DMA Gets to the Point

Online Publication Premieres

New York, NY, May 5, 2009 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today released the flagship issue of Point, a digital publication focused on one timely, highly relevant topic, explored in-depth by several high-level experts representing a variety of viewpoints in the marketing spectrum, per installment. Point offers readers a wide vista of perspectives and practices from marketing’s best innovators and thought-leaders on relevant subject matter that closely touches our diverse, multichannel audience.

The theme of this first issue, “Thriving Through Customer Service,” explores how focusing on the customer experience in innovative ways can empower businesses to prosper in today’s challenging marketplace. Point will have two installments in 2009, the second scheduled for later this fall.

The contributor roster is made up of great pioneers and trend-setters who have contributed their time, energy, and expertise to the premier issue of Point. This talented, cutting-edge group includes:

John A. Byrne, BusinessWeek.com

Heidi Cohen, Riverside Marketing Strategies

Steven J. Cole, Council of Better Business Bureau

Kellyanne Conway, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend

John Greco, Direct Marketing Association

Jeanniey Mullen, Zinio

Mark Penn, Burson-Marstellar and the Wall Street Journal

Stan Rapp, Engauge

Terry Sutton, L.L. Bean

Lester Wunderman, Wunderman

Kinney Zalesne, Burson-Marstellar and the Wall Street Journal

To read the flagship issue of Point, best viewed on a computer or laptop, please click: http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416080428&o=ext.

To download an offline copy of Point, please click: http://www.zinio.com/delivery?of=500066039.

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 more than 3,400 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2008, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $176.9 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 52.1 percent of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $2.057 trillion in incremental sales. Last year, direct marketing accounted for approximately 10 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also, there are today 1.6 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly support 9.3 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 10.9 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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