DMA RESPONDS I would like to clear up the misconception Mr. Rich Card creates in his recent letter to the editor (“Going Nowhere?,” DIRECT, December 2002) in which he incorrectly states that Direct Marketing Association president/CEO H. Robert Wientzen indicated that “ink on paper is going nowhere.”
To the contrary, Bob actually said, in his address at the DMA's 85th Annual Conference & Exhibition, that “ink on paper is not going anywhere” and that “digital printing is poised to redefine how [direct and interactive marketers] do business.”
If fact, the DMA is so committed to ink-on-paper marketing and new print innovations that, in introducing the concepts to our members, we assembled an entire pavilion dedicated exclusively to digital printing at our annual conference. Our first-ever Digital Print Pavilion brought together some of the biggest names in the field along with printing database experts, creative services professionals and software developers. The pavilion featured informational and how-to sessions, live demonstrations and case studies from companies that have used digital printing. By all reports, it was a big success.
We are sorry that Mr. Card misunderstood Bob's point because the DMA clearly does not see the end of ink on paper!
Christina Duffney
Direct Marketing Association
New York
I'LL LISTEN (IF YOU PAY ME) I feel I must comment on the prospect of the FTC creating a national do-not-call list. It's a bad idea. The government and the DM industry have the concept backwards and it's going to result in massive backlash, in my opinion. The public is getting very sick of telemarketing, since it's one of the most intrusive forms of marketing, and abused by parts of the industry.
I received three telemarketing calls today, perhaps because I took the day off. I suspect my wife has stopped telling me about these calls, since I get so upset when she has been jerked around by the worst of these jokers.
Here is how I see the situation for intrusive marketing:
Direct mail: Cost to recipient, low. Not very intrusive, also not very effective. Established and mostly accepted.
E-mail: Very effective for legitimate firms. Spam is going to ruin it for everyone, and it will happen in my lifetime. The bad apples and the skin peddlers need to be stopped and they will, but by then everyone will be so sick of it, and the fines for violations so steep, that it will be restricted like faxing is now. Cost to ISPs and recipients, medium. Cost to those who receive filth is high.
Faxes: Verifiable cost to recipient was moderate so laws were passed. Mostly not an issue except by scofflaws and those who don't know any better.
Telemarketing: Cost to recipient, low — but what is your time worth? I got a call at 6:15 p.m. in the middle of dinner. When I was asked how I was doing, I said “Fine, we're in the middle of dinner,” and the caller said “Oh, I hate to disturb you in the middle of dinner.” And proceeded to try and sell me siding for my house, but only for about 10 seconds.
So, while we may always have direct mail, it's because it's not intrusive and we can control it. Faxes are not a problem much anymore. So e-mail and telemarketing are the next to go. The industry has no controls and no standards. For months I have been telling all callers to take me off their list, but the calls keep coming. I'm pretty sure some of these companies take the numbers that request to be removed from their lists and sell them to another company. So now I have to get yet another call and make another request.
We need the equivalent of opt-in mailing lists where e-mail is only sent to those who specifically request it. We need the same thing for telemarketing. This would be a great thing. Those who want calls from vendors will get those calls. Such a list would lend itself to consumers being able to note what they are interested in getting called about.
What will happen is that telemarketing will have to start paying or giving incentives for the right to call and pitch a product or service. You can sign me up today!
If I got paid every time I got called, not only would I listen, I would consider the offer. If they care enough to pay for my attention, I can do my part and listen.
Christian Nielsen
Minneapolis
talk to us!
We'd like to hear what you have to say about us or about news, trends and issues in direct marketing. To contact the editor:
| DIRECT, 249 W. 17th St., 3rd Fl., New York, NY 10011-5300 | |
| fax | 212-206-3618 |
| rschultz@primediabusiness.com | |
| phone | 212-462-3371 |
