Direct Marketing articles from March 1999

Direct Marketing archives from March 1999

Sweepstakes 1999: a look at the newly chastened American Family Publishers.
March 1, 1999... The latest AFP sweepstakes mailing was a ballot/election metaphor. Is this insane in these days of cynicism towards politics or is it sheer cunning on AFP's part? Right on schedule, the American Family Publishers (AFP) sweepstakes mailing...

How an Irish book store found a niche ... and filled it.(Kennys Book Shop)(Cover Story)
March 1, 1999... Let's take a walk through Kennys of Galway to find out how their reputation began, grew and succeed with a healthy inventory and the application of direct marketing. It was Napoleon Hill, the motivator and writer, who said, "If you want to...

Etiquette tips for today's global economy: what to know before you go.
March 1, 1999... Knowing the basic rules of both etiquette and protocol can be of critical importance in easing what might otherwise become an uncomfortable situation. As the business world becomes increasingly global, professional and social landmines can...

Making loyalty programs more rewarding.(includes related article)
March 1, 1999... To keep customers joining and interacting with your loyalty program, the rewards must be strong enough to drive redemption behavior and must be perceived as attainable and relevant. The author offers ideas to help strike this balance. ...

Cataloging for entrepreneurs: coping with catalog copy ... 10 tips for getting more profitable copy from your copywriter.
March 1, 1999... Of the 10,000 to 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, how to deal with the messy realities of catalog copy. For mature...

Cooking with the oven door open, or "the 7 myths of direct mail.".
March 1, 1999... Here are seven myths in direct response advertising that could be causing you to "under cook" your direct mail. "Why do you cook with the oven door cracked open?" It seemed like a logical thing to ask, but my wife gave me one of those...

Crunching the numbers: using banner testing to get the most from your ad dollars.
March 1, 1999... Here's a step-by-step guide to analyzing the performance of your Web campaigns. Forget everything you ever learned about statistics. It won't help you (much) when it comes to analyzing the performance of your Web campaigns. Statistics...

Williams-Sonoma's multi-channel marketing leads to niche dominance.(household specialty store)
March 1, 1999... Described as a "nuts and bolts database marketer," Cathy Halligan also recognizes the importance of emerging technologies and translating those capabilities into direct marketing strategies. In this article, the final in our three-part...

International direct marketing in a rapidly changing world.
March 1, 1999... When going international, the author advises marketers to prioritize information about each country's environment, including economics, government, infrastructure, and population size to better take advantage of emerging markets. With all...

Direct marketing in India.
March 1, 1999... For those who are considering tapping into the Indian marketplace, the author offers an update on the country's diverse population, its technological advances and its overall potential for marketers. India is a country which has a rich...

The best of both worlds in selling a marketing services firm.
March 1, 1999... A directed search can find an acquirer that will pay an attractive price for a privately held business while preserving the existing management team. Perhaps no process is more difficult for the owner of a privately held marketing services...

Direct marketing credos for today's banking.
March 1, 1999... Is your bank doing all it can to acquire and retain customers? Take the following quiz to evaluate your marketing strategies. Whether you are a big bank breaking with merger news or a small bank that just hung out your "Grand Opening" sign,...

The incredible power of credibility.
March 1, 1999... Today, more than ever, it is essential to build trust and create credibility among prospects and even customers - and those direct marketers who do have an enormous advantage over the rest of us. As I sit here writing this, the President of...