Direct Marketing articles from June 2001

Direct Marketing archives from June 2001

Someone Has To Say This.
June 1, 2001... I'm going to go out on a limb. Direct Marketing Days in New York kicks off on May 21st -- but there won't be 6,500 marketers at the conference. One day has turned to four. Who has the time to spend four days at a show anymore? Who can...

Tackling the Tough Topics.(interview with Jim Rosenfield, on direct marketing)(Interview)
June 1, 2001... Jim Rosenfield takes on CRM, the Internet, the direct marketing establishment, telemarketing, and much, much more! Q. In a recent article you wrote for this magazine, you indicate that your life as a customer has become pretty much a dog's...

R.R. Donnelley Closes Plant, Aims To Improve Efficiency.(R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., the world's No. 3 commercial printer, will close at least one printing plant and plans to invest $300 million to improve the efficiency of its printing network. By the end of this quarter, the Chicago-based company...

J.C. Penney Sells Direct Marketing Business For $1.3 Billion.(J.C. Penney Co. Inc. divests direct marketing and insurance businesses to Aegon N.V.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has agreed to sell its direct marketing and life insurance businesses to Dutch insurer Aegon N.V. for $1.3 billion in cash. The sale of J.C. Penney Direct Marketing Services Inc. and J.C. Penney Life Insurance will allow...

Reader's Digest Reaches Sweepstakes Settlement.(Reader's Digest Association, Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. has reached an agreement with attorneys general from 32 states and the District of Columbia to settle charges that its sweepstakes campaigns misled consumers. Under the settlement, Reader's Digest will...

Telemarketing Sales Rule Reaches 5th Anniversary.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... During the first five years of enforcement of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), the Federal Trade Commission (or the U.S. Department of Justice, acting on its behalf) brought 121 actions alleging Rule violations. Three-quarters of these...

DoubleClick Restructures Media Business, Cuts Staff.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Working to combat a slowdown in the ad market, DoubleClick will restructure its media business and cut 10 percent of its worldwide workforce, or about 200 jobs, mostly in its ad-sales group. As part of the plan, DoubleClick will create two...

Poor Online Service Drives Away Brick-and-Mortar Customers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Poor online customer service from a click-and-mortar retailer will drive 70 percent of U.S. online buyers to spend less money at that merchant's offline store, according to a new Jupiter Media Metrix report. Entitled "CRM Moves into the...

Lands' End Improves Online Profitability Via My Virtual Model Technology.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... The use of My Virtual Model visualization technology by Lands' End has had a positive impact on the company's key profitability indicators, including conversion rates and average order value. Launched in 1998 on landsend.com, My Virtual Model...

As Credit Card Mail Volume Soars Response Rates Reach New Low.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... According to Mail Monitor, a direct mail acquisition tracking service from BAIGlobal, Inc., credit card mail volume for the full year 2000 soared to an all-time high of 3.5 billion pieces. However, as volume grew, consumer response rates...

Broadband Will Shape E-Commerce.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Digital broadband access and fierce competition among communications, entertainment, and enabling technology companies are prompting a total transformation of current business models, according to a new Ernst & Young study. Entitled "Business...

Alliance To Advance TRUSTe's Oversight of Licensee Privacy Practices.
June 1, 2001... Working to more efficiently monitor licensees' commercial e-mail practices, list rental practices and compliance with unsubscription requests, TRUSTe, the leading privacy seal program, has partnered with Mailshell.com, a free service that...

Consumers Spent Nearly $60 Billion On Net In 2000.(electronic commerce)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Consumers spent $59.7 billion online last year, compared to $30.1 billion in 1999--a 98 percent increase, according to eMarketer's "eCommerce: B2C Report." eMarketer expects business-to-consumer (B2C) global e-commerce revenues to reach $101...

Worldwide B2B Internet Commerce To Reach $8.5 Trillion In 2005.(business-to-business)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Despite the recent slowdown in the economy, the worldwide B2B Internet commerce market is on pace to total $8.5 trillion in 2005, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). In 2000, the value of worldwide B2B Internet commerce sales...

Lillian Vernon Cuts Staff, Consolidates Call Centers.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In an effort to streamline operations, control costs and reduce operating expenses, the Lillian Vernon Corporation will lay off 12 percent of its workforce and will consolidate its Las Vegas call center into its national distribution center in...

Gryphon Helps Companies Comply With Do Not Call Legislation.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Launched last year, Gryphon Networks's Do Not Call service is helping telemarketers to comply with New York State's Do-Not-Call (DNC) legislation-which went into effect on April 1, 2001. Under the law, residents placing themselves on the state...

Jiffy Lube Launches Direct Mail Portal For Service Centers.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Jiffy Lube International and USADATA have created a Direct Mail Portal that will allow Jiffy Lube service centers to inexpensively and efficiently execute direct-mail campaigns. USADATA, a provider of online applications that automate marketing...

Alliance Aims To Transform Global Vending Industry.(Marconi Online Systems and USA Technologies alliance)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Aiming to generate new revenue opportunities for the global vending industry, Marconi Online Systems and USA Technologies have formed an alliance to market remotely-monitored intelligent vending machines. Bringing together Marconi Online's...

Strategic E-Sourcing Could Save Businesses $1.7 Trillion.(report from Aberdeen Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... A new report from Aberdeen Group, an IT market analysis and positioning services firm, suggests that Internet-based sourcing (e-sourcing) could save businesses more than $1.7 trillion on a global basis. In addition, the study found that...

Online Instant-Win Games To Supplant Sweepstakes Promotions.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... A new survey of Fortune 1000 companies reveals that online instant-win games will soon supplant sweepstakes as the dominant force in online promotions. Conducted by Westfield Marketing, the survey found that Fortune 1000 companies currently use...

50% of B2C E-Commerce Sites Are Profitable.(report from ActivMedia Research)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... A new ActivMedia Research (www.activmediaresearch.com) study reveals that 50 percent of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce Web sites are currently profitable while a projected 60 percent will be profitable within 12 months. Entitled "Online...

Interpublic Group To Buy True North For $2.1 Billion.(Interpublic Group of Cos. will acquire True North Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Interpublic Group of Cos. Inc. (www.interpublic.com) has agreed to buy rival advertising group True North Communications Inc. (www.truenorth.com) for $2.1 billion in stock in a deal that would create the largest advertising and marketing...

CMA Restructures Councils and Education Programs.(Canadian Marketing Association reorganized)(International Pages)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Canadian Marketing Association has restructured its Councils and education programs to more effectively serve the professional development needs of the marketing industry. As part of the plan, the CMA will reduce the number of its Councils...

Leading List Companies Ally With Alista.(Nine top managers and data providers list on Alistia Inc.'s web site.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Nine of the country's top list managers and data providers have agreed to feature their lists on Alistia Inc.'s online marketplace. The companies include: 21st Century Marketing (Farmingdale, NY); American List Counsel, Inc. (Princeton, NJ);...

Creaxion Launches Do-It-Yourself Direct Marketing Service.(in agreement with Click Tactics)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Click Creaxion, www.clickcreation.com a new Web-based suite of "do-it-yourself" direct marketing products, enables small and medium-sized business owners to manage all aspects of their direct marketing efforts via the Internet. Structured by...

The DMA Testifies On Internet Tax Legislation.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Recently, Frank Julian, chairman of the Direct Marketing Association's Sales and Use Tax Steering Committee, urged the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee (www.senate.gov/[sim]commerce/) to support Senate Bill 288. The proposed law would place a...

Lowe Lintas and Draft Worldwide Win Verizon Account.(Lowe Lintas & Partners, Draft Worldwide win Verizon Communications account)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... In an effort to consolidate its ad spending, Verizon Communications (www.verizon.com) has awarded its creative advertising account to the New York offices of ad agencies Lowe Lintas & Partners (www.lowelintas.com) and Draft Worldwide...

Cox Target Media Merges Direct Mail Products.(Carol Wright and Val-Pak brought together)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Cox Target Media (CTM) has merged its direct mail products--Carol Wright and Val-Pak--to create a single national brand. The strategic integration combines Carol Wright's national and regional advertising content with Val-Pak's localized...

New Web Tool Requests, Captures and Stores E-Mail Addresses.(GotMarketing's software tool, Opt-in-List)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... GotMarketing has launched a new e-marketing tool that enables businesses to easily request, collect and store the e-mail addresses of Web site visitors. Called Opt-in List Builder, the tool employs graphical icons on Web pages (such as "Sign up...

Sandy Bay Fulfills E-Marketing Needs of Small E-Businesses.(Sandy Bay Networks introduces suite of electronic marketing tools)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Sandy Bay Networks (www.sandybay.com) has launched a suite of e-marketing tools designed to help small and medium-sized e-businesses add search capabilities, acquire customers through e-mail campaigns and build loyalty via newsletters and...

Survey Profiles Decision Makers in the CRM Industry.(customer relationship management)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... A new study conducted by Mediamark Research, Inc. (www.mediamark.com) reveals that eight out of 10 upper-level CRM executives advocate the implementation of CRM and/or e-business solutions within their organizations and are actively involved in...

USPS in the Hole.(United States Postal Service anticipates $3 billion shortfall next year)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... During a recent Direct Marketing Club of New York meeting, John Nolan, Deputy Postmaster General, USPS, underscored the ongoing problems of the Postal Service. Nolan stressed that the USPS is currently $2 billion in the hole for 2001. And...

The latest from U.K. Correspondent Ian Dewar.(UK companies budget larger share of advertising money for direct marketing)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Countering rumors of a recession, The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising's (www.ipa.co.uk) quarterly survey of marketing expenditures, reveals that direct marketing budgets are getting a larger share of advertising appropriations in the...

Study Examines Trust Gap Between Consumers and Businesses.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... American consumers are concerned about sharing their personal information online and off, and have slightly higher confidence levels in business than government to protect their information or set appropriate privacy standards. This trust gap...

How We Will Make Sales in 2001.(business-to-business leaders, survey results)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... PMG's Online Survey of B2B leaders identifies targeted revenue sources and marketing strategies. Recently, several thousand key executives in U.S. corporations provided their opinions on key business and marketing trends. Since 1982,...

Impress Customers You've Never Even Met.(telephone etiquette for customer service)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... What starts as a simple phone call can become a lucrative relationship. A first impression can mean the difference between a one-time interaction and a lifelong relationship. Several studies have suggested that people decide whether or not...

Grappling With Emotions In The Call Center.(communication culture )
June 1, 2001... "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."--Dale Carnegie A world class communication culture is the preeminent way to create call center operations. At its peak, it makes your...

Cashing In On "Characters".(Jerry Gladstone's animation art business)(Interview)
June 1, 2001... How direct marketing created a multi-million dollar animation art business from a $2,000 investment. Meet Jerry Gladstone. He recently sold his multi-million dollar American Royal Arts business--specializing in animation art--to Getty...

Getting Ready For Real-Time Marketing: Part Two.(E-business report)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
June 1, 2001... "...we must now face complex systems where everything interacts with everything, where human and technical factors must both be fully appreciated and ethics means much more than logic and scientific rationality. This effort represents but one...

Plucking the Chicken.(direct marketing analysis)(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2001... The secret of success is having the clarity of vision to see what needs to be done and the focus of will to do it. Do you want to know the real secret of direct marketing success? Okay, I'll tell you. But first you're going to have to...

How You Handle Inquiries Determines the Fate of Your Product or Service.(marketing strategies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Strong, stable, successful companies are not built overnight. Many have humble beginnings with nothing more than a terrific product or service to offer. Regardless of how companies get started or keep going, business owners and leaders...

The Impact of Just the Right Words.(Direct response copywriters )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A true direct response writer knows the power of clear and simple communication. On a recent family vacation in Florida, I listened as my two eldest children were bickering. My oldest child, Morgan, kept telling my second oldest child,...

Good Data Housekeeping.(Enterprise Resource Planning system)
June 1, 2001... If not cleaned, scrubbed and checked, information shared within an organization has the potential to evolve into a data warehouse timebomb. A company's most important asset is information. A corporation's ability to compete, adapt and grow...

If There's No Brand, There's No Business.(Firestone/Bridgestone name may be permanently damaged)
June 1, 2001... Although some see branding in more simplistic terms, it is an inordinately complex function. It involves everything from the way the telephone is answered to the design of the company logo. Harvard University responded decisively when a...

Building Relationships: Tactics That Work.(Customer relationship management strategies)
June 1, 2001... The right CRM strategy should be as unique to your company as each of your customers is from the other. Points, discounts, newsletters. Do these really drive loyalty? Many companies play up the rewards piece, relying on a financial...

OnetoOneConnect.com Provides Directory of Interactive and Direct Marketing Experts.(Association for Interactive Media launches database)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Association for Interactive Media (AIM) (www.intemctivehg.org) has launched OnetoOne Connect.com, a searchable database of interactive and direct marketing experts and companies. The directory service provides contact information, company...

1 to 1 jobs.com and destinationCRM.com Form CRM Career Center.(customer relationship management)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... l to l jobs.com, a career site owned by Peppers and Rogers Group, has partnered with destinationCRM.com, a CRM news and information resource, to provide an online career center devoted the CRM industry. Combined with Peppers and Rogers'...

CLOExpress.com Offers Information Resource for Logistics Professionals.(Norbridge Inc., CEO Express Co. launch site)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Working to provide logistics executives quick access to the best logistics resources, Norbridge, Inc. and CEO Express Company have launched CLOExpress.com (www.cloexpress.com). Based on the successful flagship site, CEOExpress...

Sharper Image Targets European Union and U.K. Via Web.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... International shoppers can now access the Sharper Image UK and Sharper Image Europe Web sites through www.sharperimage.com. The European sites offer a selection of Sharper Image products that have been specifically adapted for the European and...

NTMCdata.com Facilitates Targeted Preprint Advertising Purchases.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Newspaper Target Marketing Coalition (NTMC) has launched NTMC data.com, a site that helps advertisers and advertising agencies make informed and targeted purchases of preprint advertising. Formed three years ago to promote the newspaper...

Buylink.com Launches Peer-To-Peer Wholesale Network.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Buylink.com, an independent global marketplace for 17,000 vendors and retailers of specialty consumer goods, has developed a new peer-to-peer (P2P) network that enables retailers and vendors to access wholesale product catalogs via a searchable...

24/7 Media Helps Marketers Reach Multi-Ethnic Audiences Over Web.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Working to help marketers target multiethnic audiences via e-mail marketing and Web Site advertising, 24/7 Media Inc. has launched a new Multi-Cultural Services Channel. 24/7 Media's expanded relationship with Community Connect Inc....

People.(employee changes, various companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... NEIMAN MARCUS NAMES TANSKY CEO The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. (www.neimanmarcusgroup.com) has named Burton Tansky CEO, succeeding Robert Smith and Brian Knez, who will become vice chairmen of the board. Most recently, Tansky served Neiman...

Agency Action.(Richard Eber appointed chief creative officer of)(MRM Worldwide)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... EBER PROMOTED TO CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Richard Eber, executive vice president and executive creative director of McCann Relationship Marketing New York, will also assume the role of chief creative officer for MRM Worldwide...

Chesapeake Travel & Leisure Magazine.(Subscriber list sells for 85/M)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Chesapeake Travel & Leisure Magazine list of 20,000 former subscribers is now available for $85/M. Chesapeake Travel & Leisure magazine provides articles and information on all aspects of the Chesapeake Bay region, including Chesapeake...

Archaeology Odyssey.(List of subscribers sold)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Archaeology Odyssey list of 74,369 active subscribers is now available for $90/M. Archaeology Odyssey, the newest publication from the Biblical Archaeology Society, provides articles, maps and time lines on the history and archaeology of...

Executive Business Travelers.(List sells for $100/M)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Executive Business Travelers list of 94,888 online executives is now available for $100/M. Executive Business Travelers are members of a worldwide network of local travel agencies, reservation services and Web sites which allow business...

Manufacturers News for Purchasing Executives.(Subscription list sells $100/M)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Manufacturers News for Purchasing Executives list of 67,820 purchasing executives is now available for $100/M. This file is comprised of top-level executives in the manufacturing industry who oversee all purchasing decisions for their...

American Express Publishing Corp.(Sells lists of members in three clubs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The American Express Publishing Corp. Membership Clubs list of 70,000 active club members is now available for $100/M. These members pay an annual fee to belong to one of three clubs: the Food & Wine Connoisseur Club ($49.95), the Travel +...

Baseball Weekly Magazine Subscribers Masterfile.(Sells $95/M)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Baseball Weekly Magazine Subscribers Masterfile of 88,161 active subscribers is now available for $95/M. Baseball Weekly is a USA Today publication that covers major league, minor league, college and fantasy baseball. The magazine provides...

Shambhala Publications Book Buyers Masterfile.(Mailing list sells for $80/M)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Shambhala Publications Book Buyers Masterfile of 231,933 book buyers is now available for $80/M. Shambhala Publications is a publisher of books on such topics as eastern philosophy, religion, art, science, holistic healing, meditation and...

New Donnelley Financial Sites Profile Corporate and Securities Law.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... R.R. Donnelley Financial has launched two online client education tools: RealCorporateLawyer.com (www.realcorporatelawyer.com), a legal reference site that provides continuously updated information on corporate and securities law; and All About...

Tangoe.com Facilitates Business Procurement of Voice and Data Services.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Working to simplify the complicated process of choosing telecommunication services from a flood of over 3,000 carriers, Tangoe.com is offering an e-market-place that facilitates business procurement of voice and data services. The...

iBoost Technology Acquires BizBlast.com.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... iBoost Technology, Inc., an operator of a network of sites offering content, community, and e-commerce to businesses and consumers, has acquired BizBlast. com, a step-by-step system for building an e-commerce store in minutes. Using a wizard,...

The Month Of June.(In 1971)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... '71 In the News: "East Pakistan Achieves Independence as Bangladesh," "Canada Inaugurates World's First Nuclear Power Station Cooled by Ordinary Water." Headline: Envelope Illustrations, Size, Copy Determine Response The Story:...