NEW YORK — Finding success in direct marketing can be like walking across the United States without any road signs, Silver Apple winner Robert Edmund, CEO/chairman of Edmund Optics, said in accepting his award during a ceremony last week.
“When you start out you think you’ll never get there. Along the way, the progress is slow and painful, and you usually don’t know where you are,” he told the crowd of 300 marketers. “So when you get an award like this, it’s really quite a relief to have somebody tell you that you got there.”
The Direct Marketing Club of New York honored Edmund, six other individuals and one company. Recipients spoke of their 25-plus-year careers in DM and thanked friends, colleagues and mentors who guided them.
“Technology has certainly made direct marketing what it is,” said Kay Cassidy, vice president of sales at 3 Friends Marketing. “But you can say what you want about technology, it’s people that make you want to stay with what you do. Many of my friends are here in this room. Business associates have become friends. Friends have become business associates. They’re people I care about. That says a lot about this business, and it makes it particularly terrific to be here today.”
Other honorees were Ken Altman, vice president at MKTG Services; JoAnne Monfradi Dunn, CEO of Alliant Cooperative Data Solutions; Joe Furgiuele, founder/president of Furgiuele & Co. Inc.; Murray Miller, senior adviser to the president and CEO at American Express Co.; and Chris Paradysz, CEO of ParadyszMatera. The corporate award went to Boardroom Inc., Stamford, CT.
Dunn said she needed to clarify that this was her first Silver Apple because she has emceed the event for the past decade.
“I’ve presented dozens of Silver Apple awards, but I’ve never won one … until today,” she said. “It’s sort of like always being a bridesmaid but never a bride. Well, today is my day.”
The club also paid tribute to three industry legends and members who died this year: Mike Buoncristiano, Ed Burnett and Ed McLean.
Ralph Stevens of Ralph Stevens Associates emceed the ceremony.
