |
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| Listline |
NEW LISTS Louisiana Cookin' Kreidet Enterprises Ltd. is offering this magazine's list of 12,000 active subscribers. Readers' average yearly household...
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| Ready for Their Close-up |
This winter, Earth Class Mail will be the subject of a new documentary TV series called “Startup Junkies” on the MOJO network. The eight...
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Victoria Mag Gets Boost From ‘Grieving’ Readers |
Victoria magazine, the women's shelter book that's being revived this fall, has gotten responses ranging from 15% to 20% to its first mailing. “This...
Larry Riggs |
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Departments
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| Cluster Bombing |
Does this sound familiar? You work for a retailer with a large catalog and Internet business. Your bosses figure out that not all customers are the same...
By David Shepard |
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Op-Ed Columns
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| It's Time to Dumb-Up |
We in direct marketing don't have to worry much about the dumbing-down of advertising and marketing messages. After all, we're in the thick of it. But...
HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS |
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| What Gives? |
Scrap the editorial praising Lon Mandel for bucking the consolidation trend. Replace it with one that lauds him for his aggressive acquisition strategy....
RAY SCHULTZ |
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General
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| An Anticipated Wreck |
Drivers who slow and gawk at accidents will understand my instinct regarding the National Do Not Call Registry. I've got a pretty good idea there's an...
RICHARD H. LEVEY |
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| An Underserved Market |
OK, we know it's a stereotype: Hispanics are loyal to their families. But not all are loyal to brands — at least not judging from their involvement...
By Richard H. Levey |
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| Are You Buying or Acquiring? |
We're supposed to be marketing's leaders. In fact, “marketing” is our surname, with “response” a sometime and worthy surrogate....
By Herschell Gordon Lewis |
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| Artistry Trumps Clarity |
I've said it before. It's time to say it again. Arise, ye oppressed copywriters of the world! Storm down the hallway to the art department! Hammer on...
THOMAS L. COLLINS |
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| Beauty Pageant |
Fred Segal Beauty's latest online promotion urged consumers to go beyond skin deep. In conjunction with marketing platform Brickfish, the spa and cosmetics...
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Buyer's Guide |
Technology and accountability. Not surprisingly, these are two of the top direct marketing media trends for the coming year. Direct recently talked with...
By Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Doing Their Homework |
Did we intentionally create a diverse workplace at The Marketing Store to be more effective in delivering results for our clients? Honestly, no. But...
Jane Ragotte |
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| George Lois Direct |
George Lois knows something about getting results. His “I want my MTV” campaign drew thousands of phone calls and helped put the cable network...
By Larry Jaffee |
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| Goldstein Years |
One familiar face will be missing from the crowd at this year's DMA conference in Chicago. Deb Goldstein, president of IDG List Services, retired earlier...
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Keeping the Lanes Busy |
James Simone, general manager of Brunswick's Woodhaven Lanes bowling center in Queens, NY, credits the company's e-mail marketing program with helping...
Ken Magill |
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| Lesson Plan |
“Lessons Learned” is a new series of books from Harvard Business School Press that showcases personal essays from academics, senior executives...
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Letters to the Editor |
DYSON MAKEOVER ‘HORRENDOUS’ I'm amazed Tom Collins' piece on the Dyson Stowaway ad (The Makeover Maven, August) was actually published. I...
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| Money Talks |
Marketers may give lip service to return on investment, but one thing is clear: They don't want to wait for it. And many believe it can't be measured....
By Richard H. Levey |
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| MORE, MORE, MORE |
What do clients expect from their direct marketing agency in 2007? You name it. Direct talked recently with executives at some of the industry's top...
By Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Now That's a Good Idea! |
What do you hope to bring home from DMA07 this month? For my money, the best souvenir would be a few good ideas. I don't necessarily mean things that...
BETH NEGUS VIVEIROS |
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| Partnering for Progress |
It might surprise some direct marketers to find out that affiliates can deliver a more desirable demographic than the average online shopper. According...
By Chris Henger |
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| Play It as It Overlays |
Google earned kudos in September 2006 for enticing video-sharing site YouTube away from its rivals and into the Googleplex. But almost immediately the...
By Brian Quinton |
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| Searching for Hillary |
Politics matter. Who knew? Long before Google's universal search algorithms began rolling out in May, many consultants advised clients to embrace the...
By Lisa Wehr |
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| Small Wonders |
Nearly a third of U.S. small businesses project their e-commerce sales to increase over the next 12 to 24 months, notes a recent study by the Small Business...
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| So…Whatcha Got? |
In direct marketing, an offer is an incentive that motivates consumers to do something they hadn't planned on before they viewed our television spots,...
By Robert Blinick |
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| Start Out Small |
The way to get the best of both worlds — secure, functional transactional and personalized marketing documents — is to collaborate. Internal...
Ted Kulpinski |
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| Steps to Take Now |
See if and how universal search is affecting your search rankings and those of your competitors. Look for trends and note if particular keywords...
Lisa Wehr |
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| Swag Party |
We recently asked readers of our sister publication Chief Marketer Plus to share thoughts about the best conference premiums they'd given or received....
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| Targeting the Green |
New research is helping Ogden Publications Inc. better target “green” consumers. A survey — which polled three panels of subscribers...
Beth Negus Viveiros |
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| This Jellyfish Deserved to Drown |
This summer the United Kingdom's National Magazine Co. — NatMag — killed online-only teen magazine Jellyfish after a 20-week trial, saying...
Ken Magill |
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| Watch This |
Your watch tells you the time. It may even tell you the date. But does it inspire you? Clinical psychologist Brenda Ellner advised patients to write...
Larry Riggs |
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| Where Do DMers Draw the Line? |
Direct marketers are always looking for that next great lead-generation tactic that will be a “killer” — something that will be absolutely...
By Ted Kulpinski |
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