This is a time for DMers — especially those versed in old-school, back-to-basics, ROI-based marketing — to trumpet what they can accomplish, and then set about doing it
BOSTONIANS, as I’m fond of saying, have issues.
Need proof? How about the fact that yelling “Yankees s**k!” at almost any public event in or out of Fenway Park — rock concerts, dinner parties, church services — has become acceptable behavior. Or the way we flagrantly ignore the rest of the English-speaking world’s accepted pronunciation of words containing the letter “R”? And I won’t even get started on our driving etiquette.
Direct marketers, at one time or another, have had a few issues of their own. After all, this used to be an industry that no one ever dreamed of entering on purpose. DM seemed to be a path not less traveled, but rather one stumbled upon by accident in the dark.
Not that long ago, most people didn’t even know what direct marketing was — and if they did know, they didn’t think much of it. When I started covering this industry as a journalist in the early 1990s, most “civilians” I encountered had no clue what DM was until I described it as things like telemarketing, infomercials and (pardon the term) junk mail.
Early in my DM reporting days, the need for morale boosting was painfully evident. I remember attending the annual conference of NIMA, the National Infomercial Marketing Association (now ERA, the Electronic Retailing Association). The entire Las Vegas event — up to and especially including the glitzy awards dinner replete with sequined gowns and DRTV celebs like Richard Simmons, Suzanne Somers and Bruce Jenner — seemed designed to help infomercial marketers feel more positive about their often-mocked business.
Of course, for direct marketing, that’s changed considerably, thanks in large part to the Internet. Given the increased profile of online marketing, many more people now understand the concept of direct marketing, and have perhaps become active customers or even practitioners of DM via the Web.
So there’s no doubt that the Web boom was an ego boost for DM. But will the Web bust — and the accompanying economic downturn — have the opposite effect? Will the fallout of failed e-commerce ventures reflect poorly on direct marketing?
I think not. I think this is a time for DMers — especially those versed in old-school, back-to-basics, ROI-based marketing — to trumpet what they can accomplish, and then set about doing it. Good marketing, online or offline, is about much more than flashy gimmicks and cool ideas that will never turn a profit. Now is the time for direct marketers to show the business community what they can do. Let’s go! Get to it! Go Sox!
Well, you get the point.
Bidding on the Burst
And speaking of flashy gimmicks and cool ideas that never turned a profit…
If you feel like you missed out on the dot-com phenomenon, never fear. There’s still time to pick up a souvenir or two.
According to a recent article in The Boston Globe (“Pieces of the Bubble,” Aug. 6), logo-emblazoned remnants of failed Internet businesses are the new hot commodity on online auction sites. Collectors are apparently counting on artifacts from the early days of Web commerce becoming big-buck items someday, according to Scott Kirsner’s article. For example, he reported that a Kozmo.com messenger bag fetched $187.50, and an eToys employee ID lanyard brought in $21.50.
Indeed, a search of eBay shortly before we went to press found a Pets.com logo nylon briefcase for $29.95 and a Webvan stock certificate for $51. Those with deeper pockets and more storage space might want a Kozmo.com drop box, at press time up to $107.50 (reserve price not met yet).
I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to sort through all those company-logo coffee mugs and stress balls I picked up last year at conferences. Don’t be so quick to toss those treasures into the trash next time you go on an office-cleaning spree. There might be gold in them there tote bags.
For some, this sort of post-mortem e-garage sale might seem a tad morbid. The serious and sad side, is of course, that many good people with good ideas lost not only money but businesses they put their hearts and souls into.
Everyone must move on, however. I was happy to see that at least one Web-created celebrity had found a new career opportunity in the wonderful world of online auctions: Check out the picture above to see who was recently spotted modeling a Wine.com baseball cap for sale on eBay.
It’s too bad that the Pets.com sock puppet didn’t hook up with the vino e-tailer before both businesses went under. Think of all the missed cross-promotional opportunities.
Wine.com: Because pets can’t get served in bars.
BETH NEGUS VIVEIROS ([email protected]) is executive editor of DIRECT. You want to make something of it?
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