Chief Marketer Staff

• Agencies

  Mail Stream: A Report on Incoming Direct Mail

  In advance of Halloween, The Fright Catalog’s latest publication used a sweepstakes to generate traffic to its Web site, which features all things spooky and spectacular. Oriental Trading Company observed Samhein by putting out a business-focused catalog that encouraged employees to fully indulge in the season. And McCall’s Quilting magazine sent out a 4″ x 9

• Agencies

  Chevy Super Bowl Ad Challenge Draws More Than 820 Teams

  A Chevy challenge for college students to submit ideas for a TV commercial and have it brought to life and aired during next year’s Super Bowl game has drawn registrations from more than 820 student teams from 230 schools across the USA.

• Pontiac’s Road Map Leads to Second Life’s Virtual Community

  Pontiac is giving away real estate…virtual real estate that is.

• Agencies

  Bahamas Taps Miami Heat to Drive Tourism

  When the Miami Heat hits their home court next week in the official season opener against the Chicago Bulls, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism will be there.

• Agencies

  American Airlines Touts International Service Via Sweeps

  American Airlines is launching a host of regional promotions plugging its international service from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, dangling chances to win free airfare to anywhere in the world.

• Agencies

  Valassis 3Q Earnings Plummet; Legal Battles with Advo Loom

  Valassis reported third quarter net earnings of $6.6 million, plummeting 68.9% from one year ago due largely to charges related to its failed merger agreement with rival direct mailer Advo and fierce price competition.

• News Briefs

  SIEGEL + GALE: a branding firm that is part of Omnicom Group, has…BRANDOODLES: is a new board game that challenges players’ knowledge of…NIKE, INC.: and Futbol Club Barcelona have…

• Good Quarter at Microsoft Doesn’t Include Search Ad Sales

  An 11% increase in Q1 profits and revenue at Microsoft Corp. was undercut by a loss in its online division as ad sales declined 4.4%.

• Harte-Hanks Q3 Net Income Declines 4%

  Direct marketing services agency Harte-Hanks posted a 4.6% year-over-year increase in revenue for the third quarter of 2006, but said earnings declined almost that much from the same quarter last year.

• Google, KinderStart Square Off Over Page Ranking

  Google has asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit that claims the search engine giant defamed a Web site by downgrading its page rank to zero, effectively evaporating it from the world