The Direct Marketing Association yesterday named David M. Smith, former chief marketing officer at Prefer Network, to the new position of vice president of business and strategic development.
Initially, Smith will oversee the DMA's business-to-business development, including reviewing and enhancing the association's relationship with BTB direct marketers and developing and implementing new member benefits and activities for BTB companies.
Smith has more than 18 years of direct and interactive marketing experience, including serving at DMA member companies Time Warner/Columbia House, Bertelsmann and Cendant Corp.
At Prefer Network, New York, a database and direct marketing services start-up company servicing the catalog industry, Smith established business development relationships with numerous BTB and consumer marketing companies.
Before joining Prefer Network, Smith was vice president of new member acquisition at Time Warner's Columbia House division. In that capacity, he was responsible for recruiting more than 5 million members annually through direct mail, e-mail marketing, television, radio, sponsorships and corporate partnerships with companies such as Citibank and Rolling Stone.
Smith also served as vice president of marketing at Cendant's Welcome Wagon division and held various positions at Bertelsmann Inc. from 1983 to 1996, including vice president/general manager of its catalog division.
Smith graduated from Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, in 1980 and received his MBA in entertainment administration in 1982. He lives in Bellmore, NY.
“Business-to-business direct marketing generated an estimated $792.8 billion in sales during 2000 and [is] growing at almost twice the growth rate of total U.S. BTB sales,” said DMA president/CEO H. Robert Wientzen. “As direct marketing expenditures, sales and employment keep rising, the DMA must also rise to meet the challenges confronting this vital segment.”
