Response to: "Live From Chicago"
I would have written sooner, but I've been busy. I just returned from the Windy City, aptly named given the amount of balderdash and hot air being disseminated by many of the attendees, exhibitors and industry luminaries.
The facts are irrefutable. DMA attendance was down...dramatically. A surprisingly large number of DM companies pulled their DMA exhibit or just not showing up. The mail industry's competing media are postal-bashing.
Bio-terrorism is real. Our distribution entity is coming out with a lot of feel good, generic rhetoric. And, one of the leading industry editors refers to our industry's product as "junk mail".
My answer to all this is real simple..."Grow up, get real and do something about it."
Let's start with the economy. OK, as you pointed out, we are in a soft economy. Unless someone took a trip to the moon for the past year and a half, this fact should have been on everyone's radar screen. Business plans should have considered that and the guys/gals in the corner offices should have adjusted their business plans accordingly. We did. Good managers should have also had a "Plan B" to pull off the shelf if things got even worse. Alright, a fair number of middle managers and lower level folks did not attend. That's the bad news. BUT...many key direct response decision makers were present and walked the exhibit hall, populated the seminars/workshops and made themselves available for "catch-up" with other industry people. In fact, we had a great show...even with historically low traffic.
Let's peel back the layer of this attendance onion a bit more. A number of exhibitors bailed out of the show. Sure there were those companies that went "belly up"...some others were acquired. We understand that. What about the other on-going companies who just ran for shelter like the troglodytes of yore. One CEO from a venture capital funded Tennessee-based company came up to me all wired and selling up a storm. When I asked him why he wasn't exhibiting, he said that he pulled his booth because there was no "ROI in it". So what the heck was he doing there with some of his company's employees?
Here is the headline...as a professional in this industry who is serious about its long term viability, we had an obligation to be there. Our company had to demonstrate support of our industry. We had to meet with those clients, prospects, competitors and suppliers who also had the intestinal fortitude to demonstrate that we are confident in our medium and industry.
Let's talk about our fiends...oops, a Freudian blunder...friends in the newspaper, television and radio industries. We may even want to include those special breed of opportunistic bottom feeders in the Internet and telemarketing segments of our direct marketing industry. The newspaper and broadcast media have used the bio-terrorist attack on the postal system as a focal point for a mass campaign against postal marketing. You've read the headlines...MAIL SPREADS DISEASE...Postal Workers Die...The Mail Industry Is Going The Way Of The Railroad...yada, yada, yada. A bit self-serving considering the fact that direct marketing has delivered consistent sales growth and performance over broadcast and newspaper to those advertisers who know how to use it. If mail was so bad, why have newspapers gone to TMC mail programs that deliver advertising to the mailboxes of non-subscribers?
Why is it that many broadcast companies also have business units that market through the mail? The fact is mail works. Mail can be tracked. Forget the "buzz words du jour"...with mail there is accountability. No serious marketer in our industry focuses solely on image...the talk is the bottom line...what was the response rate? What was the conversion rate? How many dollars were generated? What was the return on investment? If "bio-foo-foo dust" was sprinkled in several issues of The Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times, would our industry come out and tell the world not to read the newspaper? Would we tell them to cancel their subscriptions? Hardly.
Before I forget, a number of Internet and telemarketing companies were talking up the fact that advertisers should use e-mail and telemarketing over mail programs...low blows to be sure. Haven't they ever hear of carpel tunnel syndrome and tinnitus? One chap even came by my booth to explain why our sales force should sell his telemarketing services to alert consumers about forthcoming mail pieces in order to offset the decreasing response rate of direct mail! I call this "dance on your grave" marketing, so I responded by saying that we would let his company's sales force sell our direct mail products. That way they could alert consumers that a telemarketer would call them during dinner or early in the morning as they were trying to get their children to school and leave for work.
Let's get back to the facts. The current cry is that all mail is or may be contaminated. Where has the USPS been on educating the public? Where are our industry advocates? Where are our industry associations? During the DMA, a young lady from a Midwest agency came up to me at my booth and asked me if I was worried about the safety of this country's mail system? I explained to her that probably more people will die during the first shift at Cook County hospital than would die from anthrax this year in the United States. I continued by informing her that all mail has not been the target of bio-terrorism. There have been no reported cases of suspected bio-contaminants in Standard A Mail, Express Mail, Priority Mail, parcels or Standard B Mail...only First Class Mail. I asked her how many mail packages she thought were contaminated. She thought it was several hundred. Rather than argue, I said, "Fine, let's multiply that 200 number by 1,000 to equal about 200,000 potential bio-contaminated packages over the past four weeks". I asked her if she knew how many millions of packages that the USPS processed in a four week time. Her guess was way low compared to the billions of mail pieces actually handled by the Post Office. My point was that 200,000 is a round off error to the total count of mail pieces handled by the USPS and the comparison number used was artificially high by a factor of one thousand. Simply stated, we need a public advocate who can set the record straight. Where was the USPS in setting the record straight? The Postal Service reacted slowly to the problem and when it did speak-up, it did so with a muted voice.
Where are our industry heroes? Where is our equivalent to Charlton Heston? By the by...Bob Wientzen gave a very fine accounting of himself at the DMA with a provocative and passionate presentation. Still, we are without a public point person who has the ability to take on the likes of Tom Brokaw, Andy Rooney and the other "talking heads" to demand equal time for our industry's point of view.
Finally, as an industry we need to unite. Using the J-Mail phrase, even in jest, is wrong. Our leaders, advocates and industry members must speak with one credible and strong voice that says mail works, mail is safe and mail is important to our society and way of life.
Thanks for your patience in reading through this and I look forward to continuing to read your articles.
Fred Lederman
I certainly enjoy the comments and observations article you've been writing recently. I guess it makes the newsletter a little bit more personal and I guess that seems more important now.
Just wanted to make a comment about the show. I agree it was good being there. Bethesda List had a booth and we also considered whether to go or not. But we were not going to change the way we do business, so most of us from this small company were there. And we did good business! I had many appointments set- up for the three days I was there. 96% of my appointments showed and strategies for lots of future campaigns were discussed. I am going to be so busy following up those meetings! The best part of marketing is making all those "phone friends" and several showed up at my booth to meet me after all the phone business we worked this past year. Plenty of hugs and good wishes. I guess we were all glad to see each other still doing business normally and traveling with courage.
Rosemary Kroo, List Manager
Bethesda List Center, Inc.
Response to: "Junk Mail Lives"
Its bad enough that so many media "reporters" like tell the public that "junk mail is dying" or worse ... is dead! But why do you have to cave in and also call the direct mail advertising medium, "junk"? I think we all take offense to name calling, no matter what the circumstance. So please don't call direct mail advertising "junk" in any future piece, I might have to start calling your publication some name like...
Greg Harper
President
Harper Group LLC
Response to: "The Biggest Jackass in the State of Texas"
Remember when Florida "shot itself in the foot" over telemarketing years ago, and the DMA pulled our show? Florida learned, we came back and were treated well. Miami was certainly an easier show to "navigate" than Dallas. Let Texas limp along without us, and help Florida whose economic picture is bleak since the horror of Sept. 11.
Marti Berkowitz,
Luna III Direct,
Sarasota Florida
I read your coverage of the letter from John Greytok, Special Assistant A.G. in Texas to list brokers. I've spoken with Greytok and sent him two letters about his letter.
Greytok sent his letter to out-of-state brokers who could not even be prosecuted under Texas law because Texas would not have jurisdiction over these brokers. They lack the sufficient minimum contacts required under due process. In essence Greytok may be tortiously interfering with business relationships, and violating constitutional rights under color of state law, which could make him personally liable under 42 U.S.C. 1983.
Mark Fitzgibbons,
General Counsel,
American Target Advertising Inc. Manassas, VA
RE: Comment from Mr. Berns in Chicago: While I agree that the article needed to come out on Greytok, I agree with Mr. Berns that reference to a "jihad" in any other situation is totally inappropriate ñ I do hope this does not become a flip "jingle"!
Deb Johnson, Monroe, WI
I thoroughly enjoyed your piece on would -be "Emperor" Greytok. When his letter first hit my desk I honestly thought for a moment that is was a parody of some sort or another. As I read it further, the cold reality set in. It sent chills down my spine to think that a so called pro-business state such as Texas could possibly take a stance such as that. Keep up the good work.
Gordon Clotworthy
President, The Information Refinery, Inc.
This Greytok must be living under a rock or something, calling PCH, and Readers Digest, Time...all reckless operators. Thank you for speaking out, and I'm with you. Let's never have a DMA Annual in Texas (I always thought it was too hot there anyway) and let's just suppress our Texas names on everything. Why take a chance with a litigation?
Lois Geller
In your article "DIRECT HIT: THE BIGGEST JACKASS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS", it was completely inappropriate and insensitive for you to have used the phrase "launched a jihad against the mailing list business". Can ANY comparison be made to the unstable political climate in the world where thousands of lives are at risk? I think not.
Fred Berns, Chicago, IL
I've always admired you and the editorials you write. Your recent editorial "DIRECT HIT: THE BIGGEST JACKASS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS" in Direct Newsline was a master stroke. I particularly agree that the DMA should cancel all shows in Texas. Why not move the show to New York which has always been helpful to the direct marketing industry and could surely use the revenue?
It's a real shame that at a time when the government should be promoting unity, these jerks in Texas are creating uncertainty for everyone.
Stevan Roberts
President, Edith Roman Associates, Inc.
Response to: "Fly, Baby, Fly"
Loved your editorial encouraging people to fly and to attend the DMA. But I suspect that if you haven't already gotten it, you will be seeing a letter from a representative at Amtrak, taking offense at your disparagement of their services.
I for one will be flying to the DMA from Minneapolis St. Paul. It's a 45-minute flight or a 6 hour car ride -- which would you do?! Yup, Northworst is getting my business this October!
Jenny Floria
I am writing in response to Ray Schultz's article ("Fly Baby Fly") on airline travel to the Chicago DMA conference. I believe, perhaps, that it is time to include an ed-op in your Newsline, as it seems necessary for Mr. Schultz to be more aware of the irate responses his poorly timed and poorly written satire has spawned.
I do understand, Mr. Schultz, that you are trying to encourage people to both fly and attend the DMA show. (Why it is so important to you, I cannot understand--do you garnish some of the registration proceeds? Get a cut from American Airlines?) As the cliche goes, it's not what you say but how you say it. Your cutsie, tongue-in-cheek approach to the "Amtrak wimps" in the world was callous, condescending, and a bit too much salt in the wound for all of us who have been truly devastated by the events of September 11th.
No, sir, I do not intend to let these terrorists win. No, sir, I am not afraid of Osama bin Laden. I do, however, value my life, as well as the lives of my family and coworkers, AND the lives of those lost to us so unnecessarily.
Should we fly? Maybe. But fear, as well as sadness and grief are personal struggles. Your highly intellectual opinion (yes, this too, is tongue in cheek) is not welcome in resolving these issues.
Quite frankly, I would rather take an Amtrak train to Chicago with good friends for 20 hours than be subjected to 2 hours on a plane with you.
With sincere and great respect for our civilization and the United States of America,
Sarah Beth Russo
RMI Direct Marketing, Inc.
I just wanted to say that I thought your piece, "Fly Baby Fly," was an excellent editorial. At first I thought I was reading some sort of advertisement, but then BAM!! you hit us with cold hard truth -- not to be wimps! I am in total agreement with you in that we Americans should return to our normal way of life in order to show these terrorists we will not let them win.
Tim Murphy,
Senior Account Executive
Statlistics, Inc.
Well said! Keep flying. I intend to keep taking the bus to Tel Aviv even though it's much more dangerous than flying.
"Man is afraid of things that cannot harm him, and he knows it, and he craves things that cannot be of help to him, and he knows it. But in truth the one thing man is afraid of is in himself, and the one thing he craves is in himself."
-- Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt
We should all have a healthy, prosperous and peaceful New Year.
Doug Greener,
Mediawise-DraftWorldwide, Jerusalem
Kudos to you! I could not agree with you more! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
My airline tickets are booked and confirmed as of this writing. See you in Chicago!
Denise Hubbard
Vice President of Marketing, MSGi Direct
I agree: Me thinks that if the US Air Force will scramble 2 F-16s to enforce a no-smoking ban in aircraft rest-rooms, flying is safer than driving.
James Johnson
GREAT editorial. See you in the skies...
Jill Greto
Response to: "What It's Like to Live Here"
Nice commentary by Kris O., and, in general, your coverage through the Newsline has been very good.
Larry Bauer
Bauer Associates
Thanks to Kris Oser for writing a great commentary in today's Newsline ("What It's Like To Live Here"). It was very well-written and beautiful. I'm glad you wrote it, and glad your editors ran it.
We met briefly in February after the Seattle earthquake--Kris was with Pat Odell. That was quite a shake-up, so to speak. We've each been close to two near-death experiences this year. Changes perspective, yes?
Thanks again and take care,
Michael J. Yacavone,
NextMark.com, Inc.
Kris Oser's commentary ("What It's Like To Live Here") was very moving. Tears are still pouring from my eyes. I grew up on the New Jersey side and still can't imagine the sky line without the towers. Two weeks ago I was in New York on business telling stories to my Colorado co-workers about how great a place the the New York area was to grow up. About the great romantic dinners my husband and I used to have on top of the WTC in the little restaurant called Cellars in the Sky (don't think it every opened after the first bombing). About taking my kids to the top of WTC and trying to find the house I grew up in. Or buying tickets at the TKTS outlet...it was always a lot less crowded than the one in Times Square.
Last week my husband was in Orlando, my 10-year-old son was backpacking with his 5th grade class in the beautiful Colorado mountains. My 12- year-old daughter and I pulled out the many pictures we have from our trips to NYC. We just cried. The only solace we had was the pictures of our family on top of the 14,000 foot peaks...looking across the skyline of Colorado...realizing there is beauty all over this country.
Please realize people from all over this country feel your pain.
Jane Bauer
Response to: "Direct Hit: No Ordinary Time"
I've written to you a time or two in response to something from DIRECT Newsline. This time, I'd like to compliment you on your editorial. At this time, we need to see more of this type of commentary from journalists in all media.
I have attached two articles that I thought might be of interest to you. I suppose I'm passing these on with the hope that you will pass along the ideas to direct marketers.
The first piece is by Tom Humphries, an Irish Times sports writer; the second by a Rabbi Michael Lerner here in San Francisco. Because I am involved in the business and marketing of sport (specifically long distance running), and because I believe in the power of sport to change lives, the Tom Humphries piece really resonated with me.
Rabbi Lerner's piece is not so much an op-ed piece as a gauntlet thrown at our feet. Perhaps you might see a way to bring Rabbi Lerner's challenge to the direct marketing industry. The ultimate direct market campaign would be to open the minds of the American people to the great possibilities of good that could come - should come - from this great tragedy; to show them that there is so much more to this life than constant consumption.
America has the capacity to do such great good, if only we could "stop being so smug and self centered," as you so aptly put it. To paraphrase something that Diogenes said: Nations seem to be more than willing to go to war to prove which is the mightiest. But none have ever attempted to be the most virtuous. Is it possible to sell that to America?
Like Diogenes, I am a cynic. But if you scratch a cynic, underneath you'll find a disillusioned idealist. My best regards and wishes to you and your staff in New York.
Dave Stringer
I can't agree with your sentiments more. It's a very new place for almost all of us to be in. We've never really lived with the prospect of a "real" full out war, and I think that's what we're living with today. None of us is sure what will happen - and we're all trying to deal with what ever it is in a responsible way.
I've developed a "mantra" of sorts, though I'm far from a mantra person. I think the single most important thing that each of us can do now is to continue to be and to do the very best we can in all areas of our lives. I just repeat a version of that to myself when I worry about my four sons and how a war will affect them. I repeat it when I hear people making stupid statements. I repeat it when a client calls and tells me that I'm a poor broker because a tape that was shipped Fed Ex on the 10th is lost.
We all have to try to be the best we can -- otherwise the "bad guys" will win!
Linda Huntoon
ClientLogic Specialists Marketing Services
Over the years your thoughts and mine have not always been on the same page. You hit a double home run with your "editorial" in this date's E-zine. Congrats for every word!
Ray Jutkins
RayJutkins.com
Thank you -- that was beautiful piece -- very well put. Hope your family is safe.
Susan Zuniga
Mokrynski & Associates Inc.
Lovely sentiments, straightforward and right on the mark. Thank you for sharing them with your readers.
Pamela Mantor
The Bulkley Dunton Publishing Group
