Direct Marketing articles from May 2001

Direct Marketing archives from May 2001

So, What Are You Doing?
May 1, 2001... Business is tough out there. I don't think anyone will deny that now. Numbers are not being met. Costs are up and the light at the end of the tunnel isn't good. All you have to do is listen to the TV and read the newspaper and you see disaster...

If Your Catalog Must Show a Profit! What's Next?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Seven tips to use when your catalog absolutely, positively must show a profit this year! From time to time in every catalog's life, a year comes when the catalog must absolutely, positively earn a profit. Perhaps old owners are preparing...

56% of U.S. Adults Use the Web.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Internet was used by more than half (56 percent) of the U.S. adult population last year as some 16 million new users ventured online in the last six months. In all, more than 104 million adults had access to the Internet at the end of 2000,...

USPS Warns Rising Costs May Threaten Universal Mail Service.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Universal mail service is at risk without statutory reform of the laws governing the United States Postal Service, warns the Postal Service Board of Governors. Universal service is defined as the regular delivery of mail to every address across...

Census Bureau Releases E-Commerce Report.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... The Census Bureau's first-ever report on e-commerce activity reveals that in 1999 about one-half of 1 percent of all retail sales took place on the Internet. Entitled "E-Stats," the report notes that the dollar value of e-commerce activity...

Publishing Summit Profiles Media and Technology Trends.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Recently, during a one-day event sponsored by DeepBridge Content Solutions (www.deepbridge.com), publishing executives discussed how digital technologies are rapidly changing the way they do business. Entitled "Beyond Publishing: The...

E-Commerce Pilot Program To Aid Small Businesses.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... U.S. lawmakers have approved an e-commerce pilot program designed to help small and mid-sized manufacturers move their businesses online. The Electronic Commerce Enhancement Act requires the National institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)...

59% of Americans Say Only Legislation Will Create Good Privacy Policy.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... According to a new Wirthlin Worldwide survey, 59 percent of Americans believe only legislation and legal enforcement will make most businesses observe good privacy policy while 60 percent of business executives believe businesses will adopt...

Community Banks Move Online as GLB Act Sparks Competition.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Increased competition among community banks resulting from the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act (1999) has triggered a land rush to the Internet, according to Grant Thornton LLP's "Eighth Annual Survey of Community Bank...

Report Forecasts Internet Use In Asian Pacific Region.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The number of active Internet users in the Asian-Pacific Region will account for more than 27 percent of the world's total online population by 2004, according to a new eMarketer report. The "eAsia Report" reveals that the active Internet...

Partnership Brings Paperless Couponing To interactive TV.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Catalina Marketing Corporation and RespondTV have partnered to provide the first targeted interactive TV advertising and paperless couponing system. Serving the consumer packaged goods industry, the solution will allow viewers to interact with...

Netcentives Launches Online/Offline Rewards System.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Working to help retailers reward consumer purchases across all retail channels, Netcentives Inc. has launched an integrated online/offline retail rewards system. Designed to drive multi-channel shopping and to increase customer lifetime value,...

EU-Wide Credit Card Fraud Rose 50 Percent In 2000.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The European Commission has reported that credit card fraud in the European Union rose 50 percent last year, with illegal transactions reaching an estimated $553 million. According to the Commission, a large proportion of the increase...

"Social" Seminars Help Financial Advisors Reach Senior Market.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Working to help financial planners reach seniors, pre-retirees and potential investors, Response Mail Express (www.responsemail.com) has launched Seminar Success, a new service that promotes up to three financial seminars at once. The financial...

Business Process Outsourcing Market To Reach $301 Billion By 2004.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... As more enterprises continue to outsource many of their daily practices, the business process outsourcing (BPO) market is expected to grow from $125 billion in 2000 to $301 billion in 2004, according to a new Gartner, Inc study. Overall,...

Study Underscores Effectiveness of Personalization.(International School of Management evaluates direct mailings)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The success rate for fully customized direct mailings is nearly three times higher than standard mailings, according to a study conducted by the International School of Management in Dortmund, Germany (www.ism-dortmund.de) and sponsored by...

Reader's Digest Canada Refocuses On Publishing.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Reader's Digest Canada is going back to what is does best--publishing, according to Pierre Dion, president and CEO, Readers Digest, Canada. Speaking at a recent Direct Marketing Association of Toronto (www.dmatoronto.org) meeting, Dion...

E-Tailers Save On Labor Costs Via Internet Fulfillment Networks.(electronic retailers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Seeking a solution to high fulfillment costs, 33 percent of online retailers will outsource shipping to drop shippers in the next year, according to a new Jupiter Media Metrix report. The study reveals that 44 percent of online retailers lose...

24/7 Media Offers New E-Marketing Tools.(electronic marketing)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Recognizing an increased demand for multifaceted interactive marketing services, 24/7 Media Inc. has launched two Web marketing products designed to help clients attract and retain new customers--the Grouped Promotional Solution (GPS)...

IAB Issues Guidelines For Bigger Banner Ads.(Internet Advertising Bureau)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has issued voluntary standards for seven new ad units, mostly offering advertisers larger ad banners to promote their products and services on the Web. The IAB last issued standards in the fall of 1996,...

IDcide Offers Privacy Compliance Tips.(Internet privacy techniques)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Working to prevent the errors that have caused recent high-profile privacy disasters, Internet privacy company IDcide has compiled a summary of common Web site privacy compliance oversights, and has posted suggested solutions on their Web site...

Print Professionals Say Digital Printing Will Prevail Over Offset.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Ninety-six percent of print professionals surveyed at this year's On Demand Digital Printing & Publishing Strategy Conference and Exposition (February 27-March 2) expect digital printing, or a combination of digital and offset, to replace...

Doubleclick Buys E-Mail Marketing Firm.(FloNetwork Inc. )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... DoubleClick Inc., the largest online advertising network, has acquired e-mail marketing technology provider FloNetwork Inc. The acquisition will allow DoubleClick to provide software and services that enable businesses to market and communicate...

New Index Helps Healthcare Industry Target Consumers.(Consumer Healthcare Utilization Index )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Customer Potential Management (CPM) Corporation has launched a new system to help healthcare organizations determine who might get sick and need certain services, Called the Consumer Healthcare Utilization Index [TM] (CHUI), the system...

Re-Route Launches Change of Address E-Mail Forwarding Service.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Re-route.com, Inc. has launched a Beta version of its electronic message forwarding and change of address service. The Re-route service allows users to forward e-mails to their new account and to automatically notify friends and associates of...

Strategic Alliances Among Technology Businesses Proliferate.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Over the past three years, 69 percent of technology businesses have extending their capabilities via strategic alliances, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers study. In addition, eight percent of technology businesses are actively planning...

Woodbury University Offers E-Commerce Degree.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Woodbury University has become the first university in California to offer a bachelor's and master's degree program in e-commerce. The degree program will integrate the key elements of information technology with the proven fundamentals of...

Online Tool Tells Marketers What Motivates Consumers To Buy.(Moskowitz Jacobs' MindREAD)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... Moskowitz Jacobs Inc. has launched MindREAD, a new online tool that both identifies "consumer attitude groups" that have specific desires about a product or service and measures the effectiveness of current business communications in terms of...

AT&T Offers Toll-Free Number Availability Tool Online.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... AT&T (www.att.com) has launched the first online tool that enables small businesses to determine the availability of a specific toll-free number. The tool determines the status of any phone number beginning with the prefixes 800, 888, 877 or...

European Viewers To Access Classified Ads Via interactive TV.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... OpenTV (www.opentv.com) and MiniSAT (www.minisat.com) are jointly developing an interactive television (iTV) application for network operators that could enable millions of viewers worldwide to access classified advertisements, including...

Rapid-Turnaround Direct Mail Service Drives Site Traffic.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... United Wire Service (UWS) has launched Web Driver Direct, a new direct mail service designed for fast-turnaround Web site promotion. The service provides pre-designed and customizable direct mail pakcages that can be distributed in as little as...

International Direct Marketing Fair Update.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... Four shows in one at this year's International London Direct Marketing Fair may be a sign of the conference business of the future. The International Direct Marketing Fair, New Media Marketing, TelecommercExpo, and Marketing IT all together...

Survey Profiles Hiring Plans of Direct Marketing Firms.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... A recent survey of hiring managers and human resource contacts at direct marketing companies found that nearly three quarters of respondents plan to hire during the second quarter of 2001 while about one-quarter of respondents have a hiring...

Research Summary Profiles CRM/e-CRM Adoption.(customer relationship management)(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... A new research summary conducted by Intellor Group, Inc. analyzes how organizations are approaching their customer-centric initiatives in relation to traditional business and e-business environments. Entitled "A Comparison of CRM Versus E-CRM...

Is the Collection of the Use Tax a Historical Inevitability?(Column)
May 1, 2001... Posch Jr., Robert Like "privacy," the use tax issue never goes away. Electronic commerce has dissolved the linkage between an income producing activity and geographic boundaries. The Internet changed nothing except to the extent...

Effective Retention....Creating a Culture That Makes Your Stars Shine.(employee retention)(Column)
May 1, 2001... Spending good money to hire the best employees, but putting no effort into keeping them is like buying a Ferrari and never changing the oil. Would you ignore something that hurts client relationships, destroys morale, and has an impact on...

Making the Most of Trade Shows.(Column)
May 1, 2001... You have just a few precious seconds to capture your prospects' attention and in the sturm and drang of most trade shows, that's no small task. Here are some hands-on ideas to make the best of your exhibit. Before there was the Internet,...

Is Your Advertising a Gamble or an Investment?(Scientific advertising )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... As I write this it's just seven weeks into the new year. We have a new president. The market remains schizophrenic. California struggles to keep the lights on. And companies from the West Coast to the East Coast have announced plans to...

How To Judge Your Advertising.(Column)
May 1, 2001... What's the best way to judge your advertising's effectiveness now that all advertising has become "subliminal." When I first started working at Ogilvy & Mather, one of our largest accounts was Maxwell House coffee. The client asked...

Physics and the Laws of Marketing.(Brief Article)(Column)
May 1, 2001... Like the skills of a pro golfer or virtuoso violinist, marketing looks so easy when done well. With the rush to market, many companies have been blinded by the shine of new technology and have lost sight of the basic laws of marketing....

Consumers Say "No Thanks" To Relationships With Brands.(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... A new study finds that the majority of consumers are reluctant to bond with brands because their expectations are not being met. Despite marketers' enthusiasm for 1-to-1 and "customer relationship" marketing, a new study from Impiric...

U.S. Cigarette Marketing, 2001: The Lowest Ring of the Inferno.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Cigarette manufacturers have become highly skilled direct marketers--perfecting the art of the subtle lie. The marketers' Inferno would be a well-peopled place, I fear. In the upper circles are the merely amoral: the guys and gals who...

Getting Ready For Real-Time Marketing: Part One.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... 'The new aphorism in business is to underpromise and overdeliver. But the real-time future belongs to those who can both overpromise and overdeliver." * In just 10 years we've moved from a world in which suppliers simply sell things to...

Comes The Revolution.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... For many small retail businesses the words "direct marketing" mean the catalogs they receive too many of after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. It's time they knew it's a way to do business, to do more business and to stay in business! ...

Clear Cut Lessons For Effective E-Mail.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Very few companies invest in usability testing around e-mail messaging. Yet the findings are often counterintuitive to what most companies actually implement. Think e-mail is easy? Then why are response rates so low? Why does everyone...

Alliance To Measure Effect of Brand Advertising On Web.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Working to advance online brand advertising, Greenfield Online, Inc. and Advertising.com have developed a product that allows marketers to measure the effect of a campaign's impact online--even when consumers do not interact with...

iWant.com Delivers Promotions Based On Consumer Requests.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Working to help Web publishers generate advertising revenue in a slowing economy, iWant.com has launched Deals on Demand, a permission-based direct marketing channel that enables publishers to instantly deliver promotions on demand--based...

E-Mail Translation Site Helps Businesses Speak to Foreign Clients.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Avoiding the inaccuracies of machine/software translation services, Talktoanyone.com is helping businesses send e-mails in the language of their choice via skilled native speaking professionals. Users simply indicate the language combination...

New Search Engine Provides Access to "Invisible Web".(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Invisible Web (sometimes referred to as Deep Web) is estimated to be more than 500 times larger than what traditional search engines can index. Working to provide direct access to this information, Intelliseek has launched the beta version...

e-Business Calculator for Small and Mid-Sized Suppliers Now Online.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Working to help small and mid-sized suppliers determine how much they can increase their revenues through e-Business solutions, Anchorsilk, Inc. has launched an online e-Business Revenue Calculator. Available at www.anchorsilk.com/calculator,...

New Market Research Center Supports Customer Service Professionals.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Software Support Professionals Association has launched an online Market Research Center for Supportgate.com community members. The online center allows customer service and support professionals to gauge customer support satisfaction...

Warner Bros. To Launch Country-Specific Sites.(online marketing strategy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Warner Bros. is expanding its global online presence via country-specific Web sites, the first of which, www.wamerbros.co.uk, launched earlier this year in the U.K. The company is creating local-language, country-specific sites to showcase its...

People.(direct marketing appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... LIFEMINDERS NAMES BULKELEY CHAIRMAN Online direct marketing company LifeMinders, Inc. (www.lifeminders.com) has named Jonathan Bulkeley chairman and CEO. Currently, Bulkeley is the nonexecutive chairman of QXL Ricardo, Europe's leading...

The New Vitality Vitamins.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The New Vitality Vitamins list of 580,907 total buyers is now available for $90/M. These catalog buyers use New Vitality Vitamins to maintain bones and joints, weight loss nutrition, prostate health, vision health, skin, hair and nails, heart...

The Wood Design & Building Magazine.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Wood Design & Building Magazine list of 21,444 subscribers is now available for $1l0/M. Wood Design & Building magazine is the official publication of the Canadian Wood Council. The list contains U.S. design and construction professionals...

The StudentMarket.com-Opt-In E-Mail.(List available from 21st Century Marketing)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The StudentMarket.com-Opt-In E-Mail list of 200,342 active members is now available for $175/M. Student Market.com is an online shopping destination for high school graduates and college students that offers textbooks, magazines, art supplies,...

The Anatomical Products Business Catalog Buyers Masterfile.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The Anatomical Products Business Catalog Buyers Masterfile of 118,177 total buyers is now available for $90/M. The Anatomical Chart Company catalog offers an assortment of anatomical charts, anatomical models, anatomical software programs,...

The Promenade Discount Buying Club Members.(A list from List Services Corporation)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The Promenade Discount Buying Club Members list of 599,283 last 24-month buyers is now available for $80/M. Promenade's discount membership clubs offer discounts on: vacations, airline tickets, car rental, home improvement, travel, legal, golf...

The Cook's Garden.(List of buyers availble)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The Cook's Garden list of 22,030 12-month buyers is now available for $90/M. These catalog buyers represent both gardening and culinary enthusiasts who enjoy cooking and eating homegrown vegetables and herbs. The Cook's Garden catalog offers...

The Physician E-Mail Database.(From Dunhill International List Co.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The Physician E-Mail Database of 42,000 names is now available for $550/M. This database of e-mail addresses was obtained from medical and healthcare plans, hospitals, licensing and specialty boards and Web site data. Each record was verified...

The Radio Spirits Old-Time Radio Audio/Video Enthusiasts.(List from MSGi Direct)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The Radio Spirits Old-Time Radio Audio/Video Enthusiasts list of 164,820 total buyers is now available for $90/M. The Radio Spirits Old-Time Radio Audio/Video catalog offers popular audio and video products in such genres as comedy, detective,...

The Pets By Name.(A list from Midwest Direct Marketing)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... The Pets By Name list of 242,896 dogs and cats by name is now available for $90/M. This file contains the breed and name of family pets. Concerned about their pet's safety, these pet owners have purchased the nationally recognized Paws ID Pet...

eProjectOnLine.com Offers B2B Knowledge Management Portal.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... eProjectOnLine.com is offering a zero-administration, Web-based B2B collaboration and knowledge management portal. Generally used for knowledge management; issue tracking; software bug tracking; incident management; call tracking, to-do lists...

eFederal Creates Online Marketplace for Government Agencies and Suppliers.(With the help of Ariba Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... eFederal Systems, Inc. and Ariba, Inc. have partnered to create www.efederal.com, a centralized business-to-government (B2G) online marketplace. The eFederal marketplace will enable government buyers and suppliers to streamline their e-commerce...

Waldenbooks Launches Site for Preferred Readers.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The nation's largest mall-based bookseller Waldenbooks has launched www. preferredreader.com, a new site designed as an exclusive benefit for Waldenbooks Preferred Readers-one of the longest running retail rewards programs with members that...

Franchise Handbook Available on Net.(At www.franchisehandbook.com.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Franchise Handbook, a directory of franchising information, is now available at www.franchisehandbook.com. The site enables users to look up franchises alphabetically, or by industry and provides links to other franchise Web sites. It...

'71.(Demonstrations against Vietnam War)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Joseph Gatti In the News: "More Than 12,000 Arrested During Three Days of Anti-Vietnam War Demonstrations in Washington, D.C.," "Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act Ends Advertising of Cigarettes an Radio and Television in U.S." ...

'81.(Metterrand becomes first Socialist president of France)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Joseph Gatti In the News: "Francois Mitterrand Becomes the First Socialist President of France," "Government of Indonesia Bans Television Commercials." Headline: 60 Sizzling Telephone Marketing Ideas The Story: During the DMA's...

'91.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Joseph Gatti In the News: "South African President F.W. De Klerk Seeks Repeal of Key Apartheid Laws," "Jean-Bertrand Aristide Becomes Haiti's First Democratically Elected President in 186 Years." Headline: The Tower of Babel The...