2007 DMA Hall of Fame Honorees: Ronald L. Bliwas and Charles D. Morgan

Bliwas and Morgan will be inducted into DMA’s Hall of Fame at a luncheon on Tuesday, October 16, during the DMA07 Conference & Exhibition, the multichannel marketing event of the year, which will be held October 13–18 at McCormick Place West in Chicago, IL.

“With direct marketing generating a projected $2 trillion in US sales this year, it’s now the dominant means of marketing in the United States,” said Greco.  “Direct marketing today is a process that is data-driven, technology-fueled, and multichannel.  Our 2007 honorees — Ron Bliwas and Charles Morgan — are two of the leaders who have been instrumental in helping our business evolve and grow, achieving the prominence it enjoys today.”

Commenting on Ron Bliwas’ Hall of Fame induction, Greco said, “Ron has helped revolutionize television as a marketing channel.  He has been instrumental in transforming television from a mass-audience marketing tool to a direct-response powerhouse.  With the exception of the Internet and e-mail, direct-response television over the past five years has been the fastest-growing direct marketing channel in the country.  In large part, this is because of Ron, who has truly been DRTV’s very effective ambassador to the greater marketing community.”

Regarding Charles Morgan, Greco said, “For three decades, Charles has been at the epicenter as data-fueled direct marketing has emerged to dominate today’s marketing landscape.  A true technology visionary, Charles has been at the cutting edge, helping marketers responsibly harness information in ways that customize campaigns, build relationships based on trust and relevance, and bolster marketers’ ROIs.  And throughout, Charles has been an exemplary corporate citizen.  Acxiom — early and consistently — has taken a leadership role in ensuring consumer privacy and data protection.  Under Charles’ leadership, Acxiom has been impressively proactive and has led by example.”

Ronald L. Bliwas

President/Chief Executive Officer, A. Eicoff & Company

As the head of A. Eicoff & Company for 27 years and an employee of the agency for 37 years, Ron Bliwas has earned a reputation as one of the country’s leading and most respected authorities on direct-response television advertising.  Under Bliwas’ leadership, Eicoff has grown to become one of the top 10 agencies in Chicago, greatly expanding its client base over the years to include companies such as Sears, Bose Electronics, New York Life, and Ameritrade.

Bliwas writes and speaks frequently about television advertising, and his expertise and accomplishments have received widespread recognition.  He has been named one of the most influential people in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business; has received similar recognition from Response TV magazine; and has been interviewed by Mike Wallace to provide “60 Minutes” viewers with an overview of the DRTV business. 

In 2007, Bliwas’ book, The C Student’s Guide to Success, was published by Penguin (under the Tarcher imprint).  It has been named a Book-of-the-Month Club selection and has received praise from The Washington Post, Chicago Magazine, and other publications.

In 2005, Bliwas served as DMA’s chairman of the board and today continues to serve on the DMA board.  He also serves on Taylor Capital Group, Inc.’s Board of Directors, the University of Arizona National Board of Advisors, the Board of Friends of Prentice (Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation), and Illinois Institute of Technology’s Psychology Department Board of Overseers.

A 1964 graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in marketing, Bliwas also received a degree from Northwestern University’s Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies.

Charles D. Morgan

Chairman of the Board and Company Leader, Acxiom Corporation

Charles D. Morgan is company leader of Acxiom Corporation.  Under his leadership, Acxiom has expanded from a small data processing company into a global corporation that provides customer and information management solutions for many of the world’s largest, most respected companies.

After six years at IBM as a systems engineer, in 1972, Morgan joined Acxiom as vice president.  Since 1975, he has served as the company’s chief executive officer and chairman of its board of directors.  In 1991, he assumed the additional title of president.  His title became company leader when Acxiom eliminated executive titles in 1997. 

Morgan maintains a keen interest in technology and continues to participate actively in setting Acxiom’s technical direction.  By instilling a unique business culture and vision of success, he has become one of the few executives in the country to see his company named five times to Fortune’s coveted “100 Best Places to Work” list.

In 2001, Morgan served as DMA’s chairman of the board.  He also served for eight years as chairman of the board of trustees at Hendrix College and continues to serve as a trustee. 

In 2002, Morgan joined 13 other senior executives from leading US companies to form the Mailing Industry CEO Council, which aims to unify the mailing industry and promote the critical role that mail plays in business and commerce.  That same year, he joined the Enterprise Software CEO Roundtable, a group of approximately 30 chief executives and other high-ranking officials from the world’s largest software companies, who meet to share ideas and review industry trends. 

A native of Fort Smith, AR, Morgan is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

About the DMA Hall of Fame

DMA’s Hall of Fame honors those who have made outstanding contributions to the practice, growth, and stature of direct marketing.  Since it was established in 1978, DMA has honored 91 men and women whose vision and leadership have helped shape today’s data-driven, multichannel marketing profession.  For more information, including a full list of 1978–2006 honorees, visit www.the-dma.org/awards/hof.

About DMA07 Conference & Exhibition

DMA07, the largest gathering of direct marketing professionals, is DMA’s annual conference and exhibition.  DMA07 will feature more than 150 educational sessions, plus roundtables, case studies, white papers and research reports.  DMA07’s exhibit hall will feature more than 500 exhibiting companies.  For additional information, or to register for the six-day multichannel marketing event of the year, please visit www.dma07.org or call 1.800.293.7279 or 330.425.9330.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association for business and nonprofit organizations that use and support multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques.  DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable and appropriate 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 3,600 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 2006, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $166.5 billion on direct marketing in the United States.  Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated $1.93 trillion in incremental sales.  Last year, direct marketing accounted for 10.3 percent of total US gross domestic product (GDP).  Today, there are 1.7 million direct marketing employees in the US alone, whose collective sales efforts directly support 8.8 million other jobs.  That accounts for 10.5 million US jobs.

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