May 26, 2010 — “It’s such an exciting time to be a marketer, and a purveyor of change,” said Direct Marketing Association Interim President & CEO Bob Allen, as he welcomed attendees to DMA’s Retail Marketing Conference in Orlando Florida. “I am so passionate about the innovations taking place in our world and being part of a team that gets to implement them once again. As marketers, as retailers we’re all part of that team. It’s the fun, it’s the new and exciting, it’s the change that keeps this business so interesting for me.”
New RMC Brand Reflects Positive Change
Allen discussed the evolution of the direct marketing community and of the RMC conference itself. “There was nothing wrong with ACCM as it was,” Allen said. “We just realized it didn’t accurately reflect all of you. In order to broaden the appeal of the event and attract a wider range of retailers who use print as well as other digital channels to communicate with their customers, we have re-branded ACCM into the 2010 retail marketing conference. And we have, I think, preserved the rich legacy of our ACCM history and added all the best of what’s new, what’s right now to better represent the continued evolution of both the 21st century retail marketer and, first and foremost, the 21st century shopper.”
The Importance of Self-Regulation
Continuing the theme of positive change, Allen emphasized the importance of supporting DMA’s efforts to overturn the Colorado tax reporting law. “The new Colorado tax reporting law requires non-sales tax collecting, out-of-state marketers, like many of you who have no physical presence in Colorado, as of May 1, to remind consumers who reside in that state that they are responsible for paying taxes on the goods purchased,” Allen explained. “ . . . This bill is directed at direct marketers and is meant to be so onerous that your business concedes to collect tax in Colorado. . . .The other 40-plus states won’t be too far behind unless we unite against this law. This regulatory burden for marketers and Invasion of privacy for consumers is a bad change."
Allen encouraged marketers to support DMA’s efforts against these regulations. “Being a DMA member and supporting the effective self-regulation of our community is the key to monitoring and defeating laws like this, laws that seek to change the way we do business as marketers and the way we live as consumers. Join us as DMA files suit against the state of Colorado in an effort to overturn this law and protect your business. . . . As change agents, this is your first task: Learn all that you can about the Colorado tax reporting law and join DMA in affecting change by taking an active role opposing it.”
About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.
