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 Economy

Avoid turnover with training programs and team-building exercises

Peter Gracey, cofounder, president and COO, AG Salesworks January 01, 2012

AG Salesworks increased staff by 50% in 2011 and plans to hire a comparable amount of new staff in 2012. In these difficult economic times, we're fortunate to work in an industry that continues to experience steady growth.
 

Plug-ins: Search Marketing

December 01, 2011

Despite the still-shaky economy, marketers continue to increase their investments in search engine marketing, according to several reports. Two of our Plug-ins experts this month provide their best advice on how to look at navigating the retargeting landscape. Our third expert provides best practices for maximizing search in holiday marketing campaigns in the e-commerce arena.
 

Digital media empowers shoppers this holiday season, survey says

November 03, 2011

Santa is going social, and mobile appears to be king when it comes to shopping this holiday season, according to a study conducted Oct. 11-14 by Shopper Sciences, a marketing consultancy unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies' Mediabrands.
 

ZenithOptimedia revises down 2011 global ad spending forecast

October 05, 2011

ZenithOptimedia has revised down its 2011 global advertising spending forecast by half a percentage point due to slower economic recovery in developing markets and continued fears of a double-dip recession. Still, total ad investment for this year is expected to grow 3.6% to $466 billion, up from $450 billion last year, with digital media continuing to drive growth.
 

Market roller coaster spooks ad world

September 01, 2011

First, debt-ceiling negotiations in Washington, DC went down to the wire. Then Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States' credit rating, prompting a roller-coaster stretch for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In response, marketers pondered if the economy was entering the second valley of a double-dip recession, or whether the market volatility was just another bump in a slow recovery.
 

DM fundamentals key to surviving Great Recession: MeritDirect Co-op

July 14, 2011

Four business executives said they survived the "Great Recession" by returning to direct marketing fundamentals, while speaking during a July 14 panel discussion at the MeritDirect Business Mailers's Co-op and Interactive Marketing Conference.
 

Planned postal rate hike hits marketers, but many remain loyal to mail medium

Mercedes Cardona March 01, 2011

The postal rate increase coming this spring is not expected to have a significant effect on direct mail marketing plans this year, thanks to its size and timing.
 

Digital marketers earn more than traditional direct counterparts: report

February 24, 2011

Digital marketers have higher average salaries than those specializing in offline channels, said executive recruitment firm Crandall Associates this week. The burgeoning online channel has produced positions for which executives can "write their own ticket," said Wendy Weber, president of Crandall Associates.
 

Direct and digital job market sunnier than other industries

February 01, 2011

Direct and digital marketing job seekers will fare better this year than prospects throughout the rest of the US economy, industry experts said.
 

Customers add to agencies' duties

Alex Palmer February 01, 2011

Business has slowly picked up at direct marketing agencies over the past year, particularly as existing clients have boosted marketing spending or sought additional services from agency partners.
 

IBM's virtual event drives lead generation in a period of diminutive travel budgets

Vicki Powers February 01, 2011

Imagine circulating in a virtual environment online with business executives from around the world. Your virtual briefcase is filled with presentations, documents and business cards and you're mingling with exhibitor booth representatives in a virtual showroom.
 

ESPs turn to 'freemium' models to help upsell budget-conscious businesses

December 01, 2010

E-mail service providers have found a new way to acquire customers in the small business category, a cost-conscious group, by way of an age-old marketing tactic: free samples
 

Low-cost carriers earn marketing stripes despite industry challenges

December 01, 2010

Rising oil prices followed by a brutal recession that saw a plunge in both business and leisure travel threatened the airline industry as a whole over the last few years.
 

Abandoning the mail

November 01, 2010

Financial doomsday scenarios at the USPS, coupled with advancements in customer communications, are forcing marketers to prepare for a day when the US Mail is a far smaller piece of their business plans.
 

Is now the time for acquisition marketing?

Tim Berry, Fred Meyers October 01, 2010

Merkle's Tim Berry and Queensboro Shirt Company's Fred Myers weigh in on acquisition marketing.
 

Direct marketing job picture worsens since last year: survey

August 24, 2010

The median length of unemployment for direct marketers has reached 12 months, up from an average of 6.5 months a year ago, according to a survey from Bernhart Associates Executive Search.
 

Networks turn to DRTV in tough times

Ron Bliwas President and CEO, A. Eicoff & Co. May 17, 2010

On January 2, 1971, the ban on cigarette advertising created a huge drop in television advertising revenue to the tune of about $270 million. The recent recession created a similar decline. In both instances, direct response advertisers rode to the rescue.
 

For agency hiring, many happy returns

May 03, 2010

Executives and hiring experts explain why agencies are back on the recruiting trail after last year's hiring freezes.
 

Majority of DMers to increase budgets this year: DMA study

March 04, 2010

Slightly more than half of direct marketing professionals plan to increase their marketing spend this year, according to the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) latest Quarterly Business Review.
 

Marketers wary of NRF forecast's true meaning

February 01, 2010

Retail sales will increase by 2.5% this year compared with 2009 due to positive signs in the housing and employment sectors, according to the National Retail Federation in its forecast released last week.
 

Direct, traditional to level out after Q1: Magna report

January 20, 2010

Magna Global Forecasting and Analysis projected this week that overall advertising revenue will level out after the first quarter of this year, with direct channels continuing to gain market share. Direct mail is slated to grow 4% year-over-year in 2010, though its 11.6% decrease in 2009 means it won't catch up to its previous peak levels for several years.
 

Editorial: Deals are a welcome sign of growth to come

January 15, 2010

It is a new year, but one in which direct and digital marketers continue to watch marketing budgets and exercise caution by sticking with proven and efficient marketing channels. Many companies remain more inclined to keep close to their existing customers rather than experiment with lofty acquisition strategies.
 

Layaway returns to retailers — on the Web

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

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

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

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

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.