Chief Marketer Staff

• Agencies

  Spanish Agency Shackleton Nabs Diamond ECHO

  Madrid-based agency Shackleton has won top honors in the Direct Marketing Association’s annual ECHO Awards.

• Email

  Getting Schooled on “New School Marketing”

  For every $24 spent on acquisition marketing, only $1 is spent on retention marketing, according to Scott Orlich, chief marketing officer of Responsys. He thinks some of that acquisition spend would be better used in maintaining relationships with existing customers

• Top Agencies Weigh in on State of Promotion

  Promotional marketing has undergone a seismic shift over the last five years or so. Promotion has siphoned advertising dollars away from traditional media at astounding rates

• News Brief-Wheaties

  Wheaties will for the first time picture an Ironman World Champion on its cereal boxes

• Agencies

  Why Social and Direct Marketing Are Symbiotic Partners

  Social media and direct marketing are symbiotic partners that make it more likely that a social or direct campaign will succeed.

• DMA Chops Expenses, Cuts Deficit In FY2010: Future Looks Better

  A smaller, leaner Direct Marketing Association may be heading back into black ink, according to its most recent financial results. During the DMA’s 2009 fiscal year, the organization ran a $5.5 million deficit. It generated $35.9 million in operating expenses, restructuring charges and pension expenses, while its total revenue stood at just under $30.5 million. Fiscal year 2010, which ended June 30, looks better.

• Social Marketing Makes “Listening the New Black”

  Mark A. Chaves of SAS Institute summed up the dilemma of many a marketer:

• McDonald’s Invites Players to Fun on the FarmVille

  As their reward for participating, players received a FarmVille McCafe Consumable, a digital “drink” that let players navigate the game faster and perform actions such as tending their crops and feeding animals at double speed

• Agencies

  Highmark Increases Mail Volume, Cuts Acquisition Costs

  Thanks to shifting budget dollars away and reevaluating its media spend, Medicare insurance marketer Highmark was able to more than triple its direct mail volume and cut its acquisition costs by 63%.

• Email

  Email Registration: Best Practice vs. Common Practice

  Before you can communicate with customers and prospects via email, you obviously have to capture their email address. But while you may think that the benefits of opting in to receive email from your brand are apparent, visitors to your Website might not.