DMA and Conference Board Present 'Brand Convergence' Panel Exploring Disappearing Marketing Boundaries

January 29, 2010 — On Thursday, January 28, in New York City, DMA collaborated with The Conference Board to present a lively panel of direct marketing experts at The 2010 Corporate Image and Branding Conference. Entitled "Brand Convergence: The Direct Platform," the session explored the disappearing boundaries between brand advertising and direct marketing in an era of social media and global competition.

Moderated by DMA Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Sue Geramian, the panelists included Brian Wolfe, EVP of Consumer Marketing at Time, Inc.; Richard Rosen, President & CEO of Rosen, Inc.; and Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan, President of Document Messaging Technologies at Pitney Bowes.

Each speaker drove home the point that marketing effectiveness can be dramatically improved by adapting to converged view of brand advertising and direct marketing. Rosen described his "Rosen Velocity Scale" as a method for driving and measuring each interaction between an individual and a brand, in all media.

Ratan's presentation focused on incorporating intelligence across all communications channels, online and offline. He pointed out that social networks have been around for a long time in various forms and extend far beyond the computer screen. He urged marketers to explore intelligent solutions across all channels from direct mail to mobile.

Wolfe spotlighted the fast growing use of social media in various and innovative ways by several successful Time Inc. publications, and he previewed breakthroughs in new media to visualize a dynamic, networked version of Sports Illustrated. In addition to his role at Time, Wolfe also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the DMA Board.

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