Economy

Layaway returns to retailers — on the Web

Chantal Todé October 26, 2009

Add Toys "R" Us to the list of retailers that recently introduced or reintroduced in-store layaway — a service that had been eliminated by many retailers.
 

Survey: Job market recovery for DMers better than average

Frank Washkuch October 13, 2009

The job market for direct and digital marketers is recovering more quickly than the rest of the nation, according to statistics released on October 13 by executive placement firm Bernhart Associates. The survey, which tallied the responses of 359 companies from September 28 to October 12, found that 30% of respondents said they will add staff members during the remainder of 2009, up 10% from the third quarter.
 

Direct to drive social and behavioral gains

October 12, 2009

The economy will be top of mind for attendees at this year's Direct Marketing Association annual conference in San Diego, but direct marketers also see advantages and opportunities
 

What experience is desired as online marketers enhance their teams in the coming months?

Cheryl Kellond VP, advertising business, ChoiceStream October 12, 2009

When you start to hear rumors of economic recovery and growth in the market, hiring isn't far behind. Online advertising and e-commerce hiring managers are looking forward to bringing fresh faces in to capitalize on that growth.
 

USPS branch closures unlikely to affect DM

Frank Washkuch September 28, 2009

A US Postal Service proposal to close office branches to cut costs at the financially troubled agency is making news headlines and has resulted in small uproars on the local level.
 

DMers face long unemployment

Mary Elizabeth Hurn September 14, 2009

Direct marketing pros have it worse than your average American when it comes to finding a job, according to a recent survey published by Bernhart Associates Executive Search.
 

Mintel reviews consumer spending trends

Mary Elizabeth Hurn September 02, 2009

 

Reader's Digest Association releases restructuring plan

Nathan Golia August 18, 2009

Reader's Digest Association has announced a restructuring plan through which a number of its lenders will take a stake in the company in return for reducing the debt. The agreement is expected to lower RDA's total debt load from $2.2 billion to $550 million.
 
 
 

Borrell Associates: Newspapers on road to recovery

Lauren Bell August 08, 2009

A memo released today by research firm Borrell Associates Inc. indicates that newspapers may soon pull out of their current slump. Colby Atwood, president of Borrell Associates and author of the memo, expects the decline in the newspaper industry to end this year, followed by a 2.4% increase in advertising revenue in 2010 alone.
 

Southern Accents to cease print

Lauren Bell August 06, 2009

Southern Accents, a Time Inc. publication focusing on Southern style and living, will cease publishing. The September/October 2009 issue will be the last print edition of the bi-monthly, though it is slated to continue online production at SouthernAccents.com. The economy, which has seen Southern Accents' ad pages drop 37% between Q2 2008 and Q2 2009 (per PIB), was cited as a major reason for the closure.
 
 

Ad losses hurt AH Belo in Q2

Lauren Bell July 27, 2009

Reflecting continuing ad sales troubles in the newspaper industry, publisher AH Belo Corp. reported a second quarter net loss of $7.1 million Monday morning. Advertising revenue — for print and online — was down 30.2% compared to Q2 2008, and Internet revenues were down 20.8%, to $9.8 million. All told, company total revenue fell 21.9% from the same period a year ago.
 

Is it time to manage your e-mail in-house?

July 27, 2009

E-mail affordability is receiving a lot of attention in today's tight economic environment. Two experts debate whether it's time to re-evaluate your ESP and invest in a system
 

USPS mulls delivery, office cuts to save itself

Cara Wood July 27, 2009

Mailers, US Postal Service officials and legislators have been keeping a close eye on the agency's attempts to rescue itself from a pending financial crisis at the end of this fiscal year.
 

Rebaters face more laws, enforcement

Gonzalo E. Mon, attorney for advertising and marketing law, Kelley, Drye & Warren July 27, 2009

As consumers become more cautious with their spending, some companies are trying to lure them back into stores with rebate offers. These offers have recently come under increased scrutiny as states pass new rebate laws and regulators challenge companies who fail to comply.
 

Summer List Price Index shows e-mail faltering, others stable

Lauren Bell July 22, 2009

Worldata's Summer List Price Index shows that list prices, for the most part, are leveling out after alarming drops over the past few quarters. While still much lower than last Summer's prices, this Summer's are largely holding steady compared to last quarter.
 

PRC accepting comments on USPS request to close branches

Cara Wood July 20, 2009

The Postal Regulatory Commission will hold a pre-hearing conference on July 30 at 9:30am to hear public views on the US Postal Service's recent proposal to close some of its retail stations and branches. The USPS filed a request for review with the PRC on July 2. The agency cited the current financial crisis and the continuing decline in mail volume as the reasons behind the proposed changes.
 

Marketers weave web of loyalty

Chantal Todé July 13, 2009

Many multichannel merchants are investing in the e-commerce customer experience as a way to drive results even as economic pressures force them to cutback in other areas.
 

Interactive spend to hit $55B by 2014: Forrester

Carol Krol July 10, 2009

The Forrester study cited direct mail as the largest sector to be hit by reductions, but noted the affordability of media would free up funds for more investment in customer management and buyer experience media.
 

List industry needs recovery plan, says Libey

Lauren Bell July 09, 2009

A focus on margins, efficient data systems, solid analytics and customer service are among the essential components necessary for marketers to grow and profit during the economic recession, according to Donald Libey, president of Libey Inc., the keynote speaker on July 9 at the MeritDirect Co-op, an annual meeting for clients and members of the list world. Libey was optimistic about the future.
 

Scotts Miracle-Gro to shut down Smith & Hawken

Chantal Todé July 09, 2009

Lawn care products manufacturer The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company said it will cease operating its Smith & Hawken business by the end of the calendar year. Orders via the Web site, catalog and call center are being discontinued effective today and all stores are expected to close within six months. Scotts had initially pursued plans to sell the upscale garden products catalog and retail business.
 

NY Blade gets the ax

Lauren Bell July 02, 2009

The New York Blade, a 22,000-circ gay and lesbian paper, has suspended publication. The Blade, sister title to the New England Blade — which shuttered its print edition in October 2008 — and HX Magazine, was distributed for free around New York City on a weekly and bi-weekly schedule, depending on time of year.
 

Interactive and digital claim most M&A activity in Q2 2009

Cara Wood June 30, 2009

Investment bank Petsky Prunier released a trend report highlighting M&A and investment activity in the second quarter of 2009. It reveals continued slowdown for marketing, information and digital media investment volume and value. Bright spots in interactive and digital advertising were driven primarily by venture capital and corporate investments in social media, online video, mobile marketing and software-as-a-service e-mail marketing.
 

Vibe Media Group to shut down

Lauren Bell June 30, 2009

Vibe Media Group (VMG), parent company of Vibe and the newly launched The Most Mag, will shut down at 8pm tonight, June 30. All properties, including its Web sites, will be discontinued. Vibe, the flagship magazine, had a total paid and verified circulation of 817,825 as of December 31 — a slight drop from a high of 879,072 in 2007. Per MRI, Vibe's readership was split evenly between men and women, and median reader age was around 29.
 
 

Optimize customer interactions in a downturn

Mark Nagaitis, CEO, 7 Billion People June 22, 2009

It's pretty bleak out there, and some are predicting that the economy will get worse before it gets better. In this sort of environment, e-commerce marketers need to take a look at the ROI of their outbound marketing, and how effective their Web site is at converting customers coming to the site. Traffic generation spend is wasted if that traffic does not convert, and average conversion rates hovering at 3% or so seem to indicate that the selling conversation that we are having with our customers leaves something to be desired.
 

Making the best of a small budget

Mara Conklin, founder and president, Clarus Communications June 15, 2009

Marketing organizations are enforcing budget and staff cuts to ride out the recession. Yet, pressure remains high to keep your company and its products ahead of the competition. Fortunately, there are tried and true tactics that your marketing team can implement to successfully drive leads and boost growth... all without big campaign budgets.
 

How to keep your best customers in a tough economy

Laura Saati, group director of retail, e-Dialog June 09, 2009

Your loyal consumers are your best asset and will help you weather the storm during tough economic times. Ultimately, it is this group's experience with your brand, products, and people that will keep them loyal and encourage them to tell others about you. So what are you doing to make sure that your best customers not only remain engaged but perhaps even increase their spending?
 

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