Direct Marketing articles from September 2000

Direct Marketing archives from September 2000

The New With the Old! Another Twist.
September 1, 2000... Recently, Sasha Lord, senior account representative, Landis Communcations, San Francisco, CA, called to see if I was interested in hearing about a new company using new technology and traditional media--direct mail. I loved it, so I said sure....

The 7 Lost Secrets of Success.
September 1, 2000... Meet two marketing professionals whose work the author describes as "inspirational." A few months ago, I wrote an article for Direct Marketing entitled "The Greatest Marketer on Earth!" No, it wasn't autobiographical--but thanks for...

U.S. Postal Rate Hike Request Exceeds $1.3 Billion In Unneeded Revenue.
September 1, 2000... Charging that the USPS is asking for $1.3 billion in revenue it does not now need, The Direct Marketing Association has filed testimony with the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) arguing that the total growth in new revenue sought by the Postal...

New York State Senate Passes Do-Not-Call List Legislation.
September 1, 2000... The New York State Senate and Assembly has passed a bill establishing a statewide registry for consumers who do not want unsolicited sales calls, reports Newsday. New York Governor George Pataki is expected to sign the bill into law soon, which...

Primedia Consolidates Consumer Magazine Operations, Sells Pictorial For $129 Million.
September 1, 2000... Primedia, Inc. plans to merge its Primedia Consumer Magazines division with Primedia Special Interest (Enthusiast) Publications by forming one company, the Primedia Consumer Magazine & Internet Group. The move is another step toward further...

Spiegel, Yahoo! and Spinway Offer Free Internet Access Service.
September 1, 2000... Spiegel Catalog, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Spinway, Inc. have launched Spiegel Free Web, a free Internet access service available to consumers in the United States. Also, Spiegel will join one of the Web's most popular commerce destinations as a...

Bloomingdales Marketing Director Speaks at DMCNY.
September 1, 2000... eOsk.com is cutting edge technology for the marketing team at Bloomingdales, according to Jaime Weston, interactive marketing director. "This is a hybrid solution to continue refining our information base," said Weston, at recent gathering of...

85 Percent of Corporations Use Cause Marketing Tactics.
September 1, 2000... Over 85 percent of corporations and 65 percent of not-for-profit organizations participated in cause marketing partnerships to raise money and attention for worthwhile causes during 1999, according to a Promotion Marketing Association (PMA)...

U.S. Accuses Card Networks of Violating Antitrust Laws.
September 1, 2000... In opening arguments at a federal trial recently, the U.S. government has accused the Visa and MasterCard credit card networks of violating antitrust law and blocking competition through exclusionary tie-ups with banks. The outcome of the...

The DMA Acquires Federation of Nonprofits.
September 1, 2000... The Direct Marketing Association has acquired the National Federation of Nonprofits ((NFN), creating an industry-wide advocate to ensure comprehensive national representation of and services to the non-profit sector. The acquisition creates the...

ATA Testifies Against "Dinner Time" Telemarketing Legislation.
September 1, 2000... In testimony delivered recently on behalf of the American Teleservices Association (ATA), Steve Brubaker of InfoCision Management Corporation urged Congress not to legislate a federal dinner time hour as called for in H.R. 3180 (The...

DMA Urges U.S. To Oppose EC's VAT Taxes On E-Business.
September 1, 2000... The DMA is urging the U.S. to vigorously oppose the European Commission's (EC's) plan to force foreign companies to levy value-added taxes (VAT) on products and services sold via the Internet. Forcing such collections, the DMA contends, would...

41 Earn Masters In Direct Marketing Communications From NYU.
September 1, 2000... Recently, 41 graduates from six different countries received Master of Science Degrees in Direct Marketing Communications from New York University the first advanced degree program for direct marketers offered in the United States. This is the...

73 Percent of Consumer Catalogs Earn Profit on the Web.
September 1, 2000... Seventy-three percent of consumer catalogs that accept orders on their Web sites are making a profit on these transactions, according to research released by the Direct Marketing Association. The survey found that 76 percent of consumer...

CMA Internet Marketing Conference Report.
September 1, 2000... "We are struggling with Convergence", said John Gustason, president, The Canadian Marketing Association, opening this years 6th Annual CMA Internet Marketing Conference, entitled "Making What Works, Work on the Web." Gustason explained that the...

FindMoreBuyers.com Delivers Demographics of Best Potential Customers.
September 1, 2000... FindMoreBuyers.com, a virtual marketing consulting firm, is offering businesses a demographic profile of their best customers. Working to identify the households most likely to be interested in a business' products and services,...

Study Finds E-Commerce On the Decline.
September 1, 2000... In one of the first studies to find e-commerce on the decline, Greenfield Online cites that the amount of consumers shopping and purchasing online is down compared to last year. Entitled "Digital Consumer Shopping Index VIII," the study...

ADVO Establishes New Weekly Mailing Program In Las Vegas.
September 1, 2000... ADVO, Inc. has launched a new weekend mailing program in the Las Vegas, Nevada market. The mailing will be delivered weekly to approximately 500,000 households on Friday and Saturday, and will be in addition to ADVO's existing mid-week shared...

NRF To Form Strategic Alliance With Shop.org and NCCR.
September 1, 2000... The National Retail Federation will form strategic alliances with Shop.org, the leading trade association for online retailers, and the National Council of Chain Restaurants, which represents many of the nation's leading multi-state, multi-unit...

Survey Finds Custom Publishing Key Relationship Marketing Tool.
September 1, 2000... A new survey, commissioned by the Custom Publishing Council (CPC), shows that custom publishing is now an integral part of U.S. companies' Customer relationship marketing mix. This second annual survey indicates that custom publishing...

New Partnership To Enhance E-Mail Marketing Campaigns.
September 1, 2000... inChorus.com and EContacts.com have partnered to bring rich-media e-mail and smart frequency delivery to e-mail marketing and advertising campaigns. inChorus Pro rich-media e-mail offers voice, sound, graphics and animation; and messages are...

Town Planner Calendars Prove Effective Advertising Medium.
September 1, 2000... Distributed as a free direct mail piece every year to millions of families, the Town Planner calendar combines community information with local business advertising in the form of money saving coupons and highly visible display ads. More than...

Harte-Hanks Expands European CRM Response Management Services.
September 1, 2000... Harte-Hanks, Inc. has acquired U.K.-based Hi-Tech Marketing Limited, a leading pan-European provider of response management services to the technology, telecommunications and financial services industries. Established in 1989, Hi-Tech Marketing...

ERA Approves Telemarketing Guidelines.
September 1, 2000... Over a period of eight months, under the leadership of the ERA Telemarketing Task Force, a group of 24 association members including retailers, telemarketing companies and membership club companies have developed the ERA Telemarketing...

QAS Goes Dutch.
September 1, 2000... QAS, the U.K.'s leading address management systems company, has launched a Dutch version of its QuickAddress range of address management software and has opened new headquarters in Amsterdam. The deal reflects QAS's commitment to provide...

Simon School of Business Offers Electronic Commerce Concentration.
September 1, 2000... The William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration is offering a new M.B.A concentration in electronic commerce. The school joins a select few top business schools that offer a formal graduate research and teaching program in this...

iV-Caller Service Deters Online Credit Card Fraud.
September 1, 2000... iVerify.com has launched a new service to reduce credit card fraud and to validate members and registrants at Web sites. Entitled iV-Caller, the service enables sites to confirm that a visitor who registers online can be reached at the...

Acer Poll Highlights Internet Usage Behavior In Taiwan.
September 1, 2000... A recent Acer Group poll surveyed over 1,500 consumers at the Acer e-Life 2000 Show in Taiwan to gain a better understanding of Internet usage behavior and consumer attitudes towards the Internet and information technology. The poll found...

Clients Will Expect Shortened Turnaround Time For Creative Work.
September 1, 2000... In a recent survey of advertising executives, 89 percent of respondents predicted that by 2003 technological advances will have clients expecting even swifter production of creative materials. When asked, "How will technology affect the...

New B2B E-Marketing Company Integrates On and Offline Strategies.
September 1, 2000... Direct marketing gurus Brad Neuenhaus, Andy Cutler, Tom McGinley, and John Groman have launched BeNOW (www.be-now.com), a new business-to-business e-marketing company. According to BeNOW president Neuenhaus, the company has grown out of an...

Promotions.com Increases E-Mail Marketing Response Rates.
September 1, 2000... Promotions.com has launched PromoMail, a new Internet promotion solution. PromoMail integrates Internet promotions into e-mail marketing campaigns, allowing marketers to increase e-mail response rates, enrich targeting capabilities, generate...

Likeability and Direct Mail: Some Observations.
September 1, 2000... The author says he doesn't like these direct mail packages much, although he admits they probably worked well. I left the room recently as an adwoman extolled the "enjoyability" and "likeability" of her company's TV commercials. I'm...

Cataloging For Entrepreneurs: Creating Versions of Your Catalog More Economically.
September 1, 2000... 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 create versions and keep your mailings fresh without going...

Got Testimonials? Milk Them For All They're Worth.
September 1, 2000... You've gathered all your testimonials. Now here's what to do with them. When we were kids, my friends and I made up a game we called "Made You Look." Three or four of us would get fairly close together--in a shopping plaza, on the street,...

The Second dot-Coming: Brick-and-Mortars Must Move Online.
September 1, 2000... Message to traditional retailers: now's no time for complacency--merge online and offline sales for the total customer solution. As a longtime retailing executive and current investor in several Internet ventures by established...

Ways To Improve Your Order Card.
September 1, 2000... I approached the 6"x9" direct mail package I was writing very strategically. First I wrote the oversized (8.5"xll") order card. Then the lift letter. Next a rough draft of the sales letter and a portion of the brochure. Then a more defined but...

The Content Question: Static or Dynamic?
September 1, 2000... Should your company's Web site consist of static or dynamic content, or a mix of both? The author explains the difference and helps make the best decision for your business. When a company is planning a presence on the Internet, there are...

Hyperlinks--Not a Risk Free Aspect of Internet Culture.
September 1, 2000... In the late 1960's, a visionary computer scientist, Ted Nelson, lead the foundation of the Web culture through the introduction of hypertext which laid the foundation for the World Wide Web's connection between documents or pages. Today, we...

Ideas For Improved Magazine Circulation (Part II).
September 1, 2000... Just when you thought you knew everything about magazine circulation, two more circ pros offer ideas to keep those subscriptions and renewals coming in. 1. Develop a testing attitude about everything you do to get new subscribers, renew...

Plotting Your Global Strategy (Part II).
September 1, 2000... In part two of a two-part series, the author examines some of the important "nitty-gritty" details you will need to master as you begin to launch your international direct mail campaign. In the first part of this two-part series, I took...

The Gift of Focus.
September 1, 2000... To compete successfully in the future, companies will need to know where they are going and how they intend to get there. They will also need to ask the right questions along the way. Companies spend a lot of time, money, and energy...

Should You Outsource Your Telemarketing?
September 1, 2000... It's natural to be concerned about outsourcing your telemarketing program. Here are some points to consider that should male the decision easier. Outsourcing providers are one of the hottest commodities in telemarketing today. The total...

e-Health Spending Fails to Spur Physician Use, Acceptance of Internet.
September 1, 2000... A new study indicates that in spite of the vast amounts of money invested in e-health, physicians still underutilize the Internet, have little interest in Internet-based medical applications--other than basic informational uses--and are...

The Small Merchant is Alive & Well.
September 1, 2000... Today, there is a hunger for the store that's fun to shop at, that recognizes the individual and tells their own unique story through their merchandise. What do Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan and Tim Allen have in common? They are all cast as...

Perks.com Automates Sales Force Incentive Campaigns.
September 1, 2000... Perks.com, a provider of Internet-based loyalty retention and sales force incentive solutions, is offering a Web-based application that automates the process of administering sales force programs. Entitled PerformancePerks [TM] the service...

InfoPost.com Launches Comprehensive Digital Marketplace.
September 1, 2000... While most e-commerce to date has involved the physical delivery of merchandise, such as books and CDs, the Internet is poised to become the leading distribution channel for digital goods that can he uploaded and downloaded by computer. Calling...

Awards.com Complements Web Site With Catalog and Print Campaign.
September 1, 2000... Awards.com, the leading Web-based resource for awards, promotional and motivational products, has launched a targeted mailing of nearly one million catalogs nationwide. The company aims to brand and drive traffic to its Web site through print...

PayMentor.com Deters Late Payment Problems.
September 1, 2000... PayMentor.com is offering a new payment solution that exploits the immediacy of the Internet to enable small companies to manage their accounts receivables more effectively. PayMentor.com focuses on the relationship a business has with its...

SurePayroll.com Offers Economical Payroll System.
September 1, 2000... In a survey conducted by DraftWorldwide, nearly 25 percent of the small business owners surveyed are not happy with their current payroll system. Moreover, according to an ICR study, 40 percent of 11 million small business owners are fined an...

IdentityNow Expands Promotional, Incentives and Business Gifts Marketplace.
September 1, 2000... IdentityNow--a leading outsourced program provider in the $66 billion promotional products, incentives and business gifts marketplace--is now offering the same suite of services to companies of every size through its new public Web site,...

isProof.com Facilitates Media Asset Management.
September 1, 2000... isProof.com offers online media asset approval within a Web-based collaborative environment for image review, approval, and job tracking. The system enables retailers and catalogers to work with pre-press vendors and photography studios, to...

DM People.
September 1, 2000... QUEBECOR NAMES PRESIDENT Qubecor World, Inc. has named Daniel Scapin president of its new Logistics Services operation. Since Qubecor World's merger with World Color Press, Scapin has lead the effort to increase efficiencies and improve...

The Month Of September.
September 1, 2000... '70 In the News: "Soviet Union Lands The Venera 7, a 1,091-Pound Atmospheric Probe, on the Surface of Venus," "American Top-40, Hosted By Casey Kasem, Airs for the First Time on Radio." Headline: Letter Axiom: Simple, Clear, Accurate...