'The Changing Faces of Direct' to Be Focus of DM Days New York Keynote Panel

May 29, 2007 — Customers are out there. The thing is, they’re everywhere! And a standard, one-way barrage of information may not speak to them. So to catch them, direct marketers have to adapt. These professionals may need a little help adjusting and a special keynote panel will show them how during the 2007 DM Days New York Conference & Expo, which is being held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, June 19 – 21.

From 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20, the experts speaking during “The Changing Faces of Direct: Reinventing The Client, The Consumer, The Agency” will explore the new realities facing today’s client, consumer, and agency. Direct marketing professionals will hear how their efforts may appear to the consumer and find out why agencies that structure themselves based on building clients’ businesses, regardless of medium, are the agency of the future. And they’ll get the latest word on how emerging media is forcing marketers and agencies alike to use direct marketing tactics to become smarter than ever before.

The keynote panelists are Mike Brzozowski, executive vice president and director of customer relationship management for Draftfcb, and Charles E. McKittrick III, a senior partner and director of marketing strategy for OgilvyOne.

Where Will Marketing Go from Here?

Consumers can skip television commercials, sling their favorite program to the electronic device of their choice, or block Internet advertisements at their source. In short, many people — both in the home and in the businessplace — are opting out of the structured marketplace. Brzozowski thinks it’s time for marketers to reconfigure their thinking, too.

Brzozowski calls on the wisdom of Abraham Maslow, known as the father of enlightened management, who famously said: “When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail.”

“Client and agencies are feeling the pain of being organized around functions and products. This does not foster collaboration between disciplines. We must all begin to structure ourselves around the consumer,” said Brzozowski. “In other words, we must first solve for our clients’ business problem, and then identify the marketing discipline that best engages the consumer, not vice versa.”

And as marketers demand more accountability, Brzozowski believes direct marketers have the upper hand. “The good news is it’s in our DNA to be accountable. Now the challenge is taking that accountability and making it more creative, so that the consumer is more engaged. We must evolve from benefits and features-driven executions to real conversations with consumers.”

About the ‘Changing Faces of Direct’ Panel

Mike Brzozowski, executive vice president and director of customer relationship management, leads Draftfcb New York's CRM practice where he develops CRM programs and embeds best practices for clients and new business. He has more than 21 years of CRM, direct marketing, and interactive expertise spanning financial services, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, technology, publishing, retail, insurance, and packaged goods. With the explosion of new technologies and a heightened emphasis on marketing accountability, he believes effective CRM strategy will help clients deliver on the promise of individualized, dialog-driven customer experiences in a truly multichannel, multi-discipline method.

Charles E. McKittrick III is a senior partner and director of marketing strategy for OgilvyOne. He develops market-driven growth strategies — across channels — for leading brands such as IBM, Motorola, J&J, Assurant, and FAGE yogurt. McKittrick is currently the lead strategist on the Six Flags and Barclay’s iShares businesses. Prior to Six Flags, he spent two years helping IBM grow their $22 billion business with small- and medium-sized companies. McKittrick has specialty expertise in multi-dimensional segmentations, customer experience management, scenario planning, and routes to market.

About DM Days New York Conference & Expo

The 2007 DM Days New York Conference & Expo provides a forum for the exchange of new ideas and technological advances and provides cutting-edge information in e-commerce, technology, media, database, and creative services. To register or to find more information about DM Days, please visit www.dmdays.com.

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