Direct Marketing Educational Foundation Announces Inaugural Shankar-Spiegel Award Winner

Shankar-Spiegel Award to be Presented at DMEF’s Research Summit

During DMA08 in Las Vegas

New York, NY, September 24, 2008 — The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) today announced that Anita Man Luo of the University of Connecticut will be presented with the first-ever DMEF Shankar-Spiegel Award for the Best Dissertation Proposal in Direct/Interactive Marketing. Andrew Stephen of Columbia University and Seshadri Tirunillai of the University of Southern California will receive Honorable Mentions.

The inaugural award will be presented at the Direct/Interactive Marketing Research Summit Awards Ceremony and Luncheon which will take place at the Las Vegas Hilton on Sunday, October 12, 2008, at 1 p.m. The Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, which is the Summit’s highlight event, will be held in conjunction with the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) DMA08 Conference & Exhibition, the Global Event for Integrated Marketing, which will run from October 11-16 in Las Vegas.

The Shankar-Spiegel Award recognizes doctoral candidates, from accredited programs, with the best dissertations in the area of direct/interactive marketing. DMEF will award $6,000 — $3,000 to the winner(s) and $1,500 to each of the Honorable Mention(s) — in financial assistance to be used for travel, conference attendance, data collection, and other expenses for conducting and presenting their dissertation research proposals. All winning candidates will also receive the cooperation of prestigious direct/interactive marketing firms for data collection and database usage.

“The future success of direct/interactive marketing education is directly related to the intellectual excellence and innovation of Ph.D. students pursuing research and study in this field,” said Terri L. Bartlett, DMEF president. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of Ted Spiegel and Venky Shankar, the DMEF is proud to introduce the first winners of what is sure to become a much-sought-after award among doctoral students worldwide.”

“Both the DMEF’s commitment and the institution of this award will produce proficient academicians in the direct/interactive discipline,” said Ted Spiegel, president of Spiegel Marketing Associates and DMEF Board member. “This year’s winners are excellent examples of the talent potential. We congratulate them and look forward to their futures in the direct/interactive marketing field.”

“The Shankar-Spiegel Award is proud to promote cutting-edge dissertation research in direct/interactive marketing,” said Venkatesh Shankar, professor at Texas A & M and an academic representative on the DMEF Board. “I am delighted that there were several exciting research proposals in this inaugural year. Kudos to the winners! We hope the award will inspire and honor many more creative dissertations in the years to come.”

Shankar-Spiegel Award Winner

· Anita Man Luo, University of Connecticut

Assessing the Short and Long Term Effects of Direct and Interactive Marketing in the B2B World

Shankar-Spiegel Award Honorable Mentions

· Andrew Stephen, Columbia University

Social Commerce, Networks, and Marketing

· Seshadri Tirunillai, University of Southern California

The Impact of Online Word-of-mouth on the Stock Market Returns of the Firm

By encouraging the creation and distribution of research on cutting-edge issues in the direct/interactive marketing community, the Shankar-Spiegel Award furthers DMEF’s work as a thought-leader and catalyst for new ideas and fresh research, as well as its mission to attract, educate, and place new talent in the field.

DMEF’s Shankar-Spiegel Award will be presented annually. Completed dissertation research presentations will be considered for publication in the Journal of Interactive Marketing®.

About Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF)

Headquartered in New York City, the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) works to attract, educate, and place top college students by continuously improving the teaching of world-class direct/interactive marketing and, thereby, expanding and enriching the talent pool of trained, market-ready direct marketers. Established in 1966 by members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) who wanted to give something back to the community, DMEF is today a separate, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that is supported solely by tax-deductible contributions from individuals, companies, and regional clubs and associations. Funds raised go toward a broad range of world-class educational programs.

Since its founding, thousands of students have taken advantage of DMEF’s educational programs, entering the field with the competitive edge of being “workplace-ready.” Many have gone on to become today’s direct marketing leaders, an indication of the Foundation’s success. In addition, more than 1,800 professors have participated in DMEF programs. Thanks in significant part to the Foundation’s four decades of work, today approximately 255 colleges and universities offer courses in direct/interactive marketing, 31 of which now offer specific direct marketing degrees and certificate programs. For additional information about the DMEF, its mission, and its programs, visit www.the-dmef.org.

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