ACCM Workshops to Focus on Customer Databases, Production Efficiencies, Multichannel Marketing, SEM and Improving Conversion Rates

May 2, 2007 — The 2007 Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM), which will be held May 21 – 23 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, will present five brand new, in-depth, three-hour workshops that will explore some of the most pressing challenges facing today’s multichannel marketing professionals. The workshops will be held on Wednesday, May 23 from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m., putting the final punctuation mark on this year’s three-day ACCM.

The workshops will focus on key aspects of customer database strategies, production efficiencies, multichannel/integrated marketing, search engine marketing (SEM) management, and real-time online testing to improve conversion rates. Each workshop will provide ACCM delegates a unique opportunity to explore the challenges and the opportunities associated with each of these key areas.

Build a World-Class Customer Database for Profitable Multichannel Marketing

For direct marketers, customer databases are crucial. However, gathering all the data across many channels and combining all the variables to create a winning marketing strategy can be daunting. This session will tackle this challenge, providing attendees useful information on how to enhance their database to support their multichannel strategy and ensure good customer experiences across channels.

This workshop’s speakers are Linda Spellman, director of multichannel business, The Home Depot; Shera Shrago, manager of e-mail marketing, The Home Depot; and Roy Wollen, principal, Database Marketing Consulting, Inc.

Gaining Production Cost Efficiencies — Not as Hard as It Looks

Improving contact strategy is one way to increase ROI; another is to reduce initial costs. This second ACCM workshop does just that. This three-hour session explores proven cost-cutting techniques for catalog production. Professionals will guide conferees through topics such as content management across channels, paper options and prepress efficiencies, catalog formats and designs that save money, and mailing considerations, including co-mailing.

This workshop will be moderated by Dawn Flook, director of production, Lorel Marketing Group. Panelists include Dave Koteski, vice president, Arandell Color Science, Arandell Corporation; Don Landis, vice president of postal affairs, Arandell Corporation; and Angela Weidman, catalog print production manager, Patagonia Marketing/Creative.

Multichannel Marketing from the Frontlines —

The Reality, Promise and Myths of Integrated Marketing

Experts leading this third ACCM workshop will help conferees decide how to integrate the Internet into their marketing campaign. This workshop will highlight the measurable benefits of integrated marketing campaigns, best practices required for successfully executing those campaigns, organizational requirements for success, and what these experts see as the future frontiers in integrated marketing.

This workshop’s moderators are Jeff Haggin, president, Haggin Marketing, and Mark Swedlund, senior vice president, Haggin Marketing. Panelists include Stephen Fuller-Rowell, director of eCommerce, Chinaberry, Inc.; Mike Osborn, senior director of relationship marketing, eBay, Inc.; Bob Safford, executive vice president and CMO, Fingerhut Direct Marketing; and Ellen Sato, founder, Corner Solutions.

Best Practices for SEM Management

One of the two Wednesday afternoon workshops to explore Web and e-mail marketing, this session delves into making search engine marketing (SEM) management the best it can be, while still being cost-effective. Should it be kept in-house or outsourced? For those who choose to outsource, panelists will detail best practices for managing the retailer-agency relationship; pros and cons of various agency fee structures; audits, tracking, and performance reviews; and key contract clauses. In-house issues pertain to retaining in-house search marketing analysts and tracking and bid management options.

The moderator of this workshop is Alan Rimm-Kaufman, president and founder, The Rimm-Kaufman Group. Panelists include Cam Balzer, vice president of strategic planning, Performics; Sara Blakewood Norment, CEO, Giftcollector.com; and Craig Kronenberger, managing director, iCrossing.

How to Conduct Real-Time Testing Online to Improve Conversion Rates

Quick! Figure out, on the spot, just how many of your customers go from sales pitch to purchase. In this second Web and e-mail marketing workshop, experts will help delegates do exactly that. Subjects include an overview of A/B testing vs. multivariable testing; the pitfalls that companies encounter when embarking on a real-time testing program; two case studies that demonstrate how multivariable testing can result in large increases in annualized revenue; and, based on Optimost’s tests, the best practices related to the use of copy, layouts, and offers.

The moderator is Mark Wachen, CEO, Optimost. The panelists include Brad Sockloff, vice president of eCommerce, Time-Life.

About the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM)

Co-sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT, the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) is the world’s largest and most comprehensive conference for catalog, Internet, and multichannel professionals. For more information and to register, please visit www.accmshow.com.

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