Governor, City Council Proclaim Direct Marketing Week

Atlanta, GA, October 17, 2005 – DMA•05 kicked off in Atlanta this morning with proclamations from Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and the Atlanta City Council welcoming conference attendees and declaring this week (October 16-22) as "Direct Marketing Week" throughout the state.

In their proclamations, both Governor Perdue and City Council President Lisa Borders acknowledged the contributions that direct marketing makes to the state’s economy -- generating more than $49 billion in sales revenue each year, providing nearly 300,000 jobs, and making Georgia one of the top 10 centers for direct marketing in the country.

In his proclamation, Governor Perdue said "Georgians recognize the tremendous contributions that the direct marketing industry makes to the economy and to the citizens of our state, from multinational conglomerates who call the Peach State home, to small "mom and pop" businesses who bring jobs to local communities."

The City Council proclamation recognized conference attendees, noting that "these professionals make direct marketing a viable and successful means through which businesses and our overall economy can prosper."

More information about the conference and the complete text of both proclamations is available at www.the-dma.org.

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of business and nonprofit organizations using and supporting direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates industry 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 entire direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today has more than 4,800 corporate, affiliate, and chapter members from the US and 46 other nations, including 55 companies listed on the Fortune 100.

In 2005, companies will spend more than $161 billion dollars on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total U.S. sales, these advertising expenditures are expected to generate $1.85 trillion in increased sales in 2005, or 7% of the $26 trillion in total sales in the U.S. economy (which includes intermediate sales). All together, direct marketing will account for 10.3% of total U.S. GDP in 2005.