DMA Encourages Members to Participate in President Obama's Town Hall Meeting

September 23, 2011 — On Monday, September 26, President Obama will host a town hall meeting on the social network LinkedIn. The conversation will focus on job creation and putting America back to work.

DMA encourages its members to participate in the town hall and ask questions about the issues that matter most to the direct marketing community. We especially encourage you to submit questions that underscore the importance of direct marketing to the US economy — the new markets, innovation, and jobs that are derived from the marketing industry.

Take DMAAction: Ask the President About the Issues That Matter Most to Marketers!

Here are some suggestions (note that questions must be under 200 characters):

· Privacy: Online advertising fuels Internet commerce, which delivers new job growth. Why is the Administration pushing for privacy regulations, proven harmful in the EU, that will shackle the US economy?

· Charitable Deductibility: Why is the Administration pushing to reduce charitable deductions — removing incentives to donate to charities at a time of greatest need for those organizations and their beneficiaries?

· Postal Reform: Why cut service at the USPS when you could support returning the USPS’ $55-75 billion overpayment to the Civil Service Retirement System allowing USPS to right-size its operations effectively?

· Internet Sales Tax: Where does your Administration stand on forcing out-of-state companies to become unpaid tax collectors for States? This places a massive burden on growing internet companies and the jobs they create.

You can submit your questions directly through LinkedIn’s “Putting America Back to Work 2011” Group. For more information, please contact Rachel Thomas, DMA’s vice president of government affairs.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the world’s largest 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 half of the Fortune 100 companies.

In 2010, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $153.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.2 percent of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.8 trillion in incremental sales. In 2010, direct marketing accounted for 8.3 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also, in 2010 there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.8 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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