Direct Response articles from February 2006

Direct Response archives from February 2006

Editorial: The realm of big business.(Experian Information Solutions Inc.)(Editorial)
February 6, 2006... If there were any doubts that direct marketing is becoming big business, then the growth of Experian would seem to be proof that DM, particularly the data side, is now a game for the big players. Experian is well on its way to claiming...

News Focus: Employment - DM jobs now on web site.
February 6, 2006... Direct marketers on the hunt for jobs have a new option in the shape of DMjobs.co.uk. The brainchild of database marketing consultant Mark Patron, the newly launched site is dedicated to jobs in the direct marketing sector. Access to...

News Focus: Survey - Customer loyalty weakens.
February 6, 2006... Loyalty schemes are failing to build stronger relationships between brands and consumers, according to research from Carlson Marketing and Acxiom. Carlson Marketing surveyed 6,000 UK consumers in its Relationship Builder 2005 survey and...

News Focus: Exhibition - TFM to attract thousands.
February 6, 2006... More than 4,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors are expected to attend the sixth Technology for Marketing show at London Olympia from 7 to 8 February. The event will cover database marketing, CRM, customer contact solutions, marketing...

News Focus: Acquisition - Experian buys data firm.
February 6, 2006... Experian has acquired customer intelligence firm ClarityBlue for pounds 85m, the latest in a series of UK acquisitions that saw it acquire address management firm QAS, and email marketing specialist CheetahMail in 2004, and consumer think-tank...

News Focus: Broadsystem reveals plans to absorb Ebiquita assets.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Broadsystem has announced its acquisition of data services provider Ebiquita's assets following that company's placement into administration in December. While Broadsystem's exact plans are still under tight wraps, CEO Caroline Worboys has...

News Focus: Events planner.
February 6, 2006... FEBRUARY 7-8 Technology for Marketing show Venue: London Olympia. Contact: www.t-f-m.co.uk 23 The Absolute Essentials of Direct & Interactive Marketing. Venue: The IDM, Teddington. Contact: www.theidm.com/training 24 The IDM...

News Focus: What's new.(Cascaid)(MM Teleperformance)(Corporate Mailing Matters acquired Pims National)
February 6, 2006... LAUNCHES IF - IF agency has launched, headed up by Brian Rees (right), founder of sales promotion firm PDP and former CEO of IPG's Momentum Group, and ex-BDH agency director Christian James. Based in Manchester, IF offers both above- and...

News Focus: Post - DMA appoints expert to deal with postal affairs.(Direct Marketing Association)(Alex Walsh )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The DMA has brought in the man who handled Royal Mail's relationships with mailing houses and trade associations to deal with postal affairs. The appointment of Alex Walsh as head of postal affairs comes as the direct marketing industry...

News Focus: Campaigns - DMA promotes DM in schools with charity competitions.
February 6, 2006... The DMA is launching two new competitions to encourage excellence and creativity in direct marketing - including one that will get pre-teens putting together campaigns. The DMA is launching The Young Direct Marketing Awards for school...

News Focus: Diary of a Doormat.
February 6, 2006... Julian Dodds is chief of Geronimo, an integrated marketing agency that develops communications to make brands more desirable. Julian lives in Balham with his partner and two children. He also owns a ski chalet in the French Alps. Dull...

News Focus: Electoral Roll - Opt-outs escalate.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Opt-out levels to the Electoral Roll (ER) have risen again, according to figures from Experian and EuroDirect. Experian's figures show that opt-out to the 2006 ER reached 31.8 per cent last year, an increase of 2.5 percentage points on the...

News Focus: Acquisition - Conduit to become part of group in beneficial takeover.
February 6, 2006... Business data provider Conduit has announced its acquisition by integrated marketing services group Pendragon Marhaus. Conduit will continue to trade in its own right but is expected to benefit from becoming part of a group that includes...

News Focus: Legal Eagle.(James Milligan of Direct Marketing Association)(Interview)(Column)
February 6, 2006... James Milligan is legal and public affairs adviser at the Direct Marketing Association. This column is not intended to constitute legal advice. For specific legal advice, contact your solicitor. For DMA membership details, contact Sean...

Opinion: Does DM have a fighting chance?
February 6, 2006... Rather like New Labour and its war on yobs, Royal Mail has been rabbiting on for the best part of a decade about its wish to base postal charges on size rather than weight. The difference is, Royal Mail has actually won its fight. The...

How to ... avoid labelling an older audience.
February 6, 2006... Writing to persuade older people to buy your product or service is no different from writing for a younger audience, says Dick Stroud. Just be absolutely certain that you understand their lifestyle. There is no such thing as 'old-people...

Creative masterclass on ... infomercials.
February 6, 2006... Once the domain of kitchen products and sports equipment, the infomercial is now having a renaissance for direct marketers, says Mike Colling. Infomercials (also known as long-form DRTV) are 15- or 30-minute DRTV commercials. They are a...

Data Clinic: Ask the experts.
February 6, 2006... This month our panel of data specialists looks at using a new channel to recruit subscribers, whether to stick with a mainframe database system, and managing email data. As a publishing house we have used only direct mail and inserts to...

Data Clinic: Data Health Check.
February 6, 2006... Hyundai Cars are generally high-value products and are often only purchased every few years. This means that customer data can easily become stale, making thorough cleaning vital. THE CASE Car manufacturer Hyundai houses and maintains...

Data Clinic: Case Study Special: Winner, DMA Awards 2005 - Virgin Holidays.(holiday company )
February 6, 2006... The holiday company knew it had a strong brand and a loyal customer base and cleverly used these advantages for a stand-out e-CRM campaign. The holiday sector is not renowned for its customer focus, being notoriously product, rather than...

Data Clinic: How to buy ... B2C lists.(business-to-consumer)
February 6, 2006... When buying B2C list data it is vital that you choose a company with a good reputation - for both its staff and the security it uses. Choosing the right business-to-consumer list is crucial for an effective B2C campaign. However, separating...

Data Clinic: Get connected.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... As a media owner, says Geraldine Tosh, the internet is an invaluable tool that helps me identify what is happening in data and online advertising in the UK and overseas. The internet provides me with information on prospects before I meet...

Data Clinic: DataTalk.(managing data)
February 6, 2006... True customer insight will not be found if you don't look beyond the assumption that a shared postcode means shared preferences, says Dawn Orr. For a detailed analysis, more data is needed. Most data products available in the UK have...

Data Clinic: What I do in data - Guy Smith, bureaux development manager, The REaD Group.(Brief Article)(Interview)
February 6, 2006... Q: How did you arrive in this job? I undertook a work experience placement at The REaD Group to help with my research at university while studying for my final year dissertation. The sales director advised me to apply for a job if I...

Data Clinic: What is ... Loyalty.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... One of the most misunderstood marketing terms is loyalty. In commercial terms, loyalty is the process of providing value to customers so that they do not defect and increase their value to you over time. Companies cannot simply take a...

Data Clinic: Technique - Maximising the potential of your customer data.
February 6, 2006... Data quality is especially vital at the point of capture - get this right and make sure that you cleanse and use the proper suppression tools, and there is no limit to the potential of your customer data, says Chris Smith. The ability to...

Data Clinic: A broker's view.
February 6, 2006... As the industry experienced a burst of activity last year, it is now essential that brokers become more forward-looking in the services they offer, says Claire Hart. The broking world has taken strides in the past year to meet the growing...

Data Clinic: Which list?(mail order products)
February 6, 2006... A round-up of new or updated consumer, business and online lists. NEW LISTS Consumer Cat Book Mail Order Buyers New to the market and managed by Avongate, this postal data list comprises highly active mail order buyers, all of...

Postal Services: Postal players deliver.
February 6, 2006... Now that the postal system is in full deregulation, what services are on offer for UK businesses? asks Rob McLuhan. After 350 years Royal Mail has finally lost its stranglehold over the postal market, and judging from the number of firms...

Digital Print: The right match.
February 6, 2006... Digital print is the ideal medium to match particular offers to particular customers, says Alex Blyth. 'Digital print is something of a double-edged sword,' says Caroline Worboys, CEO of outsourced marketing communications provider...

Data Choices: Data decisions.(data processing and services of online service providers)
February 6, 2006... Cheaper data services are popping up online as the technology becomes more accessible. But is it best to stay with the experts? There was a time when, if you wanted your data cleansed, suppressed, or just generally looked after, you called...

Secrets of my Success: Caroline Kimber, Group marketing director of Wegener DM.
February 6, 2006... I have always been interested in human behaviour. But I never imagined this interest would lead me into a career - not least because when I took myself off to Bristol to read psychology, I didn't know there were jobs in which I could...