Direct Marketing articles from March 1998

Direct Marketing archives from March 1998

State of the press. (utilizing information to promote direct marketing)
March 1, 1998... I'd like to take just a few lines out of this month's column to get some housekeeping out of the way. If you haven't noticed already, this issue of Direct Marketing magazine is a little different. This month, due to the company's participation at...

Postmaster General Runyon announces his departure. (resignation of US Postal Service Postmaster General Marvin Runyon)
March 1, 1998... After six years as the head of the United States Postal Service (USPS), Postmaster General Marvin Runyon has said he will leave his post this spring and return to the private sector. Runyon's decision comes near the anniversary in 1988 when,...

The Book & The Cook Festival builds visibility. (promoting Philadelphia's annual Food Network festival)
March 1, 1998... Philadelphia's annual Food Network's The Book & The Cook Festival is getting a boost with a target audience not normally tapped for the event: visitors from outside the Philadelphia area. Organizers have developed a program designed to increase...

Cataloging for entrepreneurs #3: "Guerrilla Operations." (marketing techniques used by catalog entrepreneurs)(includes related article on marketing technique)
March 1, 1998... Of the 10-11,000 catalogs in the U.S., an estimated 90 percent are run by entrepreneurs. These articles explore cataloging from their unique standpoint...this month we see how entrepreneurs can lower their operational costs and increase sales...

Improve your direct mail in one day. (direct-mail advertising)
March 1, 1998... Direct mail is still the most popular form of direct marketing and offers you the best opportunity to deliver a powerful, personal message to your customers and prospects. It is the largest direct marketing medium by far - $31 billion is spent...

The future of loyalty marketing in the supermarket industry, part 2.
March 1, 1998... Gathering and sharing information about consumers, giving discounts to cord holders and creating marketing partnerships among non-competing retailers are among the advantages of a frequent shopper alliance. To sum up what was presented in the...

Five essential creative factors & ground rules for being more creative. (part 2)
March 1, 1998... (Part Two Of A Series) There are five essential factors which contribute to your creative potential. Integrating an understanding and acceptance of these factors with an understanding end acceptance of the role break-point plays in your...

Put your marketing to the test; making you sure you have what you need to grow.
March 1, 1998... The mission of marketing is to establish an environment in which the customer appreciates the benefits of doing business with your firm, and your company discovers how it can contribute to the customer's success. When it comes to a company's...

Intelligent information to help you solve your business objectives .... not just data. (USADATA.com provides useful marketing information)
March 1, 1998... Holding and increasing market share requires active and aggressive sales techniques. It is no longer enough to just put out a message and hope the buyers will come. Building a better mouse trap is not enough these days. The technological...

The bright future of direct mail: (Yes, even in the on-line era!).
March 1, 1998... Proof of the survival of the granddaddy of direct response media lies in the fact that direct mail still commands big marketing dollars - it now accounts for some $37.4 billion in advertising expenditures. Yes, direct mail is here to stay. This...

American Family Publishers: strikes, millennial notes, creating ethical quandaries.
March 1, 1998... As habitual readers know, I am awestruck by the sheer legerde-main of the sweepstakes meisters. I'm also bothered by the fact that much of what they do is based on deception. As sure as death and taxes, American Family Publishers (AFP) popped...

The rule of consistency: "I did it once. So, I'll do it, again."(How to Trigger the "Yes" Response)
March 1, 1998... People are driven to be consistent in all areas of life and once a person makes a decision, takes a stand, or performs an action, he or she strives to make all future behavior match this past behavior. It was huge. Ugly beyond belief. It would...

10 tips for marketing to a mature audience.
March 1, 1998... Direct marketers who realize the potential of the mature market can look forward to incredible opportunities in the years ahead. Over the next 18 years, one person in this country will turn 50 every 7.5 seconds. There are 68 million U.S....

Uncommon marketing techniques: the most valuable letter you can write. (writing the thank-you letter)
March 1, 1998... The first reason a thank-you letter is so valuable is obvious - it makes their recipient fee good. This elevates you from the pack of not necessarily ingrates, but from the silent majority who never expressed their appreciation in a letter....

Interactive marketing in Europe. (international Internet marketing tips)
March 1, 1998... U.S.-based Internet strategies and merchandising lessons can now be applied internationally to an audience whose Internet experience is years behind the U.S., yet growing rapidly. Marketers on the Internet in the United States have an advantage...

Flattery will get you everywhere. (benefits of flattery)
March 1, 1998... Flattery in advertising? Oh, yes! When done right, flattery works well in advertising. Many times it is so subtle, however, you don't notice it. But it is there, and it makes people feel good. See if you notice it in this catalog copy:...

The Fourth Wave, part 2. (implications of information technology)
March 1, 1998... Those who view the Internet as just another self-selecting direct marketing tool take a superficial, short-term view. Your markets will change because each individual and their larger nation states will change. The Third Wave economy created...

Shop.org: where Internet retailers meet.(Editorial)
March 1, 1998... There's a new association...for Internet retailers. You can learn about it on http://shop.org. Its goals, according to Robert L. Smith, Jr., president (301-585-4588), are to guide a Committee on Good Business Practices and publish industry...

'Guerrilla operations.' (tips for catalog entrepreneurs)(Cataloging for Entrepreneurs #3)
March 1, 1998... Of the 10-11,000 catalogs in the U.S., an estimated 90 percent are run by entrepreneurs. These articles explore cataloging from their unique standpoint....this month we see how entrepreneurs can lower their operational costs and increase sales...

The rule of consistency. (sales tactics)(How to Trigger the "Yes" Response, part 4)
March 1, 1998... "I did it once. So, I'll do it, again." People are driven to be consistent in all areas of life and once a person makes a decision, takes a stand, or performs an action, he or she strives to make all future behavior match this past behavior....

The fourth wave. (part 2) (fourth wave economy)
March 1, 1998... Those who view the Internet as just another self-selecting direct marketing tool take a superficial, short-term view. Your markets will change because each individual and their larger nation states will change. The Third Wave economy created...