Craig Ferguson to Host 2010 International ECHO Awards

Ceremony & Gala Set for October 12 During DMA2010 in San Francisco

New York, NY, July 21, 2010 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today announced that Craig Ferguson, host of CBS’s The Late, Late Show will host the 2010 International ECHO Awards Ceremony & Gala.

The ECHO’s are the only awards competition that honor campaigns that have the power to transform business and represent the pinnacle of marketing excellence, those combining visionary strategy, compelling creative, and breakthrough results. This year’s awards will be presented on Tuesday, October 12, at the Moscone Center during the DMA2010 Conference & Exhibition running October 9-14 in San Francisco, California.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, current host of The Late, Late Show, Craig Ferguson began his career as a drummer for punk bands in the United Kingdom. After being persuaded to give acting a try, Ferguson discovered he had a knack for comedy and found himself the star of his own BBC television show, The Ferguson Theory.

In 1995 he brought his act to America starring in the ABC comedy Maybe This Time alongside Betty White and Marie Osmond. After the show ended, he went on to play Drew Carey’s boss, Nigel Wick, from 1996-2003 on The Drew Carey Show. He also kept busy writing, starring in, and eventually directing feature films. His credits include Life Without Dick, Chain of Fools, Born Romantic, and The Big Tease. His 2003 directorial debut, I’ll Be There, won numerous industry awards.

Since taking the helm of The Late, Late Show in 2005, Ferguson has set all-time viewer records in three consecutive sweeps. He received his first Emmy nomination in 2006, the same year he released his first novel Between the Bridge and the River which reached the best seller list. Ferguson became a US Citizen in 2008, and shortly thereafter hosted the White House Correspondence Dinner for President Bush. In September of 2009 Harper Collins released his memoir In America on Purpose.

Aside from his hosting job, Ferguson serves on the Board of the Lollipop Theater Network whose mission is to bring movies that are currently in theatrical release to hospitalized children facing chronic and life threatening illnesses nationwide.

About DMA’s International ECHO Awards

Introduced in 1929 as the “Best in Direct Mail” contest, the DMA International ECHO Awards honor excellence in creativity, marketing strategy, and response results in direct marketing campaigns. With over 1,000 entries submitted by direct response agencies worldwide, DMA’s annual ECHO Awards recognize every type of media used in direct and interactive marketing campaigns.

For more information about the International ECHO Awards, which will be presented on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, during the DMA2010 Conference & Exhibition, please visit www.dma-echo.org. To register or for additional information about DMA2010, being held October 9 – 14 in San Francisco, please visit www.dma2010.org.

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

In 2009, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.3% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales. In 2009, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2009, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.9 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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