Q&As

(Promo) First, the bad news: Spending on event marketing fell in 2006. The average spent per company dropped to $685,598 from $795,147 in 2005, according to “Promo” magazine’s 2007 Event Marketing Trends survey.

(Promo) U.S. shoppers can expect to see a lot more red this year as Product RED, a celebrity-driven charity, adds new partners and products. But it remains to be seen if the venture will hold up over the long haul.

Today we meet Stan Madyda, senior vice president at Estee Marketing Group Inc. “Over the years I’ve worked in a lot of niche markets from fly fishing to military collectibles, mainly with consumer lists and package insert programs,” said Madyda.

Tiffany & Co.’s direct marketing sales during the holiday season — Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 — rose a healthy 10%, to $69.7 million, over the same period in 2005. The New York-based jeweler attributed the increase to an uptick in both the number of orders and order value.

Eddie Bauer racked up $365 million in net sales, up slightly from $361 million in fourth-quarter 2005. Comparable store sales for the fourth quarter of 2006 increased 4.6% from the fourth quarter of 2005, while sales from the Redmond, WA-based company’s direct channel, which includes sales from its catalogs and Web sites, were up 0.1%.

Texas Pacific Group, a private investment firm, will offer 7.5 million shares of apparel marketer J. Crew’s common stock.

Baskin-Robbins is out with a sweepstakes sure to satisfy ice cream lovers and chocoholics alike.

Universal Screen Arts Inc. has acquired Bas Bleu Inc, for an undisclosed sum.

Quebecor World Inc. is shutting its catalog and magazine printing plant in Beauceville, Quebec, laying off 155 employees, according to wire service reports.

FedEx Kinko’s has unveiled two new offerings: direct mail services and print online.