As you read this, you’re probably getting ready for the December holidays. But as I type, I’m preparing to sacrifice a pumpkin to the autumnal gods.
That also means I’ve just returned from yet another DMA annual conference, this time in Las Vegas. How was it? Not horrible — and if you ask anyone who was there, that qualifies for a high five and a round of drinks for everyone. (Well, don’t ask the two dozen or so folks who were laid off by the DMA a week after the show. Their memories of the event are likely a little tainted.)
But all kidding aside: When the exhibit hall opened Sunday afternoon, the aisles were quiet. Too quiet. Several folks said they knew of marketers that’d drastically cut back on the number of people they were sending to the show. Others noted that tables were available for that very night at typically impossible-to-book hot restaurants.
None of this bodes well for boom times, does it? Still, by Monday afternoon the mood was pretty upbeat. Exhibitors reported that they’d lined up lots of quality appointments, and that while the hall wasn’t overflowing, attendees seemed more than serious enough.
It probably helped that everyone awoke that morning to learn that the markets were up, a side none of us had been served with breakfast in many weeks. (The go-go dancers and free drinks at the previous night’s parties didn’t hurt, either.)
Will this mood continue? Looking into my crystal ball is even harder than usual right now. By the time you read this, we’ll have a new president headed into the White House.
And as for the stock market, who knows? I was just happy that I came home from Vegas $35 ahead after playing $20 in the slots.
Direct marketers, of course, are playing for much bigger stakes. You’re faced with bigger decisions than whether to hold on to your winnings or blow them in the Hilton’s Barry Manilow gift shop. You’ve already placed your bets on what will win this holiday season. You’ve thrown your chips — in the form of catalogs, Web sites and e-mail blasts — out on consumers’ tables. Now it’s up to the prospects and loyal customers to decide if they’re out or all in with what you have to offer.
Well, I’m flush out of gambling metaphors. Everyone’s just hoping things aren’t as bad as they could be, and maybe are a little better than we think.
So here’s to a prosperous 2009, both professionally and personally.
Looking for more from Beth Negus Viveiros? Check out her Thought Balloon blog at BigFatMarketingBlog.com.
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