Nathan Golia

Simply Music, a DVD-based piano education product, will begin a DRTV campaign May 22 in 15 US markets. This represents a return to the direct-to-consumer channel. Holding company YesDTC licensed the product, which has been primarily marketed to piano teachers since a previous DRTV effort ended about eight years ago.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is allowing Priority Club Rewards members to use their points at competitor hotels through its "Hotels Anywhere" program. The company introduced the initiative May 18 after an April soft launch.

QVC's consolidated sales increased 11% to $1.8 billion in the first quarter of 2010, parent company Liberty Media said May 7 in its quarterly earnings call.

Experian Simmons and Affinity will combine information from their respective National Consumer and American Magazine studies into a combined database for media buyers and marketers within the next month. The companies announced the partnership May 6.

Kodak has selected RightNow Technologies as its business-to-business customer service and support platform, the companies announced May 6. Kodak hired RightNow after an RFP process, but the imaging company would not disclose any additional information about the search.

Three people moves came across my desk today. The most recent was Bryan Gailey's appointment as VP and retail design director of Arc Worldwide.

Teen multichannel retailer Delia's has named Walter Killough CEO, effective May 14. The company's COO since 2005, Killough will succeed Robert Bernard.

Marketing services firm Catalina Marketing acquired the E-centives and Collabrys digital couponing businesses from Invenda May 5. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

General Motors has appointed Joel Ewanick VP of US marketing as of May 24. The former VP of marketing and CMO for Nissan North America will replace Susan Docherty, who will take over a new post at GM, the company said in a May 5 statement.

Little Giant Ladder Systems will debut a high-definition, 28-minute infomercial August 1 promoting its Select Step ladder. The company created the spot in house.