DMA Insert Media Council to Honor Jackie Kern and Geico at Jan. 25 'Roast & Toast'

December 30, 2010 — The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Insert Media Council today announced that plans for their Annual Roast & Toast Holiday Luncheon are underway. Two honorees will receive awards this year: one Individual and one Company

The 2010 Individual Award-winner is Jackie Kern, managing director and co-founder of Main Street Direct, LLC. Kern will join Corporate Award honoree Geico Insurance on the podium from 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at Aureole, which is located at 135 West 42 Street. Geico’s Bob Pivo, a 35 year Geico veteran, and his associate Chris Damon will jointly accept the honor on behalf of the company.

Each year at the Annual Roast & Toast Holiday luncheon, industry leaders come together to reconnect, and to recognize the highest achievements in the field and this year, we are delighted to honor two truly outstanding representatives of the Insert Media community.

In today’s direct marketing landscape, the scope and breadth of Insert media has expanded, and unprecedented opportunities have emerged. Today more than ever, utilizing this powerful medium is essential on all points of the multichannel spectrum.

2010 Individual Award: Jackie Kern

Jackie Kern is managing director and co-founder of Main Street Direct. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in New York City, Main Street Direct is a full-service direct response agency specializing in customer acquisition. In her position, Kern is responsible for overseeing the Client Services, Media and New Business teams. She is also responsible for initiating strategic partnerships between the nation’s largest financial institutions and leading direct response advertisers. As a result of these relationships, Main Street mails hundreds of millions of statement inserts annually.

Prior to starting Main Street Direct, Kern held several positions at Cooper Rand Corporation. During her tenure at Cooper Rand, she established close relationships with every major financial institution and was responsible for managing credit card fee income programs for the company's top 50 accounts.

Kern is a frequent speaker at DMA functions and currently serves on the Direct Marketing Association’s Ethics Committee and is co-chair of the DMA’s Insert Media Council. Additionally, she has been selected to judge both the DMA International ECHO awards and the DMEF College ECHO Awards.

2010 Corporate Award: Geico

GEICO mails over 750 million inserts a year to general audience prospects across the country. These inserts are found in various national and suburban newspapers, first class billing statements, retail catalog blow-ins and package inserts. Inserts are catered to specific geographies, demographics and psychographics while ranging in size from a small buck slip to a double sided full page flat sheet. GEICO also directly markets to various special audiences via the “insert,” including distribution in Military, Federal and ethnic newspapers.

Admission for the DMA Insert Media Council’s 2010 Holiday Roast & Toast on January 25th is $75 for council members, $85 for DMA members, and $99 for non-DMA members. For additional information or to register, please visit http://www.the-dma.org/councilevents/insertjanluncheon/

About DMA Insert Media Council

The goal of DMA’s Insert Media Council is to represent the interests of direct marketing companies engaged in all facets of alternative print and interactive media. The council is intended for those who are concerned with identifying and exploring insert media issues and opportunities. For additional information about this and the other 20 DMA special-interest councils, please visit www.the-dma.org/segment.

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.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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