Direct Marketing Association: White Papers

8 Tips for Selling a Direct Marketing Campaign

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Direct marketing campaigns allow marketing professionals to track and improve their campaign response rates. They allow marketers to leverage the customer information they have, personalize messages, content and offers to each recipient and create different follow-up campaigns depending on how each prospect responds. While the potential benefits are tremendous, the initial direct marketing campaign can be difficult and sometimes even the most seasoned marketers or bosses need convincing. This whitepaper outlines 8 tips that will help the innovative marketing professional convince their bosses, marketing colleagues or potential clients about the effectiveness of direct marketing campaigns.

CRM is not only Information Technology

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

The concept of Information Technology (IT) has been developed constantly. Nowadays it is more extensive than the assemblage of software and hardware resources and also involves human, administrative and organizational aspects. It evolved from administrative support to a strategic role and not only supports business strategies already existents, but also allows new entrepreneur strategies feasible.

Deciding to Go International

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

There are many benefits to marketing a company's products or services overseas, but the decision to go international must be made carefully. Cultural and language barriers, political issues and variations in religious beliefs, societal norms, and business negotiations styles impact how business should be conducted with international counterparts. Two steps can prepare an organization for an overseas effort. First, an international marketing plan must be developed, and second, the organization must determine how it will enter the new market. Since creation of a dedicated export department can be an overwhelming and expensive task, an alliance with an outside party can reduce the time and effort it takes to become established in a foreign market. One option is to establish a joint venture. Another is the use of an export management company (EMC). An EMC has contacts and knowledge of foreign cultures and governments that can smoothly facilitate an international effort.

Real-Time Email Address Validation: Build or Buy?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

You've spent countless hours working on your email campaigns--choosing just the right timing, crafting and re-crafting your content and creative both for the email as well as the landing pages, making sure every marketing dollar invested will yield you the highest possible return. Now you're ready to let it fly. But are you? How many of the resulting online email registrations for which you've worked so hard and paid so much will contain typos or, worse yet, malicious email addresses?

2008 EMail Marketing Strategies

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Email marketing is more powerful than ever, with retailers reporting record online sales and using email to drive significant traffic.

DMA Quarterly Business Review - Q1 2008

Fri, 30 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

Quarter 1's Revenue vs. SQLY (Same Quarter Last Year) Index of 48 is the first time since Q2 2003 that this index has been in the negative territory. Q1 2008 findings indicate growth in Profitability, with each of the three segments (Marketers, Agencies, and Suppliers) showing indices in the low 60s or higher. In the QBR index, a score of 50 represents no change in performance. Scores above 50 represent growth, and those below 50 represent a decline. DMA Members can download the complete results at no cost, while Non-Members can order a PDF file by visiting the DMA bookstore.

Membership In the Safe Harbor Program by Data Processors

Wed, 21 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

The EU Data Protection Directive restricts data transfers to countries outside the EU which are not deemed to have an adequate level of data protection. One of best known mechanisms for providing an adequate level of protection for data transfers to the United States is the so called Safe Haror program run by the US Department of Commerce. The Safe Harbor is a self regulatory mechanism under which US based companies may voluntarily agree to abide by a set of Safe Harbor Priciples(the Principles) negotiated between the United States government and the European Commission; transfers made to a Safe Harbor member company in the US are then deemed to receive an adequate level of data protection under an adequacy decision issued by th eEuropean Commission. Safe harbor has proved to be a popular data transfer mechanism, and the number of US coompanies joining it has steadily increased since it was originally approved in 2000.

Email Frequency: How Relevancy Tactics Changed The Rules

Mon, 19 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

Marketing are used to planning ahead as most media buys must be schedued months in advance to accommodate external press time and availability, along with the careful orchestration needed to balance the print, radio, TV, and online advertising with the updated corporate documentation, events, and most importantly, budget.

A new model for CRM

Mon, 19 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

Globalization brought new changes and paradigms into economical environment, demanding strategic re-aiming and new ways of management. The efforts to implant technology to coordinate relationship with clients (CRM), although presenting positive results, were not enough to lead the companies to a competitive highest degree.

The Brand Persuasion Wheel

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

This paper describes the six most important principles of human persuasion available to marketers and organizes them into a simple model designed to help brand builders maintain the persuasiveness of their brands in today's ever-evolving and tumultuous media and consumer environment.

Putting the Relationship back in Relationship Marketing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST

The goal of Relationship Marketing (RM) is to develop and maintain a base of committed customers who generate profit for the organization. Nowhere is RM more important than in the B2B context, where continued business from an established client base generates the lion's share of revenue. While RM initiatives are standard in B2B enterprises, marketers seldom adopt a rigorous, data-driven approach to understanding and managing their ongoing interaction with customers and the impact of RM activities on their business. In this paper, we propose that managed customer engagement is a critical path to promoting advocacy for your brand and driving business results. We describe insights gained from years of client work across a range of industries, and outline steps for developing an analytics-based RM engagement management and tracking system.

The Benefits of Partnering with an Outside Database Firm

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

The demands on businesses to succeed have never been greater. Business today has reached unmatched levels of sophistication, automation, productivity and performance. Along with those increases are maximized pressures for excellence, cost controls and profitability.

Marketing Automation and the Enterprise Opportunity

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Marketing automation is the approach by which marketers harmoniously blend technology development with strict process management to significantly enhance marketing efficiency and effectiveness

Email Marketing Best Practices: Creatiing Relevant Email Campagigns with Dynamic Content

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

For a company's email marketing strategy to succeed, marketers must continually update and enhance their best practices in order to keep up with new technology, subscriber demands, and the competitive landscape. More importantly, marketers must find new ways to use the tools that they already have implemented. Doing so will enhance their email campaigns while keeping costs at a minimum.

Outlook 2008: Essential Email Marketing Deliverability Guide

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Spam messages are on the rise. According to IronPort, there are over 62 billion spam messages sent per day, up from 31 billion last year. And the threat is greater than ever as spam messages contain viruses and large images that clog email servers. To combat this, ISPs, corporations, and individual end users are implementing new technologies and strategies to secure their inboxes by blocking unsolicited messages. While these precautions are necessary, many times messages from legitimate email marketers are casualties of this war as they may inadvertently contain characteris�tics used by spammers and are, therefore, mislabeled as spam by ISPs or the end users themselves.

The Art and Science of Email Marketing

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

In order to craft an effective email marketing campaign, you must carefully balance the needs of your audience, the message you want to communicate, and the technology that allows you to manage the interaction. In order to increase your response rate, you must be sure that your email has all of the correct items in place appealing subject lines, exciting graphics, inspiring content, clear calls to action and tempting offers. Art is all about form and content, and like art, your emails must inspire your audience to perform your end goal.

Implementing RSS as a Marketing Tool: Delivering content to Drive Leads

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Even though RSS has been around since the mid 1990s, its potential as an essential marketing tool is just beginning to be realized. Marketing directors, especially those that are focused on using email marketing to reach their intended audiences, need to incorporate RSS as an efficient and cost effective alternative to traditional marketing methods.

Where Did My Customer Go? the Problem of Undeliverable-As- Addressed Mail

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Reducing undeliverable mail can be achieved easily and cost-effectively with the use of proper address management practices. These methods include validating customer address information at the point-of-entry, via a real-time Web service or API, and utilizing a Move Update/premailing processing solution. Implementing these address management practices can signiﬁcantly reduce undeliverable mail and help you save money. Mailers who apply USPS-sanctioned Move Update processing methods qualify for presort and automation discounts. Maintaining an accurate contact database is the key to building proﬁtable relationships with customers.

A Strategy for Savings:Postal Optimization and the Future of Direct Mail

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Today's direct marketers stand at the crossroads of a two-pronged assault.

Making Mail Relevant: The Perception of the Receiver

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

This white paper discusses how to make mail relevant. It includes statistics and demographics in the United Kingdom.

A Prescription To Heal the Ad Agency Business

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

The diagnosis is terminal when it comes to the current Ad Agency model. Many people have put in their two cents and diagnosed this problem, but few have offered a solution. Few have offered a Prescription for what ails this business and a way to fix it for the future. It is time to take an old Biblical proverb and put it into action; "Physicians Heal Thyselves!"

My Keynote Presentation At The Catalog Conference

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

If I were invited to give the keynote address at the Catalog Conference, now called the ACCM, you would hear a presentation that sounded something like this:

Reader's Digest Adds A New Chapter In Customized Direct Marketing With The Xerox 1:1 Lab

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Find out how Reader's Digest Canada has gained significant benefits since testing Terminal Van Gogh's 1:1 marketing solution under the Xerox 1:1 Lab with the fully customized package delivering an average increased response rate of 67% over the control package and an average increase in sales of 74% over the control package. Just as importantly, Reader's Digest found that relevant messages based on affinity patterns changed customer behavior and broke some of the silos in the current business model.

DM ANALYSIS 2007

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

The Direct Marketing Association, together with Szonda Ipsos, performed a comprehensive research on direct marketing in order to produce a detailed study of this business segment. Various techniques were used for in-depth research, including a nationwide survey of the general population, focus group discussions, telephone interviews with advertisers and agencies, as well as in-depth interviews with experts. This complex research exercise satisfied long-standing needs by revealing information, data and attitudes relevant to the entire market.

Quarterly Business Review, Quarter 4, 2007

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST

Quarter 4's Revenue vs. SQLY (Same Quarter Last Year) Index of 55 is the eighteenth consecutive quarter of positive results, with favorable index numbers for Marketers, Agencies, and Suppliers. Q4 findings also indicate strength in Profitability, with each of the three segments showing indices in the low 60s or higher. In the QBR index, a score of 50 represents no change in performance. Scores above 50 represent growth, and those below 50 represent a decline. DMA Members can download the complete results at no cost, while Non-Members can order a PDF file by visiting the DMA bookstore.

Web Analytics - A Reporting Approach

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST

A web analytics program consists of many elements. One of the important elements in the process is the reporting. This step often does not get the attention it should, taking a back seat to the effort of getting and compiling the numbers (on the Analytics side) or day-to-day operations (on the Business side). It is sometimes abbreviated or omitted altogether in an attempt to save time. This is a mistake. This article focuses on that reporting.

Digital Marketing Services Transaction Activity: Transforming The Marketing Landscape

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST

Transaction activity in the digital marketing services industry (including the full range of execution-oriented online marketing applications) has never been more fervent. During 2007, 225 digital marketing services transactions were completed, representing over $16 billion in aggregate value--more than the total value of all digital deals completed in 2004, 2005 and 2006 combined. The motives behind such ferocious deal making reflect a similarly profound array of changing dynamics: the advent of the Internet as a primary marketing tool, a cluttered media environment, channel proliferation, growing consumer sophistication and demand for analytically-driven marketing solutions being foremost among them

2008 Direct Mail Format Report

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST

The Ballantine Corporation surveyed their marketing contacts regarding their 2008 direct mail campaigns and compiled the responses into this 9-page industry whitepaper.

Robust Email Intergration Delivers Increased Conversion Rates

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

This white paper discusses the strategies that allow for relationships with existing customers to be strengthened - and the conversion rate of prospects into actual customers to be increased - by integrating contact center functions with email marketing tools.

Promoting A Film Festival For The Long Tail: A Digital Marketing Case Study

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

Originally an abstract concept introduced in a WIRED Magazine article from 2006, "The Long Tail" is now a mantra of digital marketing. Applied to marketing in ﬁlm, the pre-Long Tail mentality was to conceptualize an artistic work with a speciﬁc target in mind, and then develop it to invite as big an audience as possible. Marketers would then direct their resources toward the audience within distribution range.

Increasing Response Rates with 1:1 Campaigns

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

The essence of one to one marketing campaigns is relationship marketing. One to one marketing campaigns are a potent tool to enhance lead generation, increase product usage and promote brand awareness.The only significant obstacle for most marketing professionals is the time and expense needed to implement the campaigns and manage the upswing in responses

Market Research In The New Marketing Strategy Paradigm

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

Firms typically go to market when they have products or service that has a target market, which they can sell with a better quality or with better benefits or at a better price than existing market players. Historically firms have tried to pursue specific strategies to market products or services based on where they perceived their competitive advantage lay:

Postal rates have gone up. Now what?

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST

Over the past several months, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has implemented the most dramatic changes in the past 30 years. More than simply rate hikes, essentially the USPS has begun changing the way it does business. If your business relies on the mail either to sell, communicate with customers, or to provide products and services, one thing is certain.

Half Again as Much

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST

One of the marketing advantages of living and doing business in the digital, Web-connected world in which we live is the immediacy and low cost of e-mail. But when you're dealing with 7.5 million e-mail addresses, even the low cost of an e-mail broadcast can be substantial.

Outlook for 2008: Essential Email Marketing Deliverability Guide

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST

Desktop Widgets: Engaging your Customers Beyond the Browser

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST

There was a time when the big question in the minds of all traditional brick and motar businesses was whether and how to have an online presence. An online presence would automatically ensure a growth in revenue. With internet penetration and growth slowing down in the developed markets "everyone" is competing for the same group of eyeballs.

Finding Value in an Email Marketing Service Provider

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

Many email marketers look for the lowest price point and equate that to the best value, but the lowest cost may not be the best value. The industry overall has not done a good job of defining what constitutes a good value. Email service providers. . .

The Real Value of Web Analytics

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

Web analytics has moved from a peripheral back office technology tool to a top-of mind business application. Web Analytics solution now promises to:

What is Address Abbreviation and Why Should I Care?

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

CASS Address abbreviation, simply put, is the shortening of an US Postal Service address so it will fit into a fixed amount of space.

7 Simple Steps to Effective Direct Mail Marketing

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

One of the most effective ways to grow your business, direct mail advertising with postcards gives you a one-to-one connection with your customers. A study from Forrester Research reveals that consumers are bombarded with over 3,000 advertising messages every day. By delivering your marketing message in a more personal manner, customers will see you and remember you. Most importantly, they'll buy from you.

Do it Yourself Social Media Marketing

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

Social media marketing is a method of promoting your brand by strategically making your presence known across various social media networks.

Doing Business in the Next Life - Second Life. Why Your Business Needs Second Life.

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

What market has over 7 million global active users, is growing at 35% per month, has an average consumer age of 33, is based on an established economy - yet has no taxes, has minimal regulation, no marginal cost or production and low "entrance" expenses?

Politics, Profits, and Proactive Marketing: Anticipating Spending in the World of B2i.

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

"Know your customer!" It's one of the basic axioms of business. Most business-to-business marketers intuitivley understand the motivations of their B2B customers because they're business people themselves. But what if many of your "business" customers aren't really businesses? What if they have have completley different motivations - completley different reasons that drive their buying decisions?

Four Ways to Make Lead Generation Marketing Simple and Effective Now

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

Online lead generation is the fastest growing segment in advertising. In a cautious post dot com era, marketers are focused on deploying campaigns that can deliver high volumes of new customers and drive revenue...

The New Rules of Email Marketing

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

In this new era of CAN-SPAM legislation, overflowing inboxes and ever-increasing customer expectations, many of the practices that worked for emailers in the past simply won't work anymore. The companies that can boast the most effective email programs today have been successful because they've completley overhauled their way of thinking. They have changed their strategy . . .

Pushing the Envelope: The Secret to Higher Inserting Productivity

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

As companies look for every possible way to squeeze more performance from the mail-stream, the inserting process is getting more attention. Inserting represents critical, often revenue-generating workflow. As a result, the pressure is on to minimize stoppages, which impact productivity, cash flow and service level commitments. One of the primary factors behind stoppages is one that all too often passes under the processes improvement radar - envelopes

DMA Quarterly Business Review - Q3 2007

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

Quarter 3's Revenue vs. SQLY (Same Quarter Last Year) Index of 57 is the seventeenth consecutive quarter of positive results, with favorable index numbers for Marketers, Agencies, and Suppliers. Q3 findings also indicate strength in Profitability, with each of the three segments showing indices in the mid 60s or higher.

DMA Quarterly Business Review, Q2 2007, September 2007

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST

Quarter 2's Revenue vs. SQLY (Same Quarter Last Year) Index of 59 is the sixteenth consecutive quarter of positive results, with favorable index numbers for Marketers, Agencies, and Suppliers. Q1 findings also indicate strength in Profitability, with each of the three segments showing indices in the high 60s.

How to Appeal to Both Humans and Spiders

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

More and more people rely heavily on the Web for information. This is because, unlike any other communications channel, the Web gives us an opportunity to educate ourselves and do side-by-side comparisons of companies, products and services. Natural search, via search engines like Google and Yahoo, is still the largest driver of Web traffic. To make sure you get your fair share of that traffic, carefully choose the right keywords that represent the interests of your target audience. Integrate those keywords throughout your side according to the guidelines presented in this paper. Finally, make sure you have a good copywriter who can make the keywords come alive and craft them into a compelling, creative and emotional sales case for your product or service.

Cutting Your Direct Mail Production Costs: Tips for Saving Money on Your Next Campaign

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

Try these money saving suggestions to help minimize the cost of your direct mail campaign!

Growing opt-in lists, Turning web Browsers into Buyers: Best Practices to Succeed

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

"Pay-per-click" search marketing, website SEO optimization...busness owners are investing more money than ever into driving traffic to their websites in hopes of generating sales. In terms of numbers, that's more than 17 billion up for grabs during November and December. Learn how, as a marketer, you can generate site traffic.

5 Simple Ways to Revolutionalize Customer Loyalty Through Email Marketing

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

Realizing and targeting the customers' individual needs is half the battle, the other consists of acting on them in a timely and personalized manner. When done properly, email marketing allows business owerns the tools to build strong relationships and keep up with their customers. This white paper aims to make customer loyalty thorugh email marketing easier for the business.

Do It Yourself Social Media Marketing

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

In today's day and age, marketing takes on its own path. In this white paper, learn how to use social media marketing yourself to gain the best results you can.

Can Speaking Avatars Help Your Website?

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

SitePal seeks to break down the myths of speaking avatars and help you find the potential speaking avatar that will bring your business to greater strides!

January-June 2006 Email Response Metrics

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

Highest e-mail open and click-through rates with dynamic personalization, print-at-home incentives and behavior-driven delivery revealed!

Seven Deadly Mistakes Multichannel Marketers Make

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

Find out how to reach anyone in this fragmented market!

Maximizing Print Advertising ROI with Non- Traditional Inserts

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

One of the greatest challenges with the growing volume of print ad inserts in magazines is competition for reader attention. Find out how to maximize ways to stand out from the crowd and differentiate your advertisement from the thousands of other print ads.

Secrets to Sampling Success. Knowing how to ask the right questions, and pick the best partner.

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

Commonly used in Consumer Packaged Goods and Pharmaceutical Industries, sampling programs are highly successful when the correct customers are targeted and if the product has relevance and a visible point of difference vs. the that of the competition. Learn how to use sampling programs to better reach consumers and encourage product trials.

An Alternative Method of Measuring Direct Mail ROI

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

For many marketing vehicles, it is difficult to directly estimate ROI -- the proportion of revenues in the financial year due to marketing. Not so with direct mail, however. Here's how.

Measuring the Value of a Managed WOM Program in Test & Control Markets

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

A core component of every marketer's job is to prove that ad expenses contribute to increased product sales, brand awareness or customer loyalty. Such pressures are greatest with new marketing media, such as word of mouth (WOM) because they have not been adopted universally. Learn how to measure the value of a WOM program in controlled markets.

Different Faces of Direct Marketing in India

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

Direct Marketing in India is one of the 21st Century's most exciting opportunities though to someone from the outside, it can be an overwhelming topic. The Indian Direct Marketing Environment is evolving rapidly and the rules of the games ever changing, some aspects evolving more rapidly than others. The authors discuss the various aspects of direct marketing in India, sharing their decades of experience as well as pulling in examples from content in the public domain.

How America Searches: Financial Products and Services

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:00:00 EST

Searchers for financial products and services, while not yet a large portion of the online population, do merit attention from retail financial services marketers. They tend to be well educated, report having above-average credit and be interested in applying for financial products and services online.

Color Preferences of Consumers

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 09:00:00 EST

BuzzBack Market Research and Pantone partnered to develop an exclusive report on the color preferences of over 2, 500 U.S. consumers. This executive summary highlights some of the key findings from the study. The full study explores favorite and least favorite colors, colors associated with key words and phrases and colors connected with personality and lifestyle.
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