Live From NEMOA: An Association of Friends

The New England Mail Order Association differs from many other DM clubs in that it has always been a very personal organization. And that, said Tim Litle on Thursday, can make all the difference in the world.

In a luncheon keynote at the group’s spring conference in Cambridge, MA, Litle, chairman of DM payment processing firm Litle & Co., reflected back on NEMOA’s 60-year history.

NEMOA has evolved as it’s members evolved. And since direct marketers like to experiment, he said, there’s constant change. The coming of credit cards, 800 numbers, venture capitalists and online technologies, among many other things, have all changed the face of the group and the industry.

The group has always been a friendly organization, and this was very evident in the early days, when catalogers shared and compared all sorts of information that would today be considered proprietary, like balance sheets and profit and loss statements. (The prying eyes of vendors, of course, were asked to leave the room.)

“They readily exchanged information in a way that the anti-trust department would say was inappropriate,” said Litle.

That friendly nature helped Tim and his wife Joan themselves, when they found themselves in a business pickle. In 1977, the couple purchased Clymer’s of Bucks County, an American handicrafts catalog. Companies wouldn’t rent them lists or print their catalogs, because the business was in chapter 11. Friends in NEMOA helped them out. Members like Ben Taylor of Taylor Gifts allowed them to rent names, and Bill Knowles of The Stichery moved his own printing date by three weeks, to create a sudden opening on his printers calendar that Clymer’s could fill.

Litle commented that the name NEMOA is becoming a bit ironic, since four out of the five words are outdated. The association’s events now draw attendees from far beyond the confines of New England, and the members activities encompass much more than mail order. He noted that in the future, one of direct marketing’s greatest strengths will be the fact that unlike traditional retailers, DMers understand remote selling.

He also called upon NEMOA members to get involved on an industry level with issues like the do not mail proposals on the table in several states. And he also reminded attendees to stay friendly with their peers.

“Even if you don’t like someone, you may still have to rent their list ” he said with a smile. “So you have to be nice to them.”