DIRECT caught up with Kevin Noonan, the new executive director of the Association for Interactive Marketing, during his second day on the job in early November.
DIRECT: How do you like your new job so far?
NOONAN: It's my second day and it's really fun. I've been a member of AIM since 1996, so it's like coming home.
DIRECT: How would you state AIM's mission?
NOONAN: It's pretty simple: helping direct and interactive marketers succeed and make money.
DIRECT: What's the biggest issue facing AIM members?
NOONAN: Growing their businesses and keeping ahead of the trends and legislative issues in these challenging economic times.
DIRECT: Have you introduced yourself to the AIM board and members yet?
NOONAN: I heard from a couple by e-mail, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. I really look forward to it.
DIRECT: According to the DMA, of which AIM is an independent subsidiary, your mandate is to add 100 members to 300-member AIM rolls. How will you do that?
NOONAN: My plan is to go out there and articulate our strengths and benefits. For $2,000, there is no other vehicle around that provides the actionable intelligence and moneymaking opportunities for our membership that AIM does. One hundred would be a very nice number to hit. In this economy it's not going to be easy, but we're going to do it.
DIRECT: Will you be allowed to leverage the DMA membership to build AIM's?
NOONAN: I'll do whatever it takes — contacting DMA members, partnering with other associations and e-mail marketing.
DIRECT: E-mail marketing is a core focus of AIM's. What are the big issues?
NOONAN: People come to AIM meetings to find out what new technology is out there. Others need to find out about legislative issues, privacy and etiquette. When I talk to the members, I'll have a better idea of their concerns.
DIRECT: DMA president H. Robert Wientzen said at the annual conference in October that spam has become such a problem that the DMA would support federal legislation to fight it.
NOONAN: I can't talk about that until I talk to Bob and the DMA folks in DC.
DIRECT: What's your legislative background?
NOONAN: My background is going down to Capitol Hill with AIM in 1996 and 1997 and explaining to members of Congress what the Web was all about.
DIRECT: You were a founder of Nielsen Media Research Interactive Services, vice president of media and Internet at the Yankee Group and senior vice president of sales and a partner at @plan, a company you took public and then sold to DoubleClick. Would you say sales is your greatest strength?
NOONAN: I'd say my greatest strength is bringing people together with information and business opportunities. I'm both a researcher and a sales guy.
DIRECT: Your weakness?
NOONAN: My former bosses would tell you: I work until the point of burnout. I'm a former hockey goalie. We're a little crazy anyway to put our bodies in front of a puck. But goalies never give up.
