Direct Marketing articles from November 1997

Direct Marketing archives from November 1997

Hot trade show topics. (feedback from the Direct Marketing Assn Annual Conference and Exhibition)
November 1, 1997... What a month! The International Database Marketing Consortium (IDMC) was successfully launched at this year's Direct Marketing Association Annual Conference and Exhibition held at Chicago's McCormick Place on October 4-8. Although the launch was...

The DMA announces plan for new mandatory ethics compliance requirements by all members. (Direct Marketing Assn mandates compliance to information law)
November 1, 1997... As an extension of the direct marketing industry's privacy promise to the American public, the Direct Marketing Association (The DMA), announced the beginning of a year-and-a-half process to make compliance with self-regulation fair information...

1997 Echo Awards spotting the trendsetters.
November 1, 1997... Once again the Direct Marketing Association has bestowed its Echo Awards in recognition of the best direct response campaigns of the year. Unfortunately, we cannot cover all the winners, so in the next few pages we have spotlighted some of the...

FASTBALL.com's "Decode & Win Game." (using direct mail to generate patronage for Cox Interactive Media's Web site)
November 1, 1997... It is the marketing dilemma of the 1990s: How can producers of a new Internet Web site get people to try it? Cox Interactive Media's FASTBALL.com completed a four-week promotion recently that set new benchmarks for on-line promotions. A direct...

Nextel invites prospects out to the ballgame. (Keck Garrett manages advertising for Nextel Communications Inc)
November 1, 1997... Over 1,500 key businesses in the Greater Chicago area received promotional packages from Nextel Communications, a provider of integrated wireless communication services to business work groups. Each package, which is an out-of-the-box concept...

The name is familiar, but I can't recall the face. (downside of launching dissimilar product lines)
November 1, 1997... The customer identifies who you are by what you are. When you vary from what you are the consumer becomes confused, undecided and switches to a brand more familiar because of the traditional look. Did you hear about Levi's success with casual...

If we are concerned about customer retention, why do we want to keep making contact through customer satisfaction research? (assessing the feasibility of customer surveys/research)
November 1, 1997... As a one-to-one, customer retention marketer I'm focused on the individual customer. I don't care about averages, I need to manage interactions with individual customers. I gave a talk at a recent DMA sponsored conference regarding strategic...

How to harness the awesome power of word of mouth. (generating desired customer response through word of mouth)
November 1, 1997... In study after study, with almost every category of buyer, word of mouth has been shown to be what is known as the proximal cause of purchase the most recent thing that happened just before purchase. Marketers are overlooking the obvious. Word...

A small point of personal privilege. (e-mail marketing techniques)
November 1, 1997... Longevity is only a minor indication of effectiveness...and its significance is primarily to the individual, not to the world at large. That goes for contributors to this magazine, too. It's hardly worthy of inclusion in The Guinness Book of...

7 key questions you must answer to market to small businesses. (marketing techniques for suppliers)
November 1, 1997... Owners of small businesses often hove chips on their shoulders. As the president of a small direct marketing agency, I have experienced many of the same frustrations other small business owners have related to me. Owners of small businesses...

How to succeed with response modeling. (using the Life Time Value Break Even Percent solution)
November 1, 1997... Long-term profitability is important to know today. Life Time Value Break Even Percent is a quick solution. Response rate (Reps%) is one of the most commonly used benchmarks of performance in the direct marketing arena. This simply computed...

Computerized customer care creates consumer connections. (assessing the feasibility of call center services)
November 1, 1997... Training and technology make the call center a virtual extension of the marketing team. In the '50s Clairol revolutionized Americans' idea of beauty with campaigns featuring famous slogans like "Does She or Doesn't She" and "Blondes Have More...

Occam's Razor and cutting your own throat. (applying William Occam's Law of Parsimony to direct marketing)
November 1, 1997... Many creative people in advertising are out of touch. Not just in general advertising, but in direct marketing as well. And no one had to conduct a study to show me - it is obvious. Once a month or so, I unchain myself from my desk, turn on...

The big, the bold, and the bad: Reader's Digest struggles, Victoria's Secret mails by the zillion, and Brown & Williamson resolves a philosophical issue.
November 1, 1997... One of the fatal intellectual flaws direct marketers are prone to is confusing the map for the territory, the model for the reality. If a model works, companies almost always stay with it too long, way past the point where it's become less...

From list fatigue to relationship marketing: the credit card industry is reassessing its direct mail strategies.
November 1, 1997... Today's credit card marketers are facing the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace while their industry is reeling from skyrocketing delinquencies and charge-offs due to the rapidly rising bankruptcy rate, giving rise to an...

Quality monitoring software helps guarantee call quality.
November 1, 1997... Technology industry analysts say that training is the most significant differentiator among call centers. One technology that can significantly improve training is quality monitoring software, which lets you evaluate the effectiveness of your...

How to get them from the headline to the response device.
November 1, 1997... You have a great headline. Now, how should you organize your body copy? It is in your body copy that you continue the benefit presented in your headline. It is also where you prove your product or service is the best. And it is where you...

The essential contract terms with some changes.
November 1, 1997... Readers of Legal Outlook will note that there have been a number of columns dealing with a wide variety of contractual issues ranging from defeating unconscionable computer sellers' limitations on warranties to drafting effective employee...

Hot Trade Show Topics.
November 1, 1997... What a month! The International Database Marketing Consortium (IDMC) was successfully launched at this year's Direct Marketing Association Annual Conference and Exhibition held at Chicago's McCormick Place on October 4-8. Although the launch...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.
November 1, 1997... Dear Hank: Your recent column in the August issue of Direct Marketing was a bruiser. Unfortunately, I was the one being bruised. In fact, I discover, I do not like the public pillory. It is uncomfortable, embarrassing and anxiety...

IDMC Launched At The DMA's Annual Conference.
November 1, 1997... The International Database Marketing Consortium (IDMC) was officially announced at this year's DMA Annual Conference and Exhibition held at McCormick Place in Chicago. Seminar presenter Dick Shaver and publisher Henry Reed Hoke III were busy...

The DMA Announces Plan For New Mandatory Ethics Compliance Requirements By All Members.
November 1, 1997... As an extension of the direct marketing industry's privacy promise to the American public, the Direct Marketing Association (The DMA), announced the beginning of a year-and-a-half process to make compliance with self-regulation fair information...

Oldsmobile Offers "Intrigue".
November 1, 1997... Using the World Wide Web, Oldsmobile is offering consumers a more personalized way to shop for a car. With the help of Apple Computer, Splash Technology and Xerox Corporation, the new system allows Oldsmobile to produce customized marketing...

AOL Files Lawsuit Against Sender Of Unsolicited E-Mail.
November 1, 1997... America Online Inc. (AOL) has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court against Over the Air Equipment Inc. for repeatedly sending unsolicited bulk e-mail to AOL members despite repeated requests from AOL for them to stop. The lawsuit states...

Cox Direct Delivers Frequent Buyer Database Of 25 Million.
November 1, 1997... Cox Direct's flagship product, the Carol Wright coop mailing, has been enhanced in a continuing effort to provide targeted households that have the most potential to respond to offers and samples. Cox says they have amassed an "unparalleled...

Project Mail Box Launched By FTC.
November 1, 1997... More that 1,500 private sector volunteers have joined a coalition of federal, state and local law enforcers to target direct mail con artists who prey on senior citizens. The Federal Trade Commission, the United States Postal Service, the...

Peapod Launches New Client/Server Security Solution In Europe.
November 1, 1997... Windows NT users can now benefit from the same encryption and security technology that is allowing Sweden's national post office to deliver secure email and transactions services to the entire Swedish population. This follows Peapod Group's...

Leading Retailers Gather At 4th Annual Retail Forum.
November 1, 1997... America's leading retailers continue to focus on their best customers as the best way to grow and compete in an over-stored economy. This was evident in the presentations made recently at the 4th Annual Retail Forum at The New York Helmsley...

Teamplayer Campaigns-On-Demand For IBM Business Partners.
November 1, 1997... IBM recently introduced TeamPlayers Campaign On Demand, a customizable direct-mail program designed to allow participating Business Partners to view direct mail pieces and customize them while on line, in addition to updating mailing lists on...

Bell Atlantic To Hand Deliver Advertisers Messages To Targeted Customers.
November 1, 1997... For advertisers seeking the elusive qualified customer, Bell Atlantic may have the answer with its new Savings at Your [Door.sup.SM] marketing program. The program, announced by Bell Atlantic Direct marketing services, consists of an...

USPS Approves Five-Year Capital Investment Plan.
November 1, 1997... At the October monthly meeting of the Postal Board of Governors, its members approved an increased five-year capital investment plan from $14.3 billion last year to $17 billion covering fiscal years 1998 through 2002. The additional $2.7...

Treasury-Postal Bill Goes Through Congress.
November 1, 1997... Recently, the House approved the $25.2 billion fiscal year 1998 Treasury, Postal and General Government Appropriations bill (HR 2378) that contains a 2.3 percent cost-of-living pay raise for Members of Congress and other federal executives,...

Postal Workers In Germany Protest Post Office Plan.
November 1, 1997... Tens of thousands of German postal workers protested in Bonn recently against a government plan to wipe out virtually all of the post office's current monopoly by the end of the year. The demonstration came before a parliamentary vote on a...

And In Canada...
November 1, 1997... A Canadian Postal strike has been averted for now after the federal government appointed a conciliation commissioner to bring workers and Canada Post closer together. Without the commissioner, the parties would have been in a strike or lock out...

USPS Selects Nationsbank.
November 1, 1997... Nationsbank has been selected to handle U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) funds in three states and Washington, D.C. The Charlotte, NC based bank will handle daily cash transactions for 797 post offices in Georgia and 778 post offices in Maryland,...

1997 Echo Awards Spotting the Trendsetters.
November 1, 1997... Once again the Direct Marketing Association has bestowed its Echo Awards in recognition of the best direct response campaigns of the year. Unfortunately, we cannot cover all the winners, so in the next few pages we have spotlighted some of the...

Audiocassette Program For Volvo Cars Generates 24 Percent Response Rate.
November 1, 1997... An audiocassette newsletter test created for Volvo Cars of North America by Juhl Marketing Communications resulted in an unprecedented response rate of 24 percent. "We challenged Volvo to establish a dialogue with its customer in order to...

FASTBALL.com's "Decode & Win Game".
November 1, 1997... It is the marketing dilemma of the 1990s: How can producers of a new Internet Web site get people to try it? Cox Interactive Media's FASTBALL.com completed a four-week promotion recently that set new benchmarks for on-line promotions. A...

Nextel Invites Prospects Out To The Ballgame.
November 1, 1997... Over 1,500 key businesses in the Greater Chicago area received promotional packages from Nextel Communications, a provider of integrated wireless communication services to business work groups. Each package, which is an out-of-the-box concept...

The Name Is Familiar, But I Can't Recall The Face.
November 1, 1997... The customer identifies who you are by what you are. When you vary from what you are the consumer becomes confused, undecided and switches to a brand more familiar because of the traditional look. Did you hear about Levi's success with...

If we are concerned about customer retention, Why do we want to keep making contact through customer satisfaction RESEARCH?
November 1, 1997... As a one-to-one, customer retention marketer I'm focused on the individual customer. I don't core about averages, I need to manage interactions with individual customers. I gave a talk at a recent DMA sponsored conference regarding...

How To Harness The Awesome Power Of Word Of Mouth.
November 1, 1997... In study after study, with almost every category of buyer, ward of mouth has been shown to be what is known as the proximal cause of purchase--the most recent thing that happened just before purchase. Marketers are overlooking the obvious....

A Small Point of Personal Privilege.
November 1, 1997... Longevity is only a minor indication of effectiveness...and its significance is primarily to the individual, not to the world at large. That goes for contributors to this magazine, too. It' s hardly worthy of inclusion in The Guinness Book...

Ask Dr. Direct.
November 1, 1997... Testing is the one sure way to get better at your business, to learn more about your market, and find out what works for you. It also gives you opportunities to dramatically improve your direct marketing. Dr. Direct is a new service to...

7 Key Questions You Must Answer To Market To Small Businesses.
November 1, 1997... Owners of small businesses often have chips on their shoulders. As the president of a small direct marketing agency, I have experienced many of the same frustrations other small business owners have related to me. Owners of small...

How to Succeed With Response Modeling.
November 1, 1997... Long-term profitability is important to know today. Life lime Value Break Even Percent is a quick solution. Response rate (Reps%) is one of the most commonly used benchmarks of performance in the direct marketing arena. This simply computed...

Computerized Customer Care Creates Consumer Connections.
November 1, 1997... Training and technology make the call center a virtual extension of the marketing team. In the '50s Clairol revolutionized Americans' idea of beauty with campaigns featuring famous slogans like "Does She or Doesn't She" and "Blondes Have...

Occam's Razor and Cutting Your Own Throat.
November 1, 1997... Many creative people in advertising are out of touch. Not just in general advertising, but in direct marketing as well. And no one had to conduct a study to show me -- it is obvious. Once a month or so, I unchain myself from my desk, turn...

The Big; The Bold; And The Bad:.
November 1, 1997... Reader's Digest Struggles Victoria s Secret Mails By The Zillion And Brown & Williamson Resolves A Philosophical Issue One of the fatal intellectual flaws direct marketers are prone to is confusing the map for the territory, the model for...

From List Fatigue To Relationship Marketing.
November 1, 1997... Today's credit card marketers are facing the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace while their industry is reeling from skyrocketing delinquencies and charge-offs due to the rapidly rising bankruptcy rate, giving rise to an...

Quality Monitoring Software Helps Guarantee Call Quality.
November 1, 1997... Technology industry analysts say that training is the most significant differentiator among call centers. One technology that can significantly improve training is quality monitoring software, which lets you evaluate the effectiveness of your...

How To Get Them From The Headline To The Response Device.
November 1, 1997... You have a great headline. Now, how should you organize your body copy? It is in your body copy that you continue the benefit presented in your headline. It is also where you prove your product or service is the best. And it is where you...

The Essential Contract Terms With Some Changes.
November 1, 1997... Readers of Legal Outlook will note that there have been a number of columns dealing with a wide variety of contractual issues ranging from defeating unconscionable computer sellers' limitations on warranties to drafting effective employee...

Mitch Korb To Direct Software And Video Division For DialAmerica.
November 1, 1997... DialAmerica Marketing, Inc. has selected Mitch Korb to direct its newly-established Software & Video Division, which will focus exclusively on telephone marketing for software and video products. Korb, a 15-year veteran of the company, will...

William Common Joins 141 USA As Senior Vice President.
November 1, 1997... William Common has joined 141 USA as senior vice president, business development, the Americas. In addition to his active role on the management team, his responsibilities will include expanding the 141 business through new business...

APL Names Adrienne Wax Senior Vice President And Group Director.
November 1, 1997... Ammirati Puris Lintas (APL), New York, has announced the appointment of Adrienne Wax as senior vice president and group account director in the agency' s direct marketing group. "Adrienne brings needed talent and experience to our rapidly...

DM PEOPLE.
November 1, 1997... BUSINESS SERVICES Royal Mail US Inc. (New York, NY (212) 508-9600), has appointed David McGirr as vice president of sales. Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing (New York, NY (508) 436-2861) has named Craig Combest as its chief marketing...

USPS Awakens.
November 1, 1997... Direct mail watchers lifted an eyebrow or two this month at the partisan activity displayed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) following a Spring/Summer rash of TV commercials comparing Parcel Post rates to those of their nearest...