Chief Marketer Staff

• Listline e-Newsletter 3/11

  In the past six months, more than 1.9 million confirmed opt-in individuals have indicated on educational Web sites they’re interested in furthering their post-secondary schooling.

• Agencies

  American Express Will Pay Customers to Leave

  Call it an anti-promotion: In an attempt to eliminate some low-spending customers from its cardholder roster, American Express Co. has announced it is offering to pay some holders to close their accounts.

• Agencies

  Sears Helps Customers Complete Rebate Forms

  Over the years, there have been many problems with rebates, the least of which have been the complicated, time-sensitive paperwork consumers are required to complete before they receive their rebate check.

• Agencies

  Sprint Boosts Referral Reward for March

  Wireless carrier Sprint has energized its Referral Rewards incentive program with a limited time offer, beefing up the credit given to subscribers who encourage friends to sign on to the service.

• Agencies

  Coupon Use Gains Strength

  Coupons are proving a powerful incentive for consumers struggling to make ends meet in a weak economy.

• Agencies

  Intercontinental Hotel Opens Online Gathering Place for Loyalty Members

  The Intercontinental Hotel Group has created a central online gathering place for its 40 million loyalty members.

• Agencies

  P&I Postscript

  RED MANGO: a purveyor of nonfat frozen yogurt has launched Club Mango, a customer loyalty program. The program rewards members with Mango Points that can be redeemed for free Red Mango products.

• Longer Search Terms Becoming Popular

  Search queries consisting of four to six words have become more popular, while one-, two- or three-word searches declined in popularity, according to a study from Hitwise. More, with The Opportunist’s Take, follows.

• Agencies

  Direct, Retail Sales Fall During Nautilus’s Fourth Quarter

  Nautilus Inc. generated $411.2 million in sales during 2008, a drop from the $501.5 million it pulled in during 2007. The company recorded a continuing operations loss of $93 million, but did not report its net income or loss. More, along with The Gossip’s Take, follow.

• Agencies

  J. Crew Takes Loss In Fourth Quarter

  J. Crew generated $1.43 billion during its fiscal year 2008, up from $1.33 in 2007. But the company