Direct Response articles from June 2003

Direct Response archives from June 2003

EDITORIAL: Shape of things to come.(Editorial)
June 30, 2003... Much has been written about the likely length and depth of the current recession. Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive officer of WPP, the conglomerate that owns DM agency OgilvyOne, reckons this recession is bath-shaped as opposed to...

NEWS FOCUS: E-MARKETING - B2B e-mail 'exempt' from opt-in rule.
June 30, 2003... B2B e-mails will be largely exempt from a forthcoming UK law requiring opt-in for all e-mail and SMS communications, says a leading marketing lawyer. Stephen Groom, a partner at law firm Osborne Clarke, told delegates at a DMA seminar on...

NEWS FOCUS: DIRECT MAIL - Survey shows mailing spend set to plateau.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Figures for advertising expenditure in the UK have revealed that spend on direct mail has grown once again, but is possibly about to level off. The results, published in the Advertising Association's quarterly survey of the market, show a...

NEWS FOCUS: CREATIVE - UK DM agencies celebrate sweep at Cannes Direct 2003.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... The UK dominated the Cannes Direct awards this year, picking up a total of 11 of the 56 Lions awarded. Heading the roll-call of UK winners was Publicis Dialog, which picked up two Gold Lions for its work for homeless charity the DePaul...

NEWS FOCUS: DIARY OF A DOORMAT.
June 30, 2003... Gurdev Singh is divisional sales director of communisis-dm. He lives in Leeds with his wife and two brand/media savvy teenage children and stoically follows Leeds United. I am one of those lucky (or sad) people who is still excited about...

NEWS FOCUS: B2B DATA - Yell acquisition ramps up Experian data operation.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Experian is to merge Yell's 1.6 million-plus UK business records with its own 1.8 million-strong National Business Database (NBD) following its purchase of Yell Data, the B2B direct marketing arm of the Yellow Pages publisher. The boosted...

NEWS FOCUS: DMA CENSUS - Good year for door-drops and inserts.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Inserts and door-to-door both saw a healthy increase in expenditure in this year's DMA Census. Figures for 2002 showed an 11 per cent growth in the door-to-door market to pounds 677 million, up from pounds 609 million in 2001. ...

OPINION: Why call centres drive away callers.
June 30, 2003... Companies complain about their call centres ('customer access hubs', whatever), being nothing but an expense. Yet some of the industry's leading consultants argue that the great telemarketing boom began because it was much cheaper to have...

HOW TO ... pre-test your direct mail campaign.
June 30, 2003... With so many variables affecting the outcome of a direct marketing campaign, a relatively small investment in pre-testing can boost response rates and maximise budgets, says Karen Trickett. When used properly, direct marketing can deliver...

LEGAL EAGLE: Workplace monitoring.
June 30, 2003... Workplace monitoring, the DMA's new Code of Practice and updates on the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive are discussed by James Milligan. Q: I have heard that there is a new code on monitoring at work. I manage a contact...

CREATIVE MASTERCLASS: Creative masterclass on ... Persuasive copywriting for press advertisements.
June 30, 2003... Advertisements are tacit deals, argues Simon Antenen. To keep your target reading on, you must promise them something interesting and entertaining. Business a bit slow? Fed up with this so-called 'bath-shaped' recession? I'll make a...

DATA CLINIC: Ask the experts.(a discussion of customer relationship management reporting)
June 30, 2003... Leading database specialists answer readers' real-life data problems. This month they advise on CRM reporting, selling customer data and testing for direct mail campaigns. We have recently spent several million pounds on a major CRM...

DATA CLINIC: Get connected.(a discussion of several Web sites)
June 30, 2003... Creativity in all its guises is the goal of Mark Fiddes when he's online, from sixth-form humour to upholding human rights, not forgetting the financial travails of Fulham FC. In Mr Majeika and the Internet, the whole of Class 3 at St...

DATA CLINIC: How to buy ... suppression.
June 30, 2003... Suppression is designed to boost delivery and response rates, reduce unwanted mail and stop inappropriate communications. David Barragry offers some tips. Obey the law The law requires you to run certain suppressions, such as Mailing,...

DATA CLINIC: DataTalk.
June 30, 2003... Despite its ready availability, suppression is too-often overlooked by mailers. David Laybourne believes the industry should co-operate in order to offer a more transparent data hygiene proposition. The suppression industry has been at the...

DATA CLINIC: What I do in data - James Northway, data planning director, Carat.(Interview)
June 30, 2003... How did you arrive in this job? I used to work at dunnhumby as a senior analyst. Three years ago, I was recruited by Carat to help set up a data planning unit. A major Carat client, Royal Mail, wanted us to analyse its customer database and...

DATA CLINIC: What are ... Selection criteria.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... These are defining parameters for the targeting or selection of data. Profiling current buyers or new markets allows companies to highlight likely characteristics of potential customers, and use these to accurately target key prospects....

DATA CLINIC: CASE STUDY - Long Tall Sally.
June 30, 2003... Taller women were being shortchanged by the inadequacies of the niche clothing retailer's data operation, until it called in specialist help. Simon Clarke reports. Niche clothing retailer Long Tall Sally faced a dual challenge - it was...

DATA CLINIC: DATA HEALTH CHECK - PHS.(Personal Hygiene Services)
June 30, 2003... Having made more than 50 company acquisitions in recent years, office services supplier PHS needed a major deduplication and enhancement exercise before it could reap the benefits. The case PHS is one of those undiscovered yet...

DATA CLINIC: TECHNIQUE - Acquisition to retention - the customer lifecycle.
June 30, 2003... Tailoring sales or retention messages to your customer base can aid in the development of maximum customer value, says Ian Robinson. The key is to identify and profile the different segments of your customer base. Effective customer...

DATA CLINIC: SOFTWARE GUIDE - Contact management.
June 30, 2003... Our expert panel of software specialists have sifted through the contact management software products on the market to bring you this comprehensive digest. Contact management systems capture, centralise and report crucial knowledge about...

DATA CLINIC: A manager's view.(list-swapping for direct mail)
June 30, 2003... The whole point of list-swapping is to maximise hard-pressed budgets, but Steve Reid reckons you'll want to take several aspirin before contemplating it. Mention the word 'swap' to any list manager or broker and watch their eyes roll...

DATA CLINIC: Which list? A round-up of new or updated consumer, business and online lists.(Directory)
June 30, 2003... NEW LISTS Consumer - The Independent Schools' Careers Organisation (ISCO) The Independent Schools' Careers Organisation (ISCO) has released its list of 189,000 AB parents, who have paid, or are paying, for private education for...

DATA: Lifestyle choices.(data collection surveys)
June 30, 2003... As the UK's data providers embrace new channels for data collection, Noelle McElhatton reports on the prospects for the traditional paper-based survey. In the average row of 10 houses in the UK, it's estimated that seven will have filled...

FULFILMENT: Tall orders.
June 30, 2003... Mail-order companies and their fulfilment suppliers are turning to formalised service agreements to ensure reliability. High-quality customer service is key to the success of any brand. For mail-order companies, and e-tailers in...

ENVELOPES: Envelope showcase.
June 30, 2003... The envelope is still a crucial differentiator for marketers trying to get noticed on the doormat. Here we profile four innovations in envelope manufacture. Innovation 1: The non-tear envelope Client: Dollond & Aitchison Envelope...

SECRETS OF MY SUCCESS: Steve Harrison, Creative director, Harrison Troughton Wunderman.
June 30, 2003... How would I explain any success that I've achieved thus far? Easy. I've been lucky. I came to London the day after I finished my doctoral thesis. To be honest, that degree wasn't a great help on the job front. As a recruitment consultant...