Patricia Segall Davis, 47, a political direct mail innovator for the Democratic National Committee and co-founder of Herndon-VA-based Focalpoint Marketing Inc., died April 3. The cause, according to long-time professional colleague and friend James Nathan, was pulmonary failure and multiple myeloma.
Davis started her career in political fundraising with the DNC, working for the 1976 Carter-Mondale presidential campaign. It was there that she met political direct mail consultant Morris Dees, who, according to Nathan, “introduced her to the power of direct response.” After the election she was named director of direct mail at the DNC, a position she held until 1980, when she became deputy finance minister for the Carter-Mondale reelection campaign.
According to Nathan, Davis introduced segmented direct marketing to the DNC, stepped up the amount of contact between donors the Committee, and facilitated list exchanges between it and other Democratic organizations.
Shortly after the 1980 election, Davis, along with Robert M. Smith and Mark Gersh, founded Targeted Communications Corp., a firm geared toward applying donor relationship management techniques to the consumer world. TCC was purchased by Ogilvy & Mather in 1986. In 1990, Davis and Smith founded Focalpoint Marketing, a customer relationship management and customer care marketing firm.
Davis is survived by her husband, Timothy S. Davis, and children Stephanie and Benjamin.
Network
