Response articles from August 2004

Response archives from August 2004

'We're gettin' the band back together!'.(Editor's Note)(Response, Advanstar Communications)
August 1, 2004... No, that picture above is not an old one! It's a brand new photo of Response's former--and once again--editor-in-chief Thomas Haire and the magazine's long-time national sales director--and now publisher--John Yarrington. Yes, that's...

Response magazine thanks Cohen, Paynich for service.(Special Announcement)(executive moves)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Response magazine and its parent company, Advanstar Communications, announce the appointment of John Yarrington as publisher. Yarrington replaces Gina Mullins-Cohen, who stepped down after three-and-a-half years as group...

Nutramax labs settles with FTC for unsubstantiated claims.(Legal News)(Federal Trade Commission)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The Federal Trade Commission announced that Nutramax Laboratories Inc., a dietary supplement manufacturer based in Edgewater, Md., has settled charges with the Commission for violating federal law. According to the FTC, the...

Retail sales take a Surprise dip in June.(News Brief)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- In a recent report released by the Commerce Department, U.S. retail sales took an unexpected 1.1-percent tumble in June. The report reveals the decrease in sales could be attributed to American consumers struggling to cope with...

Microsoft creates new Media/Entertainment & Technology Convergence Group.(Industry Brief)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. has established a new group within the company designed to aide efforts and forge relationships with the media and entertainment industries. The newly formed group, Media/Entertainment & Technology Convergence...

Beales resigns from FTC Consumer Protection post.(Federal Trade Commission )(J. Howard Beales III)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that J. Howard Beales III, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, will be leaving his position at the Bureau to return to academic life as associate professor of strategic...

Darla Haun partners with Take 2 Direct for new 30-minute infomercial.(Field Reports)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... IRVINE, Calif. -- Take 2 Direct (T2D), a newly formed direct response marketing and production company, announced the creation of a new 30-minute infomercial format, called New Innovations, featuring Darla Haun. New Innovations combines the...

4 new radio programs from American Public Media join Audible Inc. schedule.(Field Reports)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... WAYNE, N.J. -- Audible Inc., a provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio, announced availability of four public radio shows from American Public Media, a division of Minnesota Public Radio. The four new shows include "Sound Money,"...

Horizon creates Direct Response Planning Group.(Field Report)(Horizon Media)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Horizon Media, an independent media services agency, has created a Direct Response Planning Group in an effort to expand its direct marketing efforts. The team will be headed by Gene Turner, who has been promoted to associate...

Spammer settles in court case for $50K.(Field Report)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- In what is considered to be a landmark case involving OptInReal Big.com, has recently been settled. Eliot Spitzer, New York's anti-spam attorney general, has reached a settlement with Scott Richter and his company, OptInRealBig.com....

Jordan Whitney's program rankings.(Research)(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... Top 10 Infomercials Rank Last Month Program Host 1 1 Slim in 6 Julie Moran 2 3 Carleton Sheets Bella Shaw 3 NR CortiSlim Greg Cynaumon ...

The IMS top 20 DRTV national cable rankings.(Research)(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... Long-Form Programs Rank Weeks on Chart Show Marketing Company Count 1 597 Carleton Professional Education 615 Sheets Institute 2 34 ...

From the lab.(Research)(8 Tips to Maximize Media Mobility)
August 1, 2004... 8 Tips to Maximize Media Mobility Lately, we've been hearing the same thing from a lot of people in the direct response industry: "Media rates are making it hard to turn a profit in DRTV." Therefore, following are eight key tips that can...

Long-form media billings level off for first-quarter 2004 with a 1-percent decline in spending: number of long-form time slots purchased set another first-quarter record.(Research)
August 1, 2004... For the first time in three years, the first-quarter media billings have posted a modest 1-percent decline, reversing the upward trend started in first-quarter 2002. Consequently, the decline in the average cost of a half-hour block has kept...

First-quarter short-form DRTV media billings level off: top 30 markets maintain 51 percent of total billings.(Research)(direct response television)
August 1, 2004... In step with its long-form sibling, short-form DRTV media billings posted a 1-percent decline for first-quarter 2004. Following last year's first-quarter jump of 37 percent, the short-form DRTV industry maintains its position while compromising...

Sculpting the brand: former Nautilus Group chief marketing officer Randy Potter reveals how Bowflex made a name for itself in the DRTV world, and beyond. How can other brand marketers make the shift?(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... Right now it's not unusual to see brand marketers like Motorola, Conair or Procter & Gamble using DRTV to launch new products, reach out to consumers and gain market share. Rewind back about 14 years, however, and the landscape was decidedly...

Side effects: more large pharmaceutical companies are prescribing DRTV to educate consumers about their products and to prompt them to contact their doctors.(Pharmaceuticals)(Direct Response Television (media))
August 1, 2004... The latest infomercial to hit the broadcast airwaves isn't out for the hard sell, nor does it prompt consumers to "call now to qualify for this great up-sell." In fact, this one isn't even focused on a particular brand of company--a tactic...

PVRs: overcoming viewers' urge to zap commercials.(Media Zone)(Personal video recorders)
August 1, 2004... Personal video recorders (PVRs), such as TiVo, let TV viewers easily record programming and fast-forward through commercials. During the next five years, PVRs will be in 30 million homes (30 percent of U.S. homes), up from 3 million homes...

Learning from the past can build a strong retail future.(Retail Outlet)
August 1, 2004... Using the DRTV model to support goods sold through retail distribution channels is hardly a new idea. In fact, the concept is about as old as commercial television itself. Let's go back and take a look. Possibly the first product to...

10 mistakes to avoid when selecting and working with fulfillment centers.(Support Services)
August 1, 2004... Choosing the right fulfillment center can sometimes be an over-whelming task, especially for a direct marketer. However, it doesn't need to be a difficult undertaking, especially if you do your homework and be mindful of the pitfalls associated...

Cenveo buys Valco Graphics in Seattle.(News Brief)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Cenveo Inc., a provider of visual communications services has acquired Valco Graphics Inc., a Web and sheetfed printer of promotional, direct marketing and publishing products in the Seattle market, with annual sales of...

Mayflower inks fulfillment deal with Moulton Logistics.(Support Services)
August 1, 2004... VAN NUYS, Calif. -- Moulton Logistics announced that Ten Mayflower Productions, a New York-based producer of sports highlights DVDs and videos, has chosen the company to provide fulfillment services for the latest Ten Mayflower production, "40...

ERA's 14th Annual Conference & Exposition: September 26-29, 2004 * Paris Las Vegas.(ERA Report)(Electronic Retailing Association )
August 1, 2004... Join more than 3,000 industry professionals from all over the world as they gather in Las Vegas for three informative and entertaining days full with educational sessions, networking events and lucrative business opportunities. This meeting...

Congress urges FTC to crack down on spammers.(Legal Review)(Federal Trade Commission)
August 1, 2004... According to the traditional Chinese calendar, it's the "Year of the Monkey." But it seems to be the "Year of Doing a Lot About Spam" at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is suing commercial E-mailers, promulgating regulations, issuing...