July 21, 2006 — The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) yesterday announced the winners of the 2006 DMEF Collegiate ECHO™ Competition, which is sponsored by the US Postal Service. The competition, which was conducted during the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 semesters, attracted more than 120 entries from undergraduate and graduate colleges nationwide.
Conducted since 1986, the DMEF’s Collegiate ECHO Competition allows teams to submit direct marketing campaigns that focused on branding direct mail for Postal Service business customers. While the choice of specific B-to-B target audiences was left to the discretion of the student teams, the challenge required direct mail to be used as a marketing channel.
The winners of the 2006 competition are:
· Gold (1st place): State University of New York – Plattsburgh (undergraduate)
· Gold (1st place): Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College (graduate)
· Silver (2nd place): University of Northern Colorado (undergraduate)
· Silver (2nd place): Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College (graduate)
· Bronze (3rd Place): University of Wisconsin – Whitewater (undergraduate)
· Bronze (3rd Place): Loyola University – Chicago (graduate)
“We at the US Postal Service are honored to have sponsored this year's Collegiate ECHO Competition,” said Patrick O’Connell, Program Manager, Advertising, US Postal Service. “The competition focused on improving the image of direct mail in the marketing and advertising marketplace. Our goal was to tap the best and brightest young minds and discover new outlooks, fresh thinking, and innovative ideas that could advance one of the Postal Service’s products. We were excited to work with a new group of marketing and advertising leaders in the world of direct.”
Gold Award-winning team members will be presented with trophies on October 17 at the DMA International ECHO Awards ceremony and gala during DMA06, which will be held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco from October 14-19. The prize includes transportation, accommodations, and attendance at DMA06. Only undergraduate teams are eligible for prizes other than trophies.
The US Postal Service is the first Collegiate ECHO sponsor to have sponsored a previous competition. The USPS previously sponsored the 2000 competition.
Past sponsors during the 21 years of the Collegiate ECHO competition have included ING DIRECT, Advanta Corporation, Mazda North American Operations, Bank One, BMG Direct, Ford Motor Company, Hallmark Cards, Pitney Bowes, Publishers Clearing House, and Upjohn (Rogaine).
“The Collegiate ECHO competition benefits direct marketers, students, and professors, while also building bridges among these groups. Knowledge of our field is advanced at the university level by corporate sponsorship, which helps the direct marketing community as a whole,” said Laurie Spar, vice president and general manager, DMEF. “Professors receive an invaluable teaching tool, and students gain practical experience through a hands-on project in direct marketing. Dozens of student teams generate new ideas for our sponsors.”
“There’s enormous recognition at the International ECHO Awards as well as the ECHO Web site,” Spar continued. “It’s a wonderful way of giving back to the greater direct marketing community, and we are very appreciative of the Postal Service’s sponsorship this year.”
For additional information, visit www.the-dma.org/dmef.
About US Postal Service
Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits more than 144 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.
About ECHO Award™
Introduced in 1930 as the “Best in Direct Mail” contest, The DMA International ECHO tm Awards honor excellence in creativity, strategy, and response results in direct marketing campaigns. With more than 1,000 entries submitted by direct response agencies worldwide, The ECHO tm Awards recognize every type of media used in direct and interactive marketing industry campaigns.
About Direct Marketing Educational Foundation
Established 40 years ago, DMEF is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Direct Marketing Association. The DMEF sponsors a broad range of programs for professors and students that bring direct and interactive marketing education to the college classroom.
US Postal Service Contact: Joanne Veto, 202-268-3118
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