Direct Marketing articles from January 1997

Direct Marketing archives from January 1997

Digital world gone wild ... new year, new directions.
January 1, 1997... As another year rolls around, our world continues to change with more and more of the population considering the digital world. Some drastically, and some not at all. For those of us "in" the paper world, we will constantly be reminded that the...

Communications industry posts second year of double digit growth.
January 1, 1997... Revenues of publicly reporting communications industry companies rose 13.2 percent to $173.9 billion in 1995, topping the 11.1 percent increase of 1994, according to the 14th Annual Veronis, Suhler & Associates Communications Industry Report....

The role of intelligent agent software in the future of direct response.
January 1, 1997... In a time long ago At a place far away A little girl met a tradesman going to market. "Why do you struggle so?" asked the little girl. "Every day I see you so burdened by your wares as you head towards market." Replied the tradesman to the little...

You know your direct marketing works when....
January 1, 1997... You don't offer merchandise you can't sell. You offer merchandise the customer wants to buy. When they come in, they'll see special prices on the other stuff. You keep a folder of the best direct mail you receive every day and you look through...

This article is all about advertising that gets you involved.
January 1, 1997... Flip through the pages of an ordinary magazine and you'll find two kinds of ads: advertising that talks to you and advertising that talks to the world. I would like to introduce you to an idea that will change the way you look at all...

The world is ending (but don't tell Neiman Marcus!). (manipulative direct mail)
January 1, 1997... The-world-as-we-know-it-is-about-to-end-so-take-action-now is a hallowed direct marketing genre, for generations now producing some of the most brilliant, entertaining, and manipulative direct mail....

Simpson's individual empress stringettes (or, avoiding the technique trap by gathering vital information).
January 1, 1997... Gathering information is the single most important thing you can do to produce effective, selling creative. And it's probably the most often ignored, because it's hard work. Scene: An advertising/marketing agency. SFX: (Door opens)...

Today's catalog marketing executives need a specialized set of skills.
January 1, 1997... Thanks to the availability of Sophisticated databases, online services and advanced printing technologies, the catalog marketing field has expanded and evolved dramatically in recent years As consumers increasingly find their mailboxes filling...

Evaluating Web impact - the death of the highway metaphor. (includes related article on evaluating interactive solutions partners)(Cover Story)
January 1, 1997... To reach the future value anticipated by many Web sites, and address the question of return on investment, marketers need to explore traditional research avenues and develop new measurement tools. As we move into 1997, it is time we abandon any...

Take a look at your response device.
January 1, 1997... Direct mail litany says the response device should recapitulate the offer. If you follow this application slavishly, you could be costing yourself response. Here a re rules for when you should...and when you shouldn't. We've all heard,...

All about post and post post scripts - a key element in direct mail.
January 1, 1997... Research has shown that 79 percent of all people who open your direct mail will read the P.S. first, before reading anything else in the letter or any other part of the mail package. The P.S. is a key element in direct mail. Research has...

Internet shoppers: is there a surfer gender gap?
January 1, 1997... Surfers' attitudes, concerns and preferences related to Net shopping hold interesting implications for those selling on the Net and channels competing with cyber sellers. Introduction Views on Internet shopping continue in a storm of hype...

Strengthening the patient-physician relationship.
January 1, 1997... With computer telephony products now available that are affordable, interactive, user-friendly, and able to be customized according to practice and patient needs, the once wary medical industry is now engaging this technology that has become...

Navigating postal rate changes.(Column)
January 1, 1997... Are you finding it more difficult to navigate your mailings through the postal maze of rates and regulations? You aren't alone. The pressure to perfect your mail for rates and regulations has been intense since July 1, 1996 and has not let up...

Keep privacy laws out of cyberspace II.(Column)
January 1, 1997... Robert Gellman's erudite articles in DM News are always worth reading. Unlike some in the privacy field, he never indulges in Orwellian commentary or subjectivity. In catching up on some of Mr. Gellman's columns, he still appears to be part of...

Being Direct.
January 1, 1997... Ya gotta read it! Lester Wunderman's new book Being Direct. It's a rags to riches story of one of the great mail order marketers of the last 50 years, perhaps of all time. It's full of famous names and incredible drive. Lester's dogged, bootstrap...