Response articles from April 2009

Response archives from April 2009

DR to branders: want the secret? Get in line.(Editor's Note)
April 1, 2009... A month ago in this space, I wrote about the widespread belief in direct response marketing that is almost always evident in the housewares vertical. Today, as I take a quick break from the show floor at Chicago's McCormick Place, I can gladly...

Shifferaw files patent infringement lawsuit against marketers of Ab Rocket.(Field Reports)
April 1, 2009... ALBANY, Calif. -- T. Dosho Shifferaw, an inventor of fitness equipment, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Emson USA, E. Mishan & Sons Inc., Academy Sports & Outdoors and Amazon.com in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District...

Total U.S. ad spending fell 2.6 percent last year--DR up 9.2 percent.(Field Reports)
April 1, 2009... NEW YORK -- U.S. advertising for 2008 was down 2.6 percent from 2007, dropping $3.7 billion to a total spend of $136.8 billion, reports The Nielsen Co. However, the study noted that direct response product spending was up 9.2 percent, a boon to...

FTC ruling made without industry input.(Field Reports)
April 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rescinded its Mirror Image Doctrine (MID) in late February, a policy that stated the agency would not ordinarily challenge advertising claims that promote the sale of books or other publications...

DMA makes more cutbacks.(Field Reports)
April 1, 2009... NEW YORK -- In early March, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) underwent its second round of cutbacks, letting go 26 employees and simultaneously canceling some events. In the past five months, the organization has reduced its staff by...

Google's Armstrong heads to AOL.(Field Reports)
April 1, 2009... NEW YORK -- Tim Armstrong, senior vice president of Google, is leaving for a new position as chairman and CEO of Time Warner's AOL, starting April 7. AOL's current chairman and CEO, Randy Falco, along with COO Ron Grant, will leave the company....

Darren Fisher.(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Darren Fisher joins Direct Response Media Inc., a DRTV management company, as executive vice president and general manager, while Robert P. Portaro joins the company as director of new business development. Previously, Fisher provided...

Ignite Media Solutions.(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Ignite Media Solutions announces the addition of Gary Smith, CIO, and Tom Murphy, CTO, to its executive team.

Atomic Direct.(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Atomic Direct's 60-second DRTV spot "Patio" for System Pavers was recently recognized with a Telly Award--the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs as well as the finest in video and film...

Ronco acquisition LLC.(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Ronco Acquisition LLC is launching three new products in its line of Popeil inventions as Ronco celebrates its 50th anniversary. The products include Coffeetime Brew System, Mongolian Barbeque Grill and the Electric Pasta and Sausage Maker.

Fern Lee, Paul Levinsohn and other investment partners join together to launch Factor Nutrition Labs LLC (FNL).(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Fern Lee, Paul Levinsohn and other investment partners join together to launch Factor Nutrition Labs LLC (FNL). FNL was formed to acquire and develop nutritional supplement and health-related consumer products and will market and distribute...

Live Chat, the new online customer support service.(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Live Chat, the new online customer support service from Moulton Logistics Management, helps DRTV and other direct response marketers increase online sales and improve customer retention by providing customers with the ability to chat live...

Through Newton Media.(News Corner)
April 1, 2009... Through Newton Media, time on KTAQ-TV (channel 47) in Dallas, is now available to paid programmers. Newton Media began working with KTAQ in 2008 and as of March, will represent the station's paid programming inventory.

The IMS Top DRTV national cable rankings.(Research)
April 1, 2009... TOP 5 VERTICAL MARKETS NATIONAL CABLE INFOMERCIAL RANKINGS RANK PRODUCT NAME MARKETING PRICE OFFERED AIRS COMPANY HEALTH & FITNESS 1 P90X BeachBody 3 payments...

Long-form media billings drop $24.5 million in 4Q 2008: total 2008 long-form billings decline $36.8 million.(4Q Long-Form 2008 Media Billings)
April 1, 2009... Continuing rollback that started in third-quarter 2008, long-form DRTV media billing declined $24.5 million in the fourth-quarter--an 8.2-percent drop to $272,591,000. This marks the second consecutive fourth quarter that media billings have...

Beauty's on the inside at Sephora: vice president of CRM Shannon Smith has proven that customers in the beauty giant's loyalty program actively engage with the brand, boosting sales.(COVER STORY)(Company overview)
April 1, 2009... It is no surprise that one of America's top selling beauty and personal care retailers was originally a gift from Paris, a city known for setting trends in fashion and beauty. Sephora--a brick-and-mortar and online retailer of cosmetics,...

The new face of beauty: blogs, social communities, widgets, videos--online channels are creating places for customers to talk about beauty and personal care products and allowing direct response marketers to lead the conversation.(BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE MARKET)
April 1, 2009... The beauty industry, worth an estimated $230 billion in annual global sales, is staring down an attractive future. And while the industry showed a 3.3-percent decline in U.S. sales from 2007 to 2008, according to the market research company NPD...

A technological launch: short-form DRTV producers and marketers say technology, from HD to post-production to online video, is creating a new era.(SHORT-FORM PRODUCTION)
April 1, 2009... At times, it seems that new technology is having its way with us. From the expanding digital television galaxy to the constantly evolving broadband Internet universe to smarter and smarter mobile phones, technology has invaded our lives on both...

The DNA of DRTV.(Media Zone)
April 1, 2009... Everyone wants to known the secret to direct response television (DRTV) advertising. In a world where converging technologies facilitate viewer responses, commercials bear URLs, and Web advertising seduces business with pay-as-you-go models,...

Pay head to payment management and prosper.(Support Services)
April 1, 2009... We're all managing through the roughest U.S. economy in decades. Waning consumer spending has had a dramatic effect on retail volume, and credit availability issues stand on dampen the commerce that continues. It's forcing all of us to consider...

Retail sales: it's all in the numbers.(Retail Outlet)
April 1, 2009... Unless you've just won a big jackpot, like the rest of us you are no doubt finding it harder to make ends meet during these tough economic times. Many of you reading this article are "self-employed," and while government unemployment statistics...

Branding is dead.(Guest Opinion)
April 1, 2009... Over the years, many advertising practitioners have forgotten that the primary purpose of their profession is to sell stuff. The job of advertising is not to entertain. Or to be clever. Or even to make friends, although no marketer wants to...