[Re: Loose Cannon: Wistful Resolutions for 2005, Direct Newsline, Jan. 10, 2005]:
Richard, you’re one of my favorite direct mail writers, but some of your New Year’s resolutions are a little cocky, especially slapping at the U.S.P.S. and also at IT directors.
One of my email newsletters reported last week that Standard Class is the ONLY mail classification that showed an increase in volume in the past year. We long-time direct mail practitioners have always understood that Third Class, now Standard, mail was the most profitable class of U.S. Mail (because the direct mail companies do most of the postal work). For many decades, we have had the support of the Letter Carriers union, because we make profits sustain jobs for their employer.
The days when IT directors could mystify their companies (and outside clients) ended with the days of mainframe computers, when only large IT companies could write programs, and it took from six months to a year to create a program. The PC revolution gave Everyman and Everywoman not only low-cost access to computing, but enabled them to write their own program and start successful businesses. The final symbol of the change took place just last month: IBM sold its entire PC business to the Chinese!
I still like your stuff and I think you must be a fellow New Yorker reader!
Fred Morath
Fred Morath Direct Marketing
Natick MA
Network
