Q&As

Graduate students from 25 colleges and universities are expected to attend an intensive immersion seminar in direct marketing Feb. 8 to 10, conducted by the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF).

Mercy Home has nestled a 116-page book within its most recent fundraising offer: Aside from the weight and heft of the package, there’s no indication that “No One to Call Me Home: The Heartbreaking Stories of America’s New Orphans” awaits recipients. The book carries a cut-out reply form with a $10/$25/$50/$100/other ask ladder. United States Plastic Corp. has sent out an even bigger book

Pepsi is extending the buzz from its sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show with a new promotion that gives away one car every day and $20 worth of gas every minute.

Frito-Lay has crowned five winners from the Super Bowl, all of them finalists in its Doritos ad contest.

Masterfoods is keeping fans snickering over its own Super Bowl spot.

Pizza Hut is building off its Super Bowl campaign with an interactive promotion that uses hidden text codes offering a chance to win a host of prizes.

Brady Corp., a safety and identification products giant, has acquired Clement Communications Inc. a $12 million direct marketer of safety-related posters and newsletters.

Printable Technologies Inc., a developer of online printing systems, has acquired of certain assets of Prospect Smarter Inc., for an undisclosed sum.

A Florida-based telemarketer will pay $1 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it allegedly called people on the national do-not-call list through an automated dialing service and left pre-recorded messages, according to the FTC.

An early episode of “The Simpsons” featured Grandpa Abe Simpson and fellow nursing home denizen Jasper walking out of a movie theater, complaining about the film they’d just seen. Among their complaints: “The romantic subplot felt tacked on!”

That pretty much sums up the allegedly Valentine’s Day-themed edition of The Vermont Country Store’s catalog. In 92 pages, the nod to the patron saint of love and epilepsy is confined to the cover, a double bind-in card, and a tiny reproduction of 50-year-old ad for Lollipop underwear