DMA Publishes 30th Edition of 'Statistical Fact Book'

‘The Definitive Source for Direct Marketing Benchmarks’ Enters Its 30th Year

New York, NY, March 6, 2008 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today announced the publication of its Statistical Fact Book, now celebrating 30 years as one of DMA’s best-selling research offerings. From basic benchmarks to detailed data, this book provides marketers with easy access to information that will help them make informed decisions.

With 17 chapters, 222 pages, and more than 300 charts and graphs, the answer to just about any direct marketing question is at a marketing professional’s fingertips with this best-selling reference book.

“DMA’s Statistical Fact Book has always contained the answers to nearly every question a marketing and advertising professional possibly could ask,” said Anna Chernis, DMA’s senior research manager and the book’s editor. “However, what truly distinguishes this reference book, which is updated annually, is how it has kept up with the times — most notably, the enormous impact that technology has had on direct marketing over the past three decades.”

“In fact, the 1979 edition of our Statistical Fact Book introduced a chapter titled ‘The New Technology,” Chernis said. “Even all of those years ago, DMA had a vision of a time when people would be ‘shipping signals rather than paper.’ Of course, now that vision is reality. Consequently, not only does the 30th edition of our Statistical Fact Book offer chapters dedicated to ‘Interactive Media’ and ‘Email,’ it refers to the Internet throughout the entire book. This is just one way how this book, which covers the complete end-to-end direct marketing process, has evolved with the times.”

DMA’s new Statistical Fact Book includes the following chapter titles:

· Direct Marketing Overview

· Direct Mail

· Creative

· Catalog

· Television/Home Shopping

· Interactive Media

· Email

· Hispanic Market

· Lists/Databases

· Consumer Demographics

· Business-to-Business

· Financial Services

· Nonprofit

· International

· Customer Service/Customer Relationship Management

· USPS Information

· Power of Direct Marketing

In addition to a wealth of DMA research, the Statistical Fact Book provides information from more than 60 prominent sources. All told, multichannel direct marketers will find answers to just about every question they have, as well as to hundreds they never thought to ask.

Here are just a few nuggets of wisdom from the 30th anniversary edition of this DMA best-seller:

· Direct mail (other than catalogs) is still the principal direct marketing promotion method.

· The average US consumer receives 26.2 pieces of any type of mail per week.

· About 81 percent of households either read or scan advertising mail sent to their homes.

· The average person takes 34 hours and 19 minutes between first visiting an online retailer and purchasing a product or service.

· Ninety (90) percent of Internet users are email users.

· Eighty-four (84) percent of consumers say they open email offers.

· Keyword search advertising accounts for 40 percent of all online ad spending.

· Six out of the top 10 infomercials are health and fitness related.

· Forty-five (45) percent of multichannel marketers do not currently advertise on social networking, blog, or other word-of-mouth outlets.

· Permission-based, business-to-business email lists command the highest price. In November 2007, these lists cost $273 per thousand.

· Direct marketers in the nonprofit arena find nonprofit newspapers and magazines to be the most effective advertising channel.

Members and non-members can purchase a copy of the Statistical Fact Book, 30th Edition through DMA’s online bookstore by clicking here. The book is $260 for members and $470 for non-members.

Members of the press may request a complimentary copy of the new book by contacting Sue R.E. Geramian, DMA senior vice president of communications, public and media relations, at 212.790.1486 or via email at sgeramian@the-dma.org.

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 nearly 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2007, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $173.2 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $2.025 trillion in incremental sales. In 2007, direct marketing accounted for 10.2 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2007, there were 1.6 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported nearly 9.0 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 10.6 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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