Chicago Association of Direct Marketing

Are we saying Thank You enough? Actually, to be more accurate, are we communicating Thank You enough?

2011-11-04T10:05:00.008-05:00

For this month of Thanksgiving I would like to discuss the most basic and powerful of your communications. Your Thank You messages.

Are we saying Thank You enough?

Actually, to be more accurate, are we communicating Thank You enough?

There’s a real difference between merely saying it and communicating it. You see “Thank You” is more than a phrase of eight letters and space that we can conveniently tag on to the end of a sentence or insert here or there in our base message to current, prospective or lapsed customers. Customers are pretty smart and respond best to sincerity, and they can spot authenticity in an instant.

Ask yourself whether you think your Customers FEEL “Thank You” from your messages. Not just one or two … I mean every message.

Make sure your authentic appreciation shines through every touch point you have with your Customers. Don’t let formatting, color printing, or use of emerging technologies distract you from having sincere appreciation in your messages. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen many messages and advertisements that are produced with the latest in “window dressing” --- full color printing, multi-channel deployment, and innovative formats. These messages work because the basic message was strong.

Take a look at your welcome messages, your acknowledgment messages, in fact all your messages. And remove the phrase “thank you” everywhere it’s written. Does your copy still convey the essence of gratitude? If so, great news! If not, possibly you’re relying on two much on the words “thank” and “you” to do the heavy lifting.

Here’s a test.

Rewrite your Thank You campaign without using the phrase “Thank You” or any of its derivations. Give it a try. I know I’ve found it harder than it sounds.

Let me know how you make out. I welcome comments and examples of your best Thank You campaigns – just post into the comments section on this blog. During November I’ll touch on other areas involved in conveying a strong, sincere and impactful Customer appreciation campaign. Stay Tuned!

Frank Roman

P.S. Check out Vinay Kumar’s blog post which touches on this very topic. http://bit.ly/ThankYou_by_Another_Name.

P.P.S. You can even show gratitude even before someone buys! I see appreciation of me, my needs, and my situation all over Zappos’ site… Free Shipping, Free Returns, Free 365 Day Return Policy, 24/7 Customer Service and on and on! http://www.zappos.com/

October 2011 adMarks President's Message: Welcome to our Blog! Just one of the many digital access points for CADM’s Community.

2011-09-23T09:53:00.006-05:00

This year’s program theme -- The Cutting Edge: Where CADM Members Thrive -- captures our goal of providing you with impactful information. And to provide it WHEN you need it and the WAY you want to receive it.

You’ve told us you want broader access to our community and events and additional ways to tap into the CADM Community. And so to strengthen our help to you we’re committed to being a meaningful online resource. CADM’s Strength is its Membership. CADM’s Strength is You is doubly as important for CADM Digital. For the more you access … the more you connect and participate…. the stronger the Community becomes!

So I wanted to make sure you had the links to connect to the many CADM online resources. I encourage you to check them out and join as many areas as you can today!

CADM Blog --- Our Blog is a great way to know about our Community’s Events between adMarks issues. While you’re here, check out some of the latest postings or search our archives. We’ll be posting articles, reviews, and event pictures.

Book Club Review Blog --- Looking for suggestions on good direct marketing or business books to read? Check out the CADM Book Club Blog. They post Reviews every other month which give let you know the cutting-edge books worth reading. Check it out now at CADM_Book_Club

Twitter ---Want to be among the first to know about upcoming events or alerts for the Chicago direct marketing Community? Follow CADM on Twitter for instant updates. Follow us at CADMDirect

CADM YouTube Channel --- Many of CADM’s Events are recorded and enable you to get a better feel for our lunches and presentations. Of course nothing is as informative as attending in-person, yet you’ll still learn a thing or two by watching our clips. Check out our current library at CADM_YouTube_Channel. Don’t forget to subscribe as well so you’ll be alerted to new clips as they come online!

CADM’s Linked In Groups --- The breadth and depth of our community is very evident in our many LinkIn Groups. Here you’ll find information and be able to post questions. There’s always someone here that can give some help or insight. We have Groups to fit many specialties. Go to CADM_LinkedIn_Group(main) or Basic_Course_LinkedIn_Group or Book_Club_LinkedIn_Group or InterActive_LinkedIn_Group

Facebook --- Our Facebook page is continually updated with information about our Members on the move - whether attending events or speaking around the country. You’ll find CADM News here! Like us at CADM_Facebook_Page. And if you want to check out our photo album on Facebook, here’s a direct link - DM_Facebook_Pictures.

I encourage you to take advantage of the many offering of CADM Digital. They’ll help you stay connected and alerted to important direct marketing information. CADM’s Strength is its Membership. CADM’s Strength is You!

Sincerely, Frank Roman

P.S. Being fully-networked, both in-person and online, will ensure you’ll have the tools you need to be the most productive. Linkup, connect and contribute to CADM Digital today!

CADM Multicultural Marketing SIG July 2011 Lunch & Learn Recap - Creating Culturally Relevant Social Media Content

2011-08-08T09:45:00.003-05:00

The hot and humid (100 degree) weather did not thwart the Multicultural SIG’s July Lunch & Learn. We hosted Sergio Fernandez, President of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement at AIU’s Success Center downtown Chicago on July 20, 2011. Sergio presented how HACE created and implemented social media strategies that have resulted in a 25% increase in event participation from social media channels by creating content that was culturally relevant to its constituency of more than 40,000 members nationwide. Additionally, since July of 2010 HACE has grown their Facebook “likes” by more than 550% and LinkedIn group

membership by more than 600%.

Sergio first briefed us about HACE’s mission and history so that we would have a better understanding and background knowledge and then walked us through HACE’s social media strategy and shared the success that they have had.

HACE is committed to Latino diversity through professional development as well as building relationships with employers. HACE is a not-for-profit agency with limited resources, and traditional marketing had become expensive, required specialized skills was difficult to track. HACE understood the increased importance of using social media, they felt that it had a broader reach, was easy to implement and more affordable.

The objective was to position themselves as industry leaders by creating a forum for Latino professionals to network and share relevant ideas The strategy included increasing online awareness by publishing content on multiple online sources that linked back to the HACE website, improving overall keyword rankings, increasing web site traffic and building an online community. The execution of the plan included Latino recruitment, personal branding, educational resources, networking tips, career and college prep, professional coaching, work-life-balance, generational differences and goal setting.

Their initial step was to use data insights to gain a quantitative view of their constituents. Some of the findings were very interesting and were used to help implement tactics. For example, 96% of their members have at least a BA; however, 86% of them are first-generation college graduates. Having this insight enabled them to understand that they needed to build an emotional connection and bond that otherwise might not exist for these members in terms of professional and career development. The content they created was designed to build communication through trust but also to be engaging. One of the lessons learned was to stay on message in order to build equity for the brand.

Measurements were built into the plan for each tactic and channel that evaluated target, frequency and key stats. For example, they targeted different demographics on LinkedIn vs. Facebook, the former geared towards established professionals and the latter towards the younger “Millennials.”

Thanks again to our generous sponsor, The Envelope Connection, a direct mail firm specializing in personalized mailings and fulfillment. A special thank you to American Intercontinental University (AIU) for hosting us at their Success Center, located at the corner of Adams and Franklin.

Written by Maria Dennis, Multicultural Marketing SIG Co-Chair

Photographer: Michael Machado, Mas Marketing Group, Multicultural Marketing SIG Co-Chair

CADM B2B SIG Lunch and Learn - Busting the myth of the #10 envelope Recap

2011-08-08T09:16:00.003-05:00

On July 14, 2011, the CADM B2B SIG hosted a Lunch & Learn, sponsored by our friends at Rodgers Townsend DDB. We had a great turnout from a diverse group of agency, client, database, and production specialists. Everybody participated in this lively conversation regarding whether the DM workhorse format from the 20th Century--the #10 business letter--is the go-to choice for B2B direct marketers.

Following is a quick snapshot of the conversation highlights:

1. What formats are working today?

Closed- face, nonwhite envelopes are more popular than ever. The closed face seems more personal, while colors other than white tend to stand out from the clutter. There were numerous examples of highly branded envelopes with graphic elements rather than plan white stock.
Vertical markets, particularly financial services, often use a traditional business letter approach. A challenge for some members was client direction to intentionally misrepresent recipients by creating marketing pieces that look like bills or checks, which could increase open rate but potentially damage the brand relationship.
Additional touches are key, whether the medium DM or Email. Quality of leads (calls vs. clicks) need to be differentiated in order to determine true success.
Personalization is priority. Customers want to feel appreciated…and known.
Dimensional pieces drive RRs and tend to reduce churn for retention customers, but if performance is measured by cost per piece rather than cost per sale, the high cost may be a deterrent for many marketers/clients.

2. Additional insights.

Nonprofit groups respond differently to high impact pieces. They respond but they don't tend to be as loyal as customers that receive a less flashy piece. This could possibly have to do with the fact that they are more concerned about the message and value behind how this will benefit their cause/interest.
79% of all households that have mailboxes will at least skim their mail.
Only 19% open email. This is more characteristic of consumers (as opposed to business) but is something to consider for smaller businesses.

3. New opportunities.

The USPS has a new program for businesses looking to acquire new customers. This new feature is a less personalized tactic, but it allows more flexibility in the mail piece (flats can be sent at a letter price) and data. If a client knows they want to target customers in a particular block or neighborhood, they can use this feature. It works well when trying to reach customers that may be in a high rise or office building.
Scratch-offs are driving response rates. It's a new way for customers to interact with the piece. When incorporated with the QR barcode, some companies have seen a RR of up to 87% if customers have something to drive them there.
The introduction of 3D printing may be another new tactic on the horizon, particularly for more promotional pieces.
The USPS is offering a 3% discounts on QR codes through August 31, 2011.

4. Did we bust the myth?

Target and message are what's important. Do #10s work? Sometimes. Are they the solution for every need? No. Go out with what is best for the target and the message.

Written by Katie McGrath, Business-to-Business SIG Chair

CADM Member Creativity Shines Bright at 2011 Tempo Awards!

2011-08-03T13:22:00.024-05:00

CADM celebrated Chicagoland’s best creative talent in direct and interactive marketing last week high atop Chicago at the very cool Vertigo Lounge. The Awards Gallery outshone our world renowned skyline as over 100 attendees mingled, mixed and shared stories while enjoying festive food and beverages.

Hosted by Cyndi Greenglass, 2011 Tempo Chair, and Frank Roman, Incoming CADM President, kept the evening lively with the winner after winner receiving awards! Ron Marsh, Current

President shared smiles and congratulations with the winners.

Evening emcees included 3 CADM Emerging Leaders -- Lauren Lickenbrock, Sam Sachdev, and Dustin Lefebvre...

…as well as Special Interest Group Chairs - Andy Gold, Pola Henderson, Michael Machado and Maria Dennis.

Tempo Awards recognize the best direct and interactive campaigns in the greater Chicagoland area, and receives entries from agencies throughout the Midwest. The 17 categories recognize everything from direct mail campaigns, to web sites, to emerging media and mobile marketing.

The evening was capped off by the 4 special awards;

The Multicultural Award, presented by Maria Dennis and Michael Machado, Co-chairs of the Multicultural SIG to Draftfcb for State Farm
The Jay Gondelman Award for Interactive Excellence presented by Pola Henderson, Chair of the Interactive SIG to Draftfcb for MilkPep
Innovation and Excellence in Print Production presented by Andy Gold, Chair of the Production SIG to DDB for AT&T
And the “Best in Show” Past President’s Award presented by Cyndi Greenglass, Immediate Past President to the Little City Foundation

For a complete listing of winning entries, click here.

2011 TEMPOS BY THE NUMBERS

17 Number of categories
130 Number of entries received for 2011
41 Number of unique companies awarded
6 Number of awards per category – one for creative excellence and one for marketing excellence in 1st 2nd and 3rd position
Most awards won by a single Agency, Draftfcb including the Multicultural and the Jay Gondelman Awards.

A Special Thanks for our Event Sponsors and Judges! Without whom such a successful event would not have been possible!

CADM Interactive Special Interest Group (SIG) June 2011 Lunch & Learn Recap

2011-07-05T11:25:00.003-05:00

On June 28th, 2011 the CADM Interactive Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted a Lunch & Learn, featuring a presentation by Matt Santori-Griffith, Senior Design Manager and Social Media Consultant at Association Management Center in Glenview, IL. Matt shared his expertise on fostering engagement through social media and ways to maintain a community that goes beyond the "Like" button. A Q&A session followed.

The event, held at the Roosevelt University's Auditorium Building downtown Chicago, marked the group's reactivation. The SIG's leadership invites you to stay up-to-date on its activities by joining the CADM group on LinkedIn.

Results2011 - It Will Be 5 O’Clock Somewhere

2011-05-05T11:09:00.001-05:00

Results 2011 is only a few days away. Our great lineup of industry thought leaders and marketing experts are all ready to share valuable insights, best practices and real-life examples of great marketing in action.

Don’t forget to register today. Discount pricing is still available and there are limited tickets left.

What would a CADM Annual Conference be without a cocktail party? Plan to network with your peers immediately following Results 2011 at the Metrics Marketing and Northwest Mailing Reception hosted by the CADM Book Club. The bar will be set up on the same floor as our General Session speakers. You won’t miss it….trust me!

Results 2011 attendees will receive a FREE DRINK TICKET. Plus, there is bound to be a surprise or two for those who stick around.

Sign up for Results 2011 today. www.cadmresults2011.org/register.html.

Results 2011. Tuesday May 10, 2011 – theWit Hotel, Chicago.

Questions? 312-849-2236 // info@cadm.org // www.cadmresults2011.org

Post written by Rob Engelman, Results2011 Chair

Results2011: What We Can Learn From Marketing a School

2011-04-28T16:31:00.003-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I am a big fan of education marketing. Maybe it’s because my work as an Adjunct Instructor through the University of Chicago – Graham School has helped me to understand the balance schools must run between education and business.

Or, maybe it’s because I have just watched my daughter complete her college search process, in which I saw both strong and weak marketing execution from various universities throughout the country.

Or maybe it’s because I have had the opportunity to work with one of the leaders in online education and I have an appreciation for the consumer need, the market demand, and the best practices to drive consumer enrollment in the for-profit education space.

Who knows what the reason is, I am just passionate about the subject. This is why I am so excited to see the presentation.

How Math & Creative Delivers Superior Results for Chicago Booth at Results2011 on May 10. Here, Michael Fogarty, Principal & Founder at Kokopelli, and Steven Berry, Senior Associate Director, Annual Fund at Chicago Booth will share a case study that demonstrates how Chicago Booth used analytical rigor to segment their audience and overcame internal obstacles to grow the bottom line.

According to Michael, three key takeaways the audience will learn are:

Questions to ask before you build your list (segmentation and targeting)
Seek differentiation to determine creative (positioning)
Balance your media mix (implementation)

Education marketing enthusiasts, non-profit experts, and direct marketers are sure to get a nugget or two from this presentation.

Early Bird Registration has been extended until May 3.
Register today! www.cadmresults2011.org/register.html.

Results 2011. Tuesday May 10, 2011 – theWit Hotel, Chicago.
Questions? 312-849-2236 // info@cadm.org // www.cadmresults2011.org

Post written by Rob Engelman, Results2011 Chair

Results2011 - Thanking Our Sponsors

2011-04-19T11:56:00.003-05:00

An event such as Results2011 cannot happen without the help and support of our sponsors.

As Chairperson for the event, I owe a great deal of thanks to the following companies:

Japs-Olson Company www.japsolson.com
Kokopelli www.kcgi.net
Metrics Marketing Group www.metricsmarketing.com
Northwest Mailing Services www.nwmail.com
Oncall Interactive www.oncallinteractive.com
Vision Integrated Graphics www.visionps.com

I highly recommend each company as they have all been great to work with over the past few months.

Remember….register for Results 2011 today! www.cadmresults2011.org/register.html.

Results 2011. Tuesday May 10, 2011 – theWit Hotel, Chicago.

Questions? 312-849-2236 // info@cadm.org // www.cadmresults2011.org

Written by Results2011 Chair Rob Engelman

Step Up and Ask a Question

2011-04-14T13:37:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week I spoke with Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife at www.TheSucculentWife.com to get more insight about her panel discussion with Chris Bradshaw, COO at www.Plumlife.com, and Meredith Sinclair, Blogger at www.hoo-dee-hoo.com at Results2011– May 10, at theWit Hotel in Chicago.

Here’s what Anne-Marie told me….

“This panel which includes a blogger, a corporate user and a marketer will demonstrate, through “real life” examples and actual experiences, the reality of today’s social media landscape as seen from the unique perspective of the user type. What are the expectations and gains of social media use from the consumer’s point of view? The blogger? The marketer? This panel understands all sides of the issue and will make actionable recommendation and offer tips on how to narrow the gap between one user’s set of expectations and the other.”

This is sure to be an interactive conversation. How do I know? Well….Anne-Marie, Chris, and Meredith are already open to taking questions.

Send your Social Media question along to info@cadm.org and we’ll make sure they get asked…and answered.

You can also ask questions in person. Register for Results 2011 www.cadmresults2011.org/register.html.

Results 2011. Tuesday May 10, 2011 – theWit Hotel, Chicago.

Questions? 312-849-2236 // info@cadm.org // www.cadmresults2011.org

Written by Results2011 Chair Rob Engelman

How do you make money in Social Marketing?

2011-04-08T08:52:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine recently asked me this important question. Without hesitation my answer was simple….come to Results 2011 at theWit Hotel on May 10 and hear what Randy Hlavac has to say in his program entitled Digital IMC – Social Marketing to Grow your Bottom-Line Profits.

I have met Randy and know that his company, Marketing Strategy Inc is doing some neat work in the area of helping companies actually measure their social marketing program’s ROI.

While you can read a brief description of Randy’s program on the Results 2011 website www.cadmresults2011.org, here’s a more detailed overview:

Many companies struggle to develop a strategy to make money using social marketing. While Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are great for establishing a two-way relationship with customers and prospects, seeing the results of these investments at the bottom-line is difficult. In this session, Randy Hlavac will show you a 6-step process to create, justify, test, and deploy Digital IMC that uses social, web, mobile & traditional integrated marketing channels to create buzz and drive prospects to your company.

Real-world examples will be presented to illustrate the process of creating high impact, ROI-based social marketing programs.

Participants will walk-away having learned how to:

Identify your best prospects in the “social cloud”
Use social monitoring and web analysis systems to develop the social potential of you and your competition
Develop a social marketing strategy which grows your marketing database and creates fast sales to justify your investment
Keys to creating social programs that generate buzz
Create a social and digital budget with hard ROI numbers to justify your program for senior management
Development of pilot projects to prove concept to make social marketing a part of your marketing mix

This is one of several sessions that cannot be missed. Register for Results 2011 today at www.cadmresults2011.org/register.html.

Results 2011. Tuesday May 10, 2011 – theWit Hotel, Chicago.

Questions? 312-849-2236 // info@cadm.org // www.cadmresults2011.org

Written by Rob Engelman, Results2011 Chair

Results2011

2011-04-05T08:54:00.003-05:00

Results 2011 is 5 weeks away.

I am so proud of the CADM Results2011 Program Committee for putting together a great group of industry leaders and subject matter experts for this year’s program.

Results2011 will be an intensive day of education and networking that will appeal to industry veterans as well as those new to marketing.

Our speakers include:

· John Becvar – Senior Director Relationship & Loyalty Marketing, Groupon

· Janet Viane –Vice President, Marketing Operations, Sears Holdings

· Mara Kelly – Vice President Marketing and Sales Promotion, Loehmann’s

· Sebastien Bilodeau – Executive Vice President, Partnership Marketing & Sales, Synapse Group, Inc.

· Michael Fogarty – Principal & Founder, Kokopelli

· Steven Berry – Senior Associate Director, Annual Fund, Chicago Booth

· Corinne Mieszczak – Senior Web Content Communications Specialist, Celtic Insurance Company

· Jim Sherman – Director of Customer Relationship Mgmt and Interactive Marketing for Midas International

· Marci Hower – Vice President, Interactive Marketing, Metrics Marketing Group

· Laura Gallagher – President, The Creative Company, Inc.

· Matthew Maday – CEO and Digital Strategist, Oncall Interactive

· Pamela A. McElvane – CEO, P & L Group, Ltd

· Randy Hlavac – President & CEO, Marketing Synergy, Inc

· Anne-Marie Kovacs – Chief Wife, www.TheSucculentWife.com and Marketing Consultant, Bite Strategic

· Chris Bradshaw – COO, www.Plumlife.com

· Meredith Sinclair – Blogger, www.hoo-dee-hoo.com

Registration is now open at www.cadmresults2011.org/register.html.

We hope to see you there!

Results 2011. Tuesday May 10, 2011 – theWit Hotel, Chicago.

Questions? 312-849-2236 // info@cadm.org // www.cadmresults2011.org

Written by Rob Engelman, Results2011 Chair

Augmented Reality: Where Imagination and Your Shopping Cart Collide

2010-09-10T10:23:00.015-05:00

This article appears in the October 2010 issue of adMarks -- CADM's hard-copy member newsletter. For information about becoming a member, click on the link at the top of this page.

Augmented Reality: Where Imagination and Your Shopping Cart Collide

By Barbara Maldonado, Social Media Strategist, Legacy Marketing Partners

In my role at Legacy Marketing Partners, I am tasked with looking at digital extensions for client campaigns that create a unique spark of excitement merging brand information with an engagement opportunity, thus connecting consumer to brand and brand to consumer. Time and time again, I find myself returning to the unique possibilities of Augmented Reality technology. The words “Augmented Reality” may sound quite Hollywood and a far distant connection (if any) to Direct Marketing. In fact, some of the best case studies of Augmented Reality focus on database building, shopping cart engagement, and connecting circulars with relevant content for consumers.

Augmented Reality creates a consumer interaction that often ties print and virtual dimensions together to place the consumer in the midst of the product, puts the product in their hands, and in many ways creates a unique customizable experience tying consumer preferences to their virtual experience. In this article, we’ll focus on four examples of Augmented Reality and Direct Marketing. True to its format, Augmented Reality is best understood by example. I encourage you to visit CADM’s Blog to view demonstration videos and additional case studies.

ESQUIRE MAGAZINE
Esquire Magazine launched an Augmented Reality issue in November 2009 that brought the content of the magazine to life. By holding the magazine up to a webcam, the magazine’s featured actor, Robert Downey, Jr., jumped onto the screen to announce the issue via video. The issue’s Augmented Reality extensions were integrated into several of the magazine’s featured segments – including a fashion layout that the consumer controlled by moving the magazine, as well as extra footage and content unlocked via Augmented Reality.

BEST BUY
Best Buy integrated its Sunday circular with Augmented Reality to add another layer of product information. Consumers activated the Augmented Reality component on the circular via their computer’s webcam and were able to see three-dimensional views of featured products. At the upcoming October 13 CADM “Second Wednesday” luncheon, a speaker from Helios Interactive will speak to the Augmented Reality campaign they executed this year for Best Buy.

VAL-PAK / MARTHA STEWART
Earlier this year, Val-Pak launched an Augmented Reality campaign designed to increase its opt-in e-mail database. Connecting with the appeal of the Martha Stewart Show, Val-Pak activated a direct mail campaign that encouraged consumers to take a specially marked portion of their mailer to the Martha Stewart Show web site and hold the printed piece in front of their webcam to activate the instant-win component of the Augmented Reality layer of the campaign.

LEGO
Lego, known for inspiring the minds of young and old alike, launched an in-store demonstration that allowed consumers to activate an Augmented Reality image of the featured structure on the Lego box. The consumer could turn the Lego box to see the different images of the Lego structure. The Augmented Reality display was featured at the Lego store at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois.

As Augmented Reality makes its way into more campaigns in future months, companies will continue to harness this virtual, three-dimensional engagement that connects the product, shopping cart, and a technology-driven purchasing experience that the consumer controls and makes their own. As direct marketers, we will be challenged to continue to integrate these emerging technologies in ways that deliver a more relevant messaging experience, allowing us to learn more about our consumers’ preferences. Once we have that information, we will be empowered to tailor the brand message, product, and engagement to the insights afforded to us by technology.

Barbara is the chair of CADM’s Interactive Marketing SIG and can be reached at barbara.e.maldonado@gmail.com; Twitter: @bmaldonado; and, Blog: barbaramaldonado.com.

September 15 Luncheon at Maggiano's Restaurant: "The Allure of Emerging Media for the Multicultural Audience"

2010-09-08T11:34:00.013-05:00

Alex Perez, Luncheon Moderator

Join us next week at Maggiano's Restaurant as we launch our 2010-11 monthly luncheon series! First up...a panel discussion on the role of emerging marketing media in multicultural groups. Beyond demographics, this session will be a panel discussion highlighting the success of emerging media in multicultural groups examined against standard cultural frameworks and ethnic identity models. Panelists will include leaders in social media, Web, and mobile marketing.

The panelists will analyze topics such as:

· Understanding degrees of acculturation when creating Hispanic mobile marketing campaigns

· Exploring the importance of collectivism in Asian culture for social networks

· Web strategies that include immersion-emersion messaging that appeal to the African-American market

Moderator:

Alex Perez, NBC News Reporter

Panelists:

Michelle Lanter Smith, CEO at Hi Impact Marketing and Principal of Strategy at Brillante Multicultural

Dean Delisle, CEO of Forward Progress Inc.

This event is open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members. Click here for details and to register online.

Seven Key Copy Drivers for Direct Mail Success

2010-09-01T16:17:00.022-05:00

The following is the "Ask The DM Experts" column from the September 2010 issue of CADM's hard-copy newsletter, adMarks, written by Professor Susan K. Jones of Ferris State University. Only current CADM members receive adMarks, so please consider joining via this link!

Q. With all the talk about USPS money problems and the supposed demise of direct mail, I need reassurance that this classic direct marketing medium should still be part of my marketing mix. Can you help?

A. Who better to call upon for this answer than Denny Hatch, author of a new book called The Secrets of Emotional, Hot-Button Copywriting. Denny also is a regular columnist for Target Marketing magazine, and editor of the e-newsletter Business Common Sense. In the introduction to his book, Denny pulls no punches with his answer to the question, “Why bother with direct mail in this digital age?” He says:

“Direct mail goes back 800 years, to June 10, 1194, when Chartres Cathedral burned to the ground. Bishop Regnault de Mouçon wrote letters to all the rich aristocracy in France, Spain, and England asking for help to rebuild Chartres. This was the first recorded direct mail campaign, and was hugely successful, as any visitor to Chartres today will tell you.

“Since then a vast canon of direct mail know-how has been built up – the art, science and arithmetic of intimate, one-to-one communications that enable marketers to change behavior over long distances. All of it is directly applicable to the Internet.

“Put another way, one reason for the dot-com bust of 2000 that caused $5 trillion to evaporate was that the smartypants 20-something geeks that set up the systems and protocols of the Internet did not know squat about direct marketing, tapping human emotions, nor how to monetize a business model.”

So there! Denny goes on in his book to provide a list of seven “key copy drivers” that make people act in response to direct mail solicitations. These were identified by Swedish direct marketing genius Axel Andersson, and Seattle guru, Bob Hacker, who told Denny, “If your copy isn't dripping with one or more of these, tear it up and start over.” Here is the list of seven “drivers,” with examples from Denny’s archives of how each can be turned into a copy appeal.

1. Fear – That you’re missing out, that you’re being kept in the dark, that there’s a threat to you or your family, that you may be in financial jeopardy.
2. Greed – Ways to get, win, or save money, achieve the American Dream, get in on the ground floor.
3. Guilt – Assuage your guilt by helping hungry, lonely, or oppressed people, providing peace of mind for yourself and your family, saving innocent creatures.
4. Anger – Turn your anger into action against political opponents, oppressors of animals and people, defilers of the environment.
5. Exclusivity – Be among the few who measure up, be in elite company, be among the first, be accepted for membership.
6. Salvation – Get cash to bail you out, find a lucrative and intriguing vocation, gain skills for success, get help from an expert.
7. Flattery – Acquire, join, or do something that bespeaks your elite status, take advantage of something you’ve earned.

Now that you know the seven “drivers,” Denny offers some additional advice for putting them into action. He suggests that you become a true expert in the thing you are selling, then make a list of its features (product attributes) and rank their importance. Next, turn these features into benefits – the answer to the buyer’s question, “What’s in it for me?” Then determine the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for your product or service –the one thing about it that is both wanted by your target market and available exclusively from you.

When you start to write direct mail copy, Denny suggests that you “liberally sprinkle” it with the “12 most powerful, most evocative words in the English language”:

You
Save
Money

Easy

Guarantee
Health
Results
New
Love
Discovery
Proven
Safety
…and to make it a baker’s dozen, he adds what the late Richard Benson called the “magic word” – FREE.

For more of Denny Hatch’s direct mail wisdom, get hold of your own copy of The Secrets of Emotional, Hot-Button Copywriting. Contact Denny at dennyhatch@yahoo.com.

"Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions to CADM: E-mail: info@cadm.org.

CADM Thanks our 2009-10 Sponsors!

2010-08-17T10:14:00.008-05:00

At our August 12th Annual Meeting & Volunteer Recognition Luncheon, we thanked our generous sponsors (cash and in-kind) for the 2009-10 year! Please scan the list below, and be sure to contact them to find out more about their products and services -- mention you knew they were a CADM Sponsor!

Here's the list:

ALPHAZETA, INC
AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION, INC.
BARBARA MALDONADO
BRADNER SMITH & COMPANY
COLMAN BROHAN DAVIS
CONTINENTAL ENVELOPE
DDB
DEBRA ZAHAY BLATZ
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY’S KELLSTADT MARKETING CENTER
DIAMOND MARKETING SOLUTIONS
DRAFTFCB
ENVISION GRAPHICS
FRANK ROMAN PARTNERS
GENESIS PRESS
INDIAN LAKES RESORT
INKTEL DIRECT
IT SUPPLIES
JACOBS & CLEVENGER
JAPS-OLSON COMPANY
KATE LIPUMA
KNOWLEDGEBASE MARKETING
LAKE COUNTY PRESS
LETTUCE ENTERTAIN YOU
MACKAYMITCHELL ENVELOPE COMPANY
MACLYN GROUP
MARCEL MEDIA
MAR GRAPHICS
MERITDIRECT
METZNER-SCHNEIDER ASSOCIATES
NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
NORTHWEST MAILING SERVICE
PAUL A. DUBINSKI
PETTERINO’S RESTAURANT
PRONTO CONNECTIONS
RACOM COMMUNICATIONS
RESTAURANT.COM
RIDER DICKERSON
RIVER NORTH DANCE COMPANY
ROSALIE HARRIS:CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
RMYS LIMOUSINE SERVICE
SCOTT REEVES
TARGET MARKETING
THE MARKETING STORE
TOPAZ CAFE
TRIBUNE DIRECT MARKETING
VEUVE CLICQUOT
VISION INTEGRATED GRAPHICS
ZAHAY, INC.

Lynn Storey Named 2010 CADM Volunteer of the Year

2010-08-03T09:52:00.010-05:00

Lynn Storey, Manager of Direct Response for The Hope Institute for Children and Families, will receive the 18th Chicago Association of Direct Marketing (CADM) Natalie P. Holmes Volunteer of the Year Award during the association’s 55th Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on August 12th. (For details on the luncheon and to register, click here.)

In announcing her selection, CADM President Cyndi Greenglass said, “Lynn has made a tremendous impact at CADM, and has contributed considerably to the success of the CADM Book Club. Her ongoing efforts and enthusiasm have helped turn this new program into a ‘must attend’ thought leadership series. Lynn began as a student in the CADM Basic Course and immediately raised her hand to help out as a CADM Volunteer. In no time at all, she was offering suggestions, ideas, and her time with enthusiasm and clarity.”

The Natalie P. Holmes Volunteer of the Year award is chosen by CADM’s current president in honor of the association’s former executive director, who retired in 1992 after 20 years’ service and died in January 2009. Criteria for the Holmes award include: a high level of personal dedication to furthering the goals of CADM and its members; a track record of continuous years of contribution; a high standard of professionalism; enhancement of the association’s services and assistance in developing or implementing programs.

In the history of the Holmes Award, 16 have gone to individuals. Twice before the award was won by an advertising agency: Draftfcb in 2001, and Colman Brohan Davis in 2009. The complete list of past recipients follows:

2009 Colman Brohan Davis
2008 Heather Baker
2007 Roy Wollen
2006 Randee Monitz
2005 Jim Sherman
2004 Frank Roman
2003 Michael Becker
2002 Bart Zeller, Jr.
2001 Draftfcb
2000 Ian Scarlett
1999 Susan Kryl
1998 Nancy Dennis
1997 Jay Gondelman, Steve Hausheer, Phil Brown
1996 Susan K. Jones
1995 Linda Pickering
1994 Todd Hunt

1993 Harry Kraus

CADM Annual Meeting on August 12 to Feature Keynote Speaker Chuck Underwood, Author of "The Generational Imperative"

2010-07-23T09:03:00.012-05:00

In the 1980s, they were "theorists". And there were only 5 or 6 of them. In the '90s, a few of them began to conduct the formal research that would prove their theories. In the 2000s, their discipline skyrocketed to prominence. Chuck Underwood, one of those few pioneering scholars and one of the nation's elite generational consultants, will present an introduction to Generational Marketing Strategy. He'll explain how generations begin and end, identify our nation's five living generations: the G. I.'s, Silents, Boomers, GenX, and Millennials. The essence of successful Generational Marketing is to understand what happened to that generation during its unique formative years, identify the powerful generational core values that emerged from those unique times and teachings, and then craft your marketing message so as to resonate with those core values.

Join us on Thursday, August 12, at Petterino's Restaurant in downtown Chicago for CADM's Annual Meeting & Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. Open to CADM members, non-members, and guests! Click here for details and to register online: http://www.cadm.org/eventDetails.aspx?eventid=12

Thank you to our sponsor:

Congratulations to all 2010 CADM Tempo Award Winners Announced on June 8!

2010-06-09T16:31:00.012-05:00

Thirteen different companies won a total of 105 awards -- 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place -- at CADM's 39th annual Tempo Award Ceremony on June 8, 2010, at The Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago.

Four special award presentations were made at the end of the evening:

Category: Past Presidents' Award (Best of Show)

Agency: The Marketing Store

Client: McDonald's

Campaign: "2009 Monopoly at McDonald's"

Category: Jay Gondelman Award (Best Interactive)

Agency: The Marketing Store

Client: McDonald's

Campaign: "2009 Monopoly at McDonald's"

Category: Multicultural Marketing Award

Agency: Draftfcb

Client: Kmart

Campaign: "Kmart 2009 Protégé New Product Launch"

Category: Innovation & Excellence in Print Production Award

Agency: DDB

Client: AT&T

Campaign: "Wi-Fi Power Button"

Creative and Marketing awards were announced in 15 separate categories. For a complete list of all 2010 CADM Tempo Award winners, click here.

Tempo Awards Ceremony is June 8 at The Knickerbocker Hotel

2010-05-21T10:44:00.014-05:00

Francey Smith (left) and Emily Hartnell participated in the

Tempo Awards judging session on May 19, 2010.

You can now register for the 2010 Tempo Awards Ceremony at The Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago!

Event schedule:

6:00 pm - Reception and hors d’oeuvres while browsing the Tempo Award Winners Gallery

7:00 pm - Awards Ceremony begins Tempo awards are presented...

SPECIAL AWARDS: Past Presidents' Trophy, Jay Gondelman Award (innovation in interactive marketing), Multicultural Marketing Award, and Innovation & Excellence in Print Production Award.

Click here for additional details and to register online.

Award Winners Announced for Spotlight Awards Gala at theWit Hotel on Tuesday, May 4

2010-04-27T08:44:00.012-05:00

Join us at CADM's Spotlight Awards Gala at theWit Hotel on Tuesday, May 4, as we celebrate the following 2010 award winners!

2010 Charles S. Downs Award for Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year

Dr. J. Steven Kelly

Associate Professor
Co-Director of the Kellstadt Marketing Center
Director of the Marketing Internship Program

DePaul University

2010 Emerging Leader (EL) Award Winners

Abby Allsop, Colman Brohan Davis
Ashley Donahue, Draftfcb
Jasmine Huffman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Dustin LeFebvre, Specialty Print Communications
Amy Munin, Euro RSCG Discovery
Chris Newman, Euro RSCG Chicago
Sydney Plant, DePaul University
John Roa, Colman Brohan Davis

Click here for Spotlight Awards Gala registration information and to sign up online. Don't forget, CADM's Results2010 annual conference is the next day -- Wednesday, May 5 -- at theWit Hotel. Click here for conference details!

Online Registration Now Available for Results2010, CADM's Annual Integrated Marketing Event at theWit Hotel

2010-03-31T13:37:00.006-05:00

Register online now at cadm.org/Results2010 for CADM's Annual Integrated Marketing Event at theWit Hotel on May 5. Featuring presentations on a vast array of topics highlighting the changing market for businesses and consumers, including: Keynote Presentation, Can You Become an Internet Sensation Without Traditional Marketing? by Robyn Okrant, author of Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk; The Gift of GAB: Results2010 via Goals, Attitude, Brand by Conor Cunneen, Irishman Speaks; and Breaking Into the Original Social Network by Ann Jackson and Brent Carter, MoneyGram International.

All this and more, all in one day at Results2010. Sign up today! Go to cadm.org/Results2010.

Sponsorship Opportunities - Gain Visibility for Your Company and Help Support CADM

2010-03-17T10:14:00.012-05:00

The Chicago Association of Direct Marketing is indeed fortunate to have so many wonderful sponsors! Thanks to our most recent sponsor, Northwest Mailing Service, for becoming the exclusive Dinner Sponsor for our Spotlight Awards Gala at theWit Hotel on Tuesday, May 4th.

We have quite a few additional, attractive sponsorship opportunites coming up in the next few months. Please browse through these major events and click through to see what's available and at what price:

Results2010 - CADM's Annual Integrated Marketing Conference (theWit Hotel)

Spotlight Awards Gala (theWit Hotel)

Tempo Awards Event (The Knickerbocker Hotel)

If you are interested in any of these sponsorship opportunities, please contact George Buckley at CADM at info@cadm.org.

We would also like to thank many of our in-kind sponsors who have recently played a critical role in helping us create and promote the events listed above:

MAB Advertising

MAR Graphics

ASI Mailing & Fulfillment

Diamond Marketing Solutions

Colman Brohan Davis

Visible

Metzner-Schneider Associates

Thank you!

Marketers Venture Into Virtual Worlds

2010-03-03T09:29:00.014-06:00

(Note: Copied below is the "Ask the Experts" article from the March 2010 issue of adMarks, CADM's monthly newsletter. All CADM members receive this free, included in their membership benefits. Not a member? Now's a great time to join at our midyear rates of just $85/person - click here for details.)

Susan K. Jones

Susan K. Jones & Associates and Ferris State University

Q. A couple of years ago, Second Life seemed to be “all the rage” at conferences, and many companies were creating Second Life spaces and products. But some of that fervor seems to have died down. What’s new with Virtual Worlds for marketers?

A. While some marketers consider Second Life to be overly complex for their purposes, there’s a lot going on in terms of virtuality for marketers. A colleague at Ferris State recently asked me to do some background research on the move to “v-commerce” for a book she’s preparing – and here I’ll share just a few of the preliminary findings.

Against the backdrop of Web 2.0 (the customer in control) – and with the artificial intelligence of Web 3.0 on the horizon – marketers already have taken some steps into “personal virtuality” and online virtual commerce and gaming. Here are a few simple examples.

· Lands’ End (http://www.landsend.com) encourages customers to enter their own virtual dressing room by creating a model of their exact height, weight, body type, skin/eye/hair color, face shape, eye shape, and nuances of fit. Then customers can try on clothing items to see how they’ll look before ordering. Lands’ End is one of a number of e-commerce marketers using My Virtual Model™ for this application.
· Jellyvision (http://www.jellyvision.com), creator of “You Don’t Know Jack” and the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” home game, provides e-commerce marketing firms with what Jellyvision calls “interactive conversations” that seem as customized and personal as a chat with a live person. As their web site explains, “Because of the massive branching structure of an Interactive Conversation, you are able to instantly engage every visitor to your site with a unique experience that is tailor-made to their individual wants, needs, and desires. This visitor-specific content focuses in on exactly what it is they are seeking, and dynamically charts the most relevant path for them, toward your ultimate goal of conversion.” Jellyvision clients have included Netflix, Disney Interactive, BMW, Microsoft, and Oracle, among others.
· The social media site Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) started embedding the e-commerce feature of virtual gifts in early 2007. The manager for the virtual gifts product, Jared Morgenstern, blogged on February 8, 2007 to announce the new product and to suggest that Facebook users give their friends charity-related virtual gifts, or purchase a series of presents that become more meaningful in sequence. For a “cheeky” example, he showed a bare-bottomed troll doll gift followed by a toilet paper gift, and then a bar of soap (Morgenstern, 2007). Most gifts on Facebook cost $1.00, and could be paid for by purchasing “gift credits” by credit card.
· Zynga (http://www.zynga.com) lets Facebook and MySpace members play social games ranging from Texas Hold ‘Em to Fashion Wars to FarmVille. With 16 million daily users and 60 million monthly users as of last summer, Zynga reigns as the number-one social gaming site on the web. Zynga reportedly had revenues of $50 million in 2008 through the sales of virtual goods and add-ons to games.

Cybertown (launched 1995), Second Life (launched 2003), and There (launched 2003) owe much of their success to the growth of broadband connections, software allowing for instant personalization features, and increasing sophistication with the appearance of 3D virtuality.

The promise of true artificial intelligence (Web 3.0) has not been fulfilled to date for most applications, but advancements in e-commerce marketing, database management, gaming technology and 3D imagery are setting the stage for the maturation of virtual worlds as platforms for consumer engagement and profitable e-commerce.

Many virtual worlds have experimented with impressive Web 3.0 applications. According to virtual worlds expert and research analyst Vahid Dejwakh, “Within the context of the evolution of the Internet from Web 1.0 to Web 3.0, virtual worlds—especially the 3D kinds—are classified under the Web 3.0 category because of their profound ability to integrate multiple types of content, information sources, and feeds into one highly engaging and interactive format.”

As early as 2006, Second Life invited its members to experiment with this type of integration. They could tie together del.icio.us with Second Life to bookmark locations inside Second Life. Around that same time, Second Life made it possible for Flickr photos to be fed into Second Life, and Snapzilla allowed Second Life visitors to take screenshots in Second Life and post them on Snapzilla. Regarding these developments, blogger Pete Cashmore noted, “Clearly, SL is becoming a Web service. This will inevitably blur the lines between the virtual world and the Web, creating endless possibilities – events mashups, online calendar integration, even commercial mashups with Lindens (Second Life money) as a payment option. This is the tip of a very big iceberg.”

Finally, numerous vendors help Web sellers add the warmth of a “virtual real person” video spokesperson to show visitors around their site, point out important features, and activate a call to action. Ideally this site host would be integrated into all media as a spokesperson for the company or brand. Check out the “virtual real people” at http://www.liveactor.com/, http://websitetalkingheads.com and similar sites. Still other sites like http://www.sitepal.com/ and http://www.codebaby.com/ offer functionality for “interactive digital characters” that are B2B versions of the avatars in Second Life and other virtual worlds.

"Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions in care of George Buckley at CADM: E-mail: gbuckley@cadm.org; Fax: 312.849.CAFX (2239).

"Let's Play 20 (Marketing) Questions"

2010-02-17T14:44:00.011-06:00

(Note: Copied below is the feature article in the March 2010 issue of adMarks, CADM's monthly newsletter. All CADM members receive this free, included in their membership benefits. Not a member? Now's a great time to join at our midyear rates of just $85/person - click here for details.)

Let’s Play 20 (Marketing) Questions

By Les Stern, L. Stern & Associates, Inc.

When I was a kid (longer ago than I would like to admit), our family would drive on long vacations. To pass the time, we would play 20 Questions. You know the game. You get to ask 20 questions and at the end have to figure out the subject or person. The first question usually was animal, vegetable, or mineral, and it would go from there.

The game came to mind recently as I was thinking about the tremendous emphasis of late on marketing tactics. I understand that in difficult economic times a business may have to emphasize tactics over strategy, but it struck me that people were diving into tactics without knowing the answers to some very fundamental marketing questions.

So I said: OK, as a marketer, what 20 questions would I want to know the answers to before I decided on tactics. The 20 questions are designed to help you:

* Understand who you are trying to sell to, and how you sell to them. Yes, this involves working with your sales force.
* Identify why your target market buys your brand category, and then why they buy from you specifically. This is all about positioning and differentiation.
* Determine the information sources your target market uses to make purchasing decisions. This is especially important today, as people are enraptured with social media, yet they frequently do not even know if their target market uses social media as information sources.
* Analyze the effectiveness of your current marketing efforts (and adequacy of your marketing budget).
* Remember that marketing is not just about customers and prospects. It is also about how you position yourself to – and communicate with – influencers, referrers, employees, and prospective employees

The questions:

1. Who are your target market segments?
2. Who are the decision makers you are trying to reach?
3. What is your brand positioning statement?
4. What core brand/category attributes drive people to make decisions about purchasing products/services such as yours?
5. How do you rate relative to the competition on those core attributes?
6. What is your sales process, from generating leads to closing sales?
7. What trade/consumer shows do people in your target market attend?
8. What media do they utilize to obtain information (radio, TV, newspaper, magazine, direct mail)?
9. How do they use the Internet to obtain information (i.e., brand Website, manufacturer websites, user-generated content, search, social media)?
10. What tactics do you use to generate awareness for potential new clients, and do you believe they can be improved?
11. What tactics do you use to enhance your firm’s credibility to potential and existing clients, and can they be improved?
12. What tactics do you use to generate leads, and can they be improved?
13. What tactics do you use in the sales process once leads are qualified (i.e., proposals, sales presentations), and can they be improved?
14. What tactics do you use to generate direct sales, and can they be improved?
15. What tactics do you use to retain and enhance existing client relationships, and can they be improved?
16. What referral/influencer sources do you use, and how do you communicate with them?
17. What tactics do you use to recruit new employees, and can they be improved?
18. What tactics do you use to communicate with your existing employees, and can they be improved?
19. Would you say the quality of your marketing deliverables (online and offline) are of the same quality as, or better than, the deliverables of your largest competitor?
20. How much money do you think you should spend on marketing, and what percentage should be allocated among brand awareness, lead generation, conversion, and retention?

Obviously, this is just one person’s perspective on the questions you need to ask yourself. There are undoubtedly others. Still, by investing a little time (and money if need be) to answer these questions, you can be much more confident in the success of your future marketing endeavors.

Any questions?

Les Stern is president of L. Stern & Associates, Inc., and can be reached at Les@lsternmktg.com.

2010 Emerging Leaders Award - Deadline for Nominations is February 22

2010-02-04T10:22:00.005-06:00

Nominate your rising star for the 2010 CADM Emerging Leaders Award!

Help your best and brightest star burn even brighter. CADM is pleased to announce the return of the latest addition to our suite of awards -- designed to put the spotlight on tomorrow’s marketing leaders.

We are now accepting nominations for the 2010 Emerging Leaders Award, in recognition of fresh Chicago area marketers who show uncommon promise in strategy, creativity, and innovative thinking.

Hurry, though, as the deadline for nominations is February 22nd! Click here for details and to download a nomination form.

CADM's Interactive Marketing SIG to Hold Open House on February 11

2010-01-15T16:07:00.003-06:00

To kick off the 2010 year for CADM’s Interactive Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG), we will be hosting an Open House on Thursday, February 11th.

This informal night will feature networking with industry professionals and fellow CADM members. The goal of this meeting is to identify the topics you want to learn more about and speakers you would like to hear – Location-based apps? Augmented reality? Branded Entertainment? Here is your chance to help shape the next year of the Interactive Marketing SIG’s programming and agenda. We will also be looking for SIG Steering Committee members to help us plan events, secure sponsors, and support the SIG’s overall objectives.

Come ready to network, meet the other Interactive Marketing SIG members, and meet some new faces at OfficePort Chicago. We look forward to seeing you there!

Not a CADM or SIG member? Not a problem! Join us anyway, and come learn about our group and be a part of mapping our future.

Your hosts: Heather Baker, CADM Board Member; Barbara Maldonado and Sallie Crumbacher, 2010 Interactive Marketing SIG Co-Chairs.

Event Details: CADM Interactive Marketing SIG Open House
Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: FREE!
Light snacks and soft drinks
Location: OfficePort Chicago – 9 West Washington, Chicago
CLICK HERE to register!

A little about the event location…OfficePort is a new concept in the co-working trend. Providing office spaces and desks for daily, weekly, and monthly rentals, this unique hub of entrepreneurism is home to several technology start-ups, designers, and the like. OfficePort was recently featured in Crain’s Chicago and on a segment for World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer.

How to Personalize Customer Relationships in a Noisy World of Media

2009-12-22T11:14:00.007-06:00

The following "Ask The Experts" article appeared in the December/January 2009-10 issue of adMarks, CADM's member newsletter. To get on the newsletter distribution list, please join CADM -- click on link to the right!

By Susan K. Jones
Susan K. Jones & Associates
and Ferris State University

How to Personalize Customer Relationships in a Noisy World of Media

Q. The average consumer is exposed to thousands of marketing messages from hundreds of brands every day – so many that they must tune most of them out just to stay sane! In a world of so much media noise, how can we make sure our carefully honed, personalized messages get through to their targets?

A. Someone who has a great answer to this question, in my opinion, is Erick Brethenoux, VP of Corporate Development at SPSS. Erick offered the information I’m sharing here at last spring’s IMC Roundtable, presented by the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing Educational Foundation with sponsorship from SPSS.

Erick noted first that “digital noise equals semantic deafness” – in other words, all the words blur together for marketers and consumers alike. An even greater concern is that “vigilante consumers” often rise to the top of Google searches with their anti-corporate rants, making negative blogs and sites criticizing certain brands more prominent than the brand’s own information about itself.

If anything, things are getting worse in terms of brand and media noise, since as Erick reported, TNS Media Intelligence has 2,000,000 brands in its database, and that database is growing at a rate of 10% per year. What’s more, in the 1990s alone, the number of brands on grocery store shelves tripled from 15,000 to 45,000. In terms of media proliferation, there are:

17,300 magazine titles (8,400 in 1960)
13,000 radio stations (4,400 in 1960)
82.4 TV channels per home (5.7 in 1960)

So how do we ensure that our messages break through all the resulting clutter of brands and promotions? Erick has several suggestions.

1. Consumers Trust the Voice of Peers – Numerous studies show that consumers want to know what their friends (whether personal friends or online reviewers) have to say about products and services. These third-party endorsements break through the clutter to help consumers make decisions.

2. Moments of Truth – Erick says “At every customer interaction with a company there is at least one ‘moment of truth’ – an interaction that can disproportionately affect the customer experience, either positively or negatively. These points of experience should not be taken for granted – they should be prepared for with great care.

3. Emotional Decision-Making – Moments of truth are emotional for consumers. Marketers need to be able to identify emotional decisions versus rational decisions for their customers. For example, receiving financial advice at a bank is emotionally charged, whereas transacting for travelers checks is not. Engage deeply with consumers at the emotional touch points; less so at the workaday ones.

4. Customer Experience Management – The basic how-tos for managing customer experience include: transparency (to build trust); relevance in every communication; ease of interaction between buyer and seller; and ensuring that incentives are perceived as valuable by the consumers at which they are aimed.

5. Key Elements of CEM – For successful Customer Experience Management, a marketer needs to combine three elements.

a. The first is discipline – a set of ongoing activities such as a well established “voice of the customer” program.

b. The second is a methodology for increasing loyalty, leading to more profitable long-term behavior of customers.

c. The third is meeting customers’ needs and expectations on their own terms, rather than focusing on “technology deployments or internal milestones.”

6. Active Listening – From the top level down, active listening to the consumer is essential to make sure that communications with them are meaningful. According to Erick, smart CEOs are investing their time, energy, and money in active listening campaigns. Sources for such customer information include employee interactions with customers, blogs/wikis/social networking/chat rooms, e-mail, and call center transcripts.

7. Privacy vs. Convenience – Consumers are concerned about how their information is used by marketers, but they are not excited about spending time and effort to help marketers ensure that privacy. They expect marketers to ensure their privacy without impeding convenient shopping and paying.

8. Toward the End of the Averaged Customer – Erick says that the ownership of intellectual property is in the process of shifting from products to clients. This newfound customer control puts even more pressure on marketers to turn individual customer insights into profitable results. As he concludes, “Now, it’s personal.”

"Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions in care of George Buckley at CADM: E-mail: gbuckley@cadm.org; Fax: 312.849.CAFX (2239).

Acronym Holiday Bash Draws a Crowd at Harry Caray's Restaurant!

2009-12-16T11:14:00.014-06:00

Nearly 200 people attended the 2009 Acronym Holiday Bash on December 8th. The photos above are courtesy of Larry Engelhart of Deja Views. You can view the complete selection of photos at this link (select "Business, Corporate and Networking", then scroll down to Acronym Bash.)

Fall Basic Course Session Ends - Two Teams Tie for Winning Marketing Project!

2009-12-15T15:20:00.012-06:00

CADM's 11-week Fall Basic Course ended in late November with a TIE between two teams for the winning marketing project. As a result, all 10 students from the two teams won a free CADM membership through July 2010! Here are the winning teams:

IMPORTANT NOTE: CADM's 11-week Basic Course will only be offered ONCE in 2010: Spring Session, March 4 to May 13. (There will be no Fall Session in 2010.) So, if you're looking to join us, please register early! Click here for details on the Spring Session.

Leading the Conversation About Marketing Leadership - A Message from CADM's President

2009-11-09T16:46:00.015-06:00

Note: This article appeared in the November 2009 issue of adMarks, CADM's member-only newsletter. Not a member? Click here for membership details and to join online!

Leading the Conversation about Marketing Leadership

By Cyndi Greenglass, Diamond Marketing Solutions, CADM President

Earlier this Fall the CADM Board had a strategic planning session to tackle the all-important question of how to stay relevant to our membership into the future. Parking our bias at the door, we examined our Mission Statement, determined our strengths, and outlined the key deliverables to our members. In this wide-ranging conversation, our goal was to ensure that CADM continues to meet the diverse and wide-ranging needs of our members as you all evolve in your businesses. The results were telling … and exciting too.

What makes us unique?
Our membership is savvy, senior level, and highly experienced. With an average of 20+ years of experience, we are known for our thought leadership on the most compelling issues facing direct and interactive marketers today.

While we have a deep history steeped in direct marketing, our organization provides a welcoming environment where newcomers are welcomed and feel comfortable among peers. In addition, our Special Interest Groups (SIG’s) allow us to offer specific expertise and vertical interest. The SIG are where the member can be “in control” of the conversation.

Hands-on marketing know-how for everyone at every level in your marketing organization
From our monthly luncheons to our book club and Basic Course, we all learn from each other in different learning styles. That is why we bring you many different ways to get the content and information you need, when you need it.

You can tap into the knowledge pool of the most experienced, interesting, and forward thinking interactive marketers on demand and online, or combine it with networking for that all important face-to-face experience.

So what?
At the end of the day, all of this is meaningless unless it resonates with you – our member. So let me run by you what we believe is the real difference of CADM:

To the Chicago and Midwest marketing community interested in measurable media, CADM is the professional marketing association that leads the conversation about customer engagement.

Join the Conversation
We are here to help make your experience rich and unique. We provide answers to your “hot topics and issues” in a collaborative environment where the conversations around interactive marketing are meaningful and relevant.

I welcome your participation in CADM and I believe passionately that only through your engagement will you realize the full impact of your membership in your association. Because when you join the conversation; you engage, you learn, you share, you contribute, and you innovate. And that’s the true meaning of direct and interactive marketing!

CADM Book Club to Discuss "Rengen: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer" on December 10th

2009-10-27T11:21:00.018-05:00

The CADM Book Club continues to develop momentum by meeting every other month! These meetings are limited to current, active CADM members, and are free!

Next up for the Book Club is Rengen: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer, by Patricia Martin. As an added benefit, the author has agreed to join the meeting for the last 30 minutes to engage the group and answer questions. The meeting is on Thursday, December 10 from 8:00 am to 9:30 am at a NEW location: DePaul University, One East Jackson Blvd. Suite DPC 7406 (7th floor). To register, CADM members can click through to this link.

At the October meeting, the Book Club discussed Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, by Andy Sernovitz, Guy Kawasaki, and Seth Godin. If you are interested in what the CADM Book Club members thought of this book, click here for their review.

Pay Per Click (PPC) Summit Comes to Chicago - CADM Members Get Discount

2009-10-16T10:18:00.008-05:00

CADM is pleased to be an Association Partner of the upcoming Pay Per Click (PPC) Summit in Oakbrook at the DoubleTree Hotel on November 4th and 5th. Here is some information about the upcoming conference...

"Attend the most comprehensive event available for Internet Marketers. Get up-to-speed on the latest trends and how to apply them - whether you're new to search engine marketing and pay-per-click advertising or experienced.

*Learn hundreds of industry best practices for setting up and managing profitable pay-per-click campaigns on Google AdWords, Microsoft adCenter, Yahoo Search Marketing and all the smaller engines

Join us for two days packed with panels, keynotes, Q & A sessions and workshops, plus 20 sessions covering today's Hottest Topics.

Strategies include: Google, Bing, Yahoo & ALL engines
* Selecting and managing an Agency/SEM
* Keyword research and targeting
* Conversion strategies
* Integrating with other campaigns
* Writing and testing ad copy
* B2B and B2C advertiser issues
* Improving and testing your landing page
* Building your keyword list
* Contextual marketing
* Many more to choose from...

Two Comprehensive "How To" Resource Manuals - one for each day of the summit covering all the workshop content, tips and best practices

Exclusive Case Studies - describe the successes, failures and lessons learned of practitioners from real B2B and B2C operations

Networking - with industry experts and colleagues who speak your language and share your problems.

Solution Providers - meet and discuss your unique challenges with leading search engine vendors in a no-pressure environment

Register now http://www.ppcsummit.com/177.html use code CADM to SAVE 35% off two-day rates. For registration questions please send an email to: marketing@ppcsummit.com"

CADMEF Announces Member Mentor Scholarship - Deadline is November 30th

2009-10-12T13:52:00.011-05:00

The Chicago Association of Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (CADMEF) has a rich history of providing the highest quality programs and resources in direct marketing education for future direct marketers and those who teach them.

As a special CADM member benefit, CADMEF’s Alan Drey Center For Academic Excellence is offering one $1,500 scholarship to a student sponsored by a member of CADM. This scholarship is intended to provide assistance to deserving students preparing to enter the field of interactive and direct marketing.
Eligible students may apply by submitting a resume and the completed application form. All applications must be received by CADMEF no later than November 30th. The award recipient will be notified no later than December 31. Click here for the application form.

If you have questions about the CADM Member Mentor Scholarship or would like to receive an application form, please contact Juliet Hart, CADMEF Executive Director, at 847.733.7784 or via e-mail at juliethart@sbcglobal.net.

CADM Sponsor 5th Finger Posts YouTube Video of New Technology Launched at CADM's "Online Sports Marketing" Event at Harry Caray's

2009-10-07T15:04:00.017-05:00

We were very fortunate to have partnered with 5th Finger as the exclusive sponsor for our Online Sports Marketing event at Harry Caray's Restaurant on September 23rd. Their staff was great to work with, and we were pleased to see the outstanding job they did with the Twitter/SMS Feed to engage the audience after the panel discussion. Click here to see 5th Finger's YouTube video they posted on the CADM event.

Fall Basic Course Underway!

2009-10-07T14:09:00.016-05:00

Students enrolled in the Fall Session of the CADM Basic Course have already started implementing their newly learned knowledge – and we’re only a few weeks into the 11-week workshop!

CLASS 1
Randy Hlavac (above; founder of Marketing Synergy) and Adjunct Professor at The Medill School/Northwestern University, kicked off the course with an Introduction to Direct Marketing. Reviewing the types of marketing (Mass vs. Direct and Push vs. Pull). Randy also showed how we all are always conducting Direct Marketing campaigns – even in our personal lives. According to Randy, dating and finding a life mate is probably the oldest form of Direct Marketing – and his explanation showed how!

A lively atmosphere of competition ensued as each newly formed team began the initial steps toward a full fledged Direct Marketing campaign. Throughout the 11-week Basic Course students will continue to learn additional aspects of successful campaigns and apply them to their team project. And there’s a lot riding on their success at learning, absorbing and applying – the last class is reserved for final team presentations and the winners receive a year’s CADM Membership!

CLASS 2
Jim Sherman (above, center; of Midas International, and a CADM Board Member), continued the learning in Class 2 by reviewing Strategy, Planning, and Testing. Understanding where your organization is before your start is critical to crafting the appropriate plan of action. Jim reviewed the parameters of a S.W.O.T Analysis, and then introduced the ever-important concept of math, statistics and program tracking.

The teams are now hard at work developing their presentations for the final class on November 19th. Basic Course chairman Frank Roman (Frank Roman Partners) is currently securing the judges for the final class.

JUST ANNOUNCED: The Spring Basic Course begins on March 4, 2010! Save the date, and check back to CADM's web site for details and an online registration form.

Online Sports Marketing Event at Harry Caray's Restaurant Draws Crowd

2009-09-29T09:44:00.011-05:00

The room was packed at Harry Caray's Restaurant on September 23rd for the panel discussion on "Online Sports Marketing in Chicago: Bears, MLB, ESPN, Red Stars, and Chicago 2016!" The panelists and audience engaged in a dynamic discussion of how Web 2.0 is influencing sports marketing and driving fan interest and ticket sales. The event was hosted by CADM's Interactive Marketing SIG and sponsored by5th Finger.

Next up is the October 14th "Second Wednesday" Luncheon at Petterino's Restaurant on "Can You Hear Me Now? A Debate on Whether Mobile Marketing Finally Has Arrived." Check out CADM's web site for details and online registration options.

CADM's "Ask The Experts" Column for October: "Mid-2009 Thoughts and Trends - on Twitter"

2009-09-14T15:46:00.007-05:00

Note: The following article appears in the October 2009 issue of CADM's monthly newsletter, adMarks. The "Ask The Experts" column - a regular feature of adMarks - is authored by Professor Susan K. Jones (Susan K. Jones & Associates and Ferris State University.) AdMarks is mailed only to CADM members, so please consider joining CADM if you are not already a member!

Mid-2009 Thoughts and Trends -- on Twitter

Q. Because you are a professor and consultant, I would imagine it’s one of your top priorities to stay up-to-date on advancements in direct and interactive marketing. How do you accomplish that, and how do you share it with your students?

A. One of my greatest challenges as a professor is to make sure my students learn the timeless marketing concepts they’ll need to succeed for the long haul – yet make sure they are exposed to the latest thinking and techniques. This summer I decided to see if using Twitter would help me share some new trends, thoughts, and sources with my online e-commerce marketing students.

I set up a Twitter site (@sjones9200) and asked my students to sign up. Then as I saw interesting articles and sites I “tweeted” this information, beginning each “tweet” with ECOM 383 so the students would know it was meant especially for them.

Here are some of the “tweets” I shared during the summer class:

-- eMarketer says Twitter users will jump to 18.1 million in 2010; 10.8% of Internet users. Will it make $$$, or is it a novelty?

Twitter has intrigued everyone from actor Ashton Kutcher to President Obama…but can it be monetized? Another recent article I read noted that many social media gurus are all excited about the number of sign-ups and participants when they should be focusing more on revenue.

-- Check this out: www.alistapart.com/articles/designcancripple and see if you can decide the winning version.

This article called “Design Choices Can Cripple a Website” by Nick Usborne lets visitors evaluate three choices before finding out which website gained the best conversion rates. I remember when the great John Caples used to offer such quizzes on print media options as part of his seminars “back in the day.”

-- Check this out: www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007109 -- your social media skills will come in handy in the workplace!

This article focuses on how few companies actually have a company policy about social media use, and the problems that may result from that situation. As noted in a recent column, young “digital natives” can bring valuable, personal experience to the table in their jobs.

-- Do you enjoy Twitter? This article says you don't! www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=107081

The article discusses the fact that 18-26 year-olds really don’t “get” the excitement around Twitter. My students relate to Facebook much more than any other social medium. They like the fact that it originated with college students and they consider Facebook higher class than MySpace. One of my colleagues made Twitter participation mandatory with 10% of students’ grades hanging in the balance. They didn’t like that much, because they think Twitter is for older people and because they think social media should be fun, not mandatory.

-- Check out this story about Zappos -- a great dot.com: www.economist.com/people/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13490041

The article discusses the fact that shoe marketer Zappos (now expanded into clothing and accessories) has all the trappings of a dot.com from the late 1990s, yet under the leadership of Tony Hsieh, it has reached $1 billion in annual sales.

-- Here's an article with some good basic how-to’s for designing a web home page: www.alistapart.com/articles/homepagegoals

I don’t teach the intricacies of web design in my marketing classes, but students find this subject very interesting, and many want to build their own sites.

-- How about this for a time-saver on the go? Trade stocks on Twitter via http://pollytrade.com/

Here’s a practical use for Twitter…PollyTrade is looking for beta users right now. So far they only support E*Trade as a broker. Perhaps we’ll see the E*Trade bay “tweeting” his stock trades in an upcoming commercial.

-- Check out www.eyebuydirect.com -- upload your picture, try on frames, get feedback from other site users. Saw it on TV.

I try to show my students some unique applications that the web makes possible. This site combines interactivity and personalization with community, and some pretty impressive prices on eyeglass frames.

ECOM 383: Can Bing Challenge Google for Search? Check out: www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=108565

This article shows how Bing was off to a pretty good start on paid search, just weeks after its formal introduction.

-- Several people have recommended www.techcrunch.com/ to me lately--easy to subscribe & they do a good job on double opt-in!

I encourage my students to subscribe to a controlled number of online industry newsletters. Another one that I like and recommend is www.emarketer.com/.

-- What do you guys think of Amazon's Kindle? Had breakfast w/a friend who loves hers -- it holds 1500 books at less than $10 each.

The students find Kindle rather expensive for them currently, but since products like Kindle are likely to change the face of college textbook marketing in the near future, I want them to be aware of it.

"Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions in care of George Buckley at CADM: E-mail: gbuckley@cadm.org; Fax: 312.849.CAFX (2239).

CADM Thanks 2008-09 Sponsors!

2009-09-01T09:30:00.016-05:00

At the Annual Meeting & Volunteer Recognition Luncheon last month, CADM thanked the scores of companies and individuals who sponsored our programs in the 2008-09 association year. CADM is extremely fortunate to have such consistent and loyal support from the marketing community as we pursue our mission and produce high-quality educational and networking opportunities for Chicago's direct and intergrated marketers. Please take a moment to review the list below, and please support their businesses!

In the 2008-09 association year, we recognized two companies as official Corporate Sponsors:

The following companies were cash or in-kind sponsors in 2008-09 -- THANK YOU!

A.M. MAILING SERVICES, INC.
AFLAC
ALLANT GROUP
ALPHAZETA, INC
AMERICAN BAR ENDOWMENT
AMERICAN MARKETING SERVICES
AMERICAN LITHO
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
ASI MAILING AND FULFILLMENT
AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION, INC.
BARBARA MALDONADO OF MARKETING RESOURCES
BRADNER SMITH & COMPANY
BUSINESS MARKETING ASSOCIATION – CHICAGO
CATALOG SUCCESS MAGAZINE
CHICAGO AMA
CL ASSOCIATES
COLMAN BROHAN DAVIS
CONTINENTAL ENVELOPE
CONTINENTAL LTD.
CP PRODUCTIONS
DARWILL
DDB
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY’S KELLSTADT MARKETING CENTER
DIAMOND MARKETING SOLUTIONS
DIGITAL PEOPLE
DRAFTFCB
ELK GROVE GRAPHICS
FAIRRINGTON TRANSPORTATION INC.
FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
FIRST CLASS, INC
FRANK ROMAN PARTNERS
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS MAGAZINE
GENESIS PRESS
INDIAN LAKES RESORT
JACOBS & CLEVENGER
JAPS-OLSON
JIGSAW
JOHNSON & QUIN
KARYN PALUMBO
KENWOOD LIQUORS
KORZENOWSKI DESIGN
KRYL & CO.
LAKE COUNTRY PRESS
LETTUCE ENTERTAIN YOU
MID-AMERICA CLUB
MACKAYMITCHELL ENVELOPE COMPANY
MACLYN GROUP
MARCEL MEDIA
MAR GRAPHICS
MCKAY COMMUNICATIONS

MIDAS INTERNATIONAL
MOET HENNESSEY USA
NORTHWEST MAILING SERVICE
PALADIN
PETTERINO’S
PROMOTION MARKETING ASSOCIATION
Q INTERACTIVE
RACOM COMMUNICATIONS
RAINBOW GRAPHICS
RAMAGE & SHEAHEN
RESTAURANT.COM
RIDENOUR & ASSOCIATES
RISE INTERACTIVE
RIVER NORTH DANCE COMPANY
RIVERSIDE GRAPHICS
RMYS LIMOUSINE SERVICE
ROSALIE HARRIS:CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
SEARCH ENGINE STRATEGIES
SUBSCRIBERMAIL
SPSS
TARGET MARKETING
THE JAY GROUP
TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
THREESOURCE FULFILLMENT
TRIBUNE DIRECT MARKETING
TTC MARKETING SOLUTIONS
UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES
UMARKETING
VISION INTEGRATED GRAPHICS
WEBER GRILL
WGN
YESMAIL

Z-CARD NORTH AMERICA

If your company is interested in becoming a CADM sponsor in 2009-10, please contact CADM executive director George Buckley at gbuckley@cadm.org. Thank you!

Online Sports Marketing Event at Harry Caray's - Chicago Bears, MLB, Chicago Red Stars, ESPN, and Chicago 2016

2009-08-25T12:10:00.018-05:00

"Chicago Sports 2.0: How Chicago Sports Teams

Score Through Interactive Marketing"

Are you a sports enthusiast and an interactive marketer? Do you want to know how your favorite sports teams are using Web 2.0 techniques to reach fans and drive traffic? CADM has put together an impressive panel of key marketers from select Chicago sports teams – both new teams on the scene and fan favorites – who will discuss their strategy and objectives in the online space when it comes to their fans. Hear how they track, measure, and evaluate Web 2.0 applications. Learn how the online space complements their traditional marketing efforts. Get a sense of what new trends they see coming in the future and how all of this affects ticket sales.

Join us Wednesday, September 23rd at one of Chicago’s iconic sports broadcasters’ restaurants, Harry Caray’s. It should prove to be a lively event that will demonstrate that Chicago is not a “second city” when it comes to Interactive Marketing and Sports. Exclusively sponsored by 5th Finger, this event is open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members. Register today through this link on CADM's web site!

What:

Special Evening Event at Harry Caray’s Restaurant

Presentation:

“Chicago Sports 2.0: How Chicago Sports Teams Score
Through Interactive Marketing”

Moderator:

Josh Grou, Business Development, Branded Entertainment Google/YouTube and Instructor, Sports Media and Broadcast Relations, Kellogg MSA program

Panelists:

Joseph A. Inzerillo, SVP, Multimedia & Distribution at Major League Baseball (MLB)

Ryan Huzjak, Director of Corporate Sales, Chicago Bears

Mike Maguire, Digital Sales Director, Midwest Region, ESPN Chicago

Elly Deutch, Marketing and New Media Manager, Chicago Red Stars

Valerie Waller, Director of Marketing & Communications, Chicago 2016

To register: Click here!

2009-10 Officers and Members of CADM's Board of Directors

2009-08-19T13:47:00.003-05:00

The members of the new board of directors for the association were installed during the association’s Annual Business Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on August 12, 2009. Each of the officers serves one-year terms and the directors’ terms, typically three years, expire as noted below.

PRESIDENT
Cyndi Greenglass, President, Agency Services, Diamond Marketing Solutions

Named in 2006 and 2004 into the Top 100 BTB Marketers by Crain’s B@B Magazine, Cyndi is nationally recognized for her industry leadership and expertise. She is a past chair of the DMA’s Business-to-Business Council, and is currently the Council’s government affairs liaison. She lectures on direct marketing at several local universities, can be heard at major industry conferences, and contributes to several industry publications on a regular basis. At Diamond Marketing Solutions, she is responsible for the strategic planning process, participates in strategic acquisitions, and manages the agency’s services division.

VICE-PRESIDENT
Ron Marsh, President, Audience Identification, Inc.

Ron, a CADM member for more than 20 years, has been an active volunteer for many years and served in several key positions. He has chaired and co-chaired the annual conference program committee in 2006 and 2007, was chairman of the Financial Services SIG, and has been a Board member since 2006. He chaired the IMX09 planning committee while serving as Secretary-Treasurer last year. Audience Identification, Inc. specializes in providing advanced targeting solutions to a variety of integrated marketing clients, including financial services, publishing, and nonprofit organizations. Aii has special expertise in data mining and analytics.

SECRETARY-TREASURER
Jim Sherman, Director, Relationship Marketing, Midas International

Jim has over 20 years of experience in direct marketing, customer relationship management, e-commerce strategy, and new business development. He is a past chair of CADM’s Interactive Marketing SIG, and chaired the CADM Basic Course committee for four years. He is the 2005 winner of the Holmes Volunteer of the Year Award.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Scott Reeves, Metzner-Schneider Associates

With over 20 years of direct marketing experience and membership in CADM, Scott applies a broad base of industry knowledge to his role on the Board. After just completing a successful year as the 2008-09 president, he will continue as an advisor to numerous committees while chairing the Downs Award committee and nominating committee. Scott has built a career driving integrated direct marketing strategies for a wide range of brands while at some of the industry's top agencies, including Rapp, DDB Chicago, DoubleClick, and Cramer Krasselt.

DIRECTOR (Continuing, re-elected to one-year term; expires in 2010)
Carrie Stec

Carrie begins her second year on the Board after making significant contributions as a member of the Interactive Marketing SIG’s steering committee. She will continue in that role this year, while also helping lead the Board’s outreach efforts with other organizations. Most recently she was vice president of sales for Q Interactive.

DIRECTOR (Continuing; term expires in 2010)
Roy Wollen, CEO, Database Insight Inc.

Roy has over 20 years of experience in database marketing, and is a frequent speaker and published author. He is a past winner of the 2007 Holmes Volunteer of the Year award, chaired the Database Marketing SIG in 2006-07, and co-chaired the Board’s membership committee last year.

DIRECTOR (New, elected to one-year term; term expires in 2010)
Dr. Debra Zahay Blatz, Professor of Interactive Marketing, Northern Illinois University

Deb is a longtime CADM member, a frequent speaker, and a published author. She is well-known and well-liked in the marketing community, and now brings her myriad graduate degrees (PhD, JD, and MBA), wise counsel, and professional expertise to the board.

DIRECTOR (Continuing; term expires 2011)
Dasher Lowe, Senior Vice President, Group Management Director, Draftfcb

Dasher has been an active CADM member for almost 20 years. He currently serves as Draftfcb’s direct marketing discipline leader and also oversees several key pieces of business for the agency. Dasher is an integrated marketing specialist with experience across all media channels, including television, online, print, direct mail, radio, retail, and social networking. His entire career has been spent on the agency side of the business. Dasher began at Draftfcb (Kobs & Draft at the time) in 1989, served a short stint at as Director of Strategic Services for TargetCom (1997-1999), and then returned to Draftfcb where he has remained.

DIRECTOR (Continuing; term expires in 2011)
Rich Hagle, Editor and Publisher of Racom Communications

Rich leads Racom Communications, a Chicago-based publisher of business and marketing publications, and a book development and production company. He has held senior editorial and marketing positions with J.J.Keller & Associates, NTC Business Books, Longman Group UK, and Crain Communications. He has been on the adMarks editorial board for seven years and on the CADM Educational Foundation board for six years.

DIRECTOR (Continuing; term expires in 2011)
Frank Roman, Principal, Frank Roman Partners

Frank has been an active CADM member for eight years, with over 20 years of experience in direct marketing. He is a past winner of the 2004 Holmes Volunteer of the Year, past chair of the NonProfit SIG, and begins his second year as chair the Basic Course committee and CADM Book Club. Frank Roman Partners helps nonprofits gain donors, and businesses gain customers, through integrated marketing campaigns.

DIRECTOR (Re-elected to three-year term; term expires in 2012)
Jay Weinberg, President, The JAY Group

Jay began The JAY Group in 1999 and has grown the company into a solid business through successful development and management of loyalty and database marketing programs. Most recently, he led development of Loyalty Leaders, a customized, affordable CRM system. Jay is a past two-term chair of the Entrepreneurial Exchange SIG, chaired the 2006 DM Days & Expo committee, and co-chaired the Board’s membership committee last year.

DIRECTOR (New, elected to three-year term; expires in 2012)
Heather Baker, Managing Partner, BennettBaker, Ltd.

With a strong background in digital and multichannel marketing, Heather joined Bennett Wheelless Group in 2002 to help expand and grow the company’s interactive and emerging media marketing practice, rising to Managing Partner in 2009 when the executive recruiting firm became BennettBaker, Ltd. She has been a member of CADM since 2004, is the 2008 winner of the Holmes Volunteer of the Year Award, and has chaired the association’s Interactive Marketing SIG since 2007.

DIRECTOR (New, elected to three-year term; expires in 2012)
Will Misloski, Senior Director of eMarketing, Orbitz Worldwide

Will has 15 years of direct marketing experience, with the last 10 focused specifically on online direct response. He is a past recipient of the DMEF’s Rising Star award in Direct Marketing and has been published in Northwestern’s Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications. Will holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana and a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.

Colman Brohan Davis Selected as CADM's 2009 "Volunteer of the Year"

2009-07-29T08:54:00.017-05:00

CADM President Scott Reeves recently selected Chicago agency Colman Brohan Davis as the 2009 winner of the Natalie P. Holmes Volunteer of the Year award. Co-CEOs Liz Brohan (left) and Lori Colman are shown above. The award will be presented on Wednesday, August 12th, during CADM's Annnual Meeting & Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at Petterino's Restaurant in Chicago. The Annual Meeting will also feature a special panel presentation, "Spotlight on the Future of Direct and Interactive Marketing," in addition to the installation of the association's 2009-10 Officers and members of the Board of Directors.

This prestigious award is chosen by CADM’s current president in honor of the association’s former executive director, who retired in 1992 after 20 years’ service. Criteria for the Holmes award include: a high level of personal dedication to furthering the goals of CADM and its members; a track record of continuous years of contribution; a high standard of professionalism; and, enhancement of the association’s services and assistance in developing or implementing programs.

Awarded since 1993, this is only the second time the "volunteer of the year" is an agency and not one of CADM's countless talented individual members who volunteer time to the association. The other exception was in 2001, when DraftWorldwide (now Draftfcb) was singled out for its myriad contributions that year. Now, like then, Colman Brohan Davis has earned this special distinction in recognition of it's year-long commitment and leadership in guiding the 2009 (and 2008) Tempo Awards competition and the launch of CADM's new Emerging Leaders (EL) Award program.

A detailed article will appear in a future issue of CADM's adMarks newsletter (and likely on this Blog), so please check back! Online registration is available for CADM's Annual Meeting on August 12th at this link. Members, non-members, and guests are encouraged to come support Colman Brohan Davis and attend CADM's annual event sure to attact the "who's who" of the Chicago marketing community.

Click here to view a complete press release on the announcement of CBD as the recipient of the 2009 Holmes Award.

From Basic Course to Corporate Leader: Where Are They Now?

2009-07-08T12:12:00.011-05:00

CADM Board member and chair of the Basic Course committee, Frank Roman of Frank Roman Partners, has been researching past graduates of the Basic Course in order to learn what role the course had in their professional and personal development. In this first of a continuing series, he recently interviewed Cyndi Greenglass (President, Agency Services, Diamond Marketing Solutions), CADM’s incoming President:

FR: Cyndi, I understand that you’re on the CADM Basic Course Faculty, yet began your career by taking the course. When did you graduate from the course?

CG: I achieved my Basic Course certificate in 1990.

FR: Do you still keep in contact with any of your teammates and/or instructors?

CG: Absolutely! In fact, I met some of my most enduring professional relationships in the Basic Course. I did not know it at the time, but the Basic Course really was pivotal to my success in direct marketing. The case study we conducted in the class was a real bonding experience, and we took on our assignment with great enthusiasm since we wanted to WIN. We went above and beyond the call of duty on it, and spent extra hours tackling our assignment. I guess it is little wonder that we bonded, and over the years called upon each other as we progressed in our careers. Most of our original group went on to become both leaders and educators themselves.

FR: What was your goal in taking the course, and did you achieve that goal?

CG: I was brand new to direct marketing and didn’t know anything about it. I had just left the international business world after years with the US Embassy, and joined Dun & Bradstreet. My boss suggested that I take the course to learn the basics, and I went along not knowing what to expect. Not only did I learn far more than I ever expected, but the Basic Course inspired me to get involved in the Association and to become an active volunteer. I can honestly say that the Basic Course gave a major boost to my abilities that exceeded my expectations.

FR: What are three things you learned from the course that you have incorporated into your career?

CG: (1) Direct Marketing is a science – if you disregard the “rules of the game” you will pay in terms of lower ROI and performance. Learn it well and you can be a rock star. (2) Do not be afraid of math. The Basic Course taught me how to overcome my fear of “the numbers” that is so common among marketers. Who knew that 25 years later I would be working with CFOs – a complete data geek who is involved in buying companies and measuring everything. (3) Take yourself seriously and others will as well. Direct Marketers own the facts, the figures, and often the data. We do not rely on opinions, we rely on facts. That is very, very powerful in today’s business environment. When you come to the table with your facts, you not only get the marketing budget you need, you get the respect you deserve.

FR: Thank you, Cyndi. CADM’s 11-week, intensive Basic Course has jump-started or reinvigorated thousands of careers during its continuous 52-year run. It is among the longest running direct marketing education courses in the country. Today’s environment is in constant change, as new technologies and techniques are being developed to overcome dynamic challenges. One thing will never change, however – a strong foundation in the basics of direct marketing provides the springboard for tackling any business marketing challenge that may come your way. The Fall 2009 Basic Course session begins on September 10, 2009. For additional information or to register, please click here.

Editor's note: This article excerpt is from the August 2009 issue of CADM's hard-copy newsletter, adMarks. The newsletter is mailed only to active CADM members. If you are not receiving it, please consider joining CADM! Here's a link to our membership benefits and online sign-up form.

Drew Stoppels Leaves Post as CADM's Membership Services Manager

2009-06-25T15:32:00.007-05:00

For those CADM members (and anyone else) who visited this Blog over the past year, you have seen the fine work and creative talents of Andrew C. (Drew) Stoppels, CADM's Membership Services Manager since June, 2008. His last day with CADM is today, June 25, 2009, as he is moving to California with a friend after a summer stop in his home state of Michigan. He will be missed...

Drew was passionate and committed to keeping CADM's Blog up-to-date with fresh information, new photos, and relevant links, all with a sense of professionalism and class. He embraced the challenge to add this Blog to an existing array of CADM's communication vehicles, and he always prioritized items important to our members. And our members noticed.

The Blog updates were just one of Drew's myriad responsibilities on staff, as many came to know him as the smiling face who first greeted them when they arrived for an event. Always charismatic, polite, professional, and caring, Drew warmly welcomed members and guests to events, asked about their businesses, and offered to help in whatever way he could. He also was the first voice members would hear when calling the CADM office -- again, always sincere and rich with "customer service" -- ready to answer a question or provide needed information.

As CADM's executive director since 2001, I have had the privilege to work with many talented staff members over the years. Each of them valued the relationships they were able to build with CADM members and volunteer leaders during their tenure, but Drew truly relished in getting to know our members and finding ways to be helpful to them. I think it will be the legacy he leaves at CADM -- whether its sales, marketing, or even nonprofit association management...it's all about building and fostering meaningful business relationships.

On behalf of CADM's Officers and Board of Directors, and on my own behalf, I wish Drew Stoppels the very best as he continues along his own journey leading to a promising future and successful career and family. Thank you, Drew!

George Buckley
CADM Executive Director
June 25, 2009

Attention all Golfers: CADM's Annual "Country Club Day" tees off July 24th at Indian Lakes Resort....

2009-06-25T09:01:00.020-05:00

CADM's annual "Country Club Day" golf outing to Indian Lakes Resort features a shotgun start golf tournament followed by a Texas-style barbeque. This CADM tradition is designed as a social event to network with fellow CADM members and entertain clients in both the direct and interactive marketing realms. Lots of prizes will be awarded throughout the action-packed day and members should note that this outing has traditionally been one of the most popular days on the CADM calendar and space is limited, so early registration is recommended to avoid disappointment. Foursomes are always welcome, but not necessary, so therefore please feel free to register one, two, or three people, and we’ll group you in a foursome for networking! Further details about the Day are below:

When: Friday, July 24, 2009

7:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast (arrive early and meet colleagues!)
8:00 a.m. – Shotgun Start

Where: Indian Lakes Resort – 250 West Shick Rd. – Bloomingdale, Illinois

Phone: 630.529.0200

Cost: Golf Package (inc. BBQ lunch) $160 (per person)
BBQ lunch only $55 (per person)

Sponsors: Sponsorships from $150 to $3,000 are still available – call George Buckley (312- 849-2236 ext. #25) at CADM for options, and join American Marketing Services (Key Event Sponsor) in supporting this CADM tradition!

Overview of CADM's June 2009 Lunch & Learn, "Are you Ready for Web 2.0?"

2009-06-18T15:01:00.033-05:00

CADM's June 18th Lunch & Learn, "Are you Ready for Web 2.0?", which aimed to address the looming Web 2.0 question 'How can we monetize the social networks and effectively track our ROI?', was a great success according to the lunch's 25 interactive and direct marketers in attendance. Speaker Jon Morris of Rise Interactive spoke about this question by discussing the following sub-questions: 1) What industries can effectively market their offering via Web 2.0? 2) When should one consider a Web 2.0 campaign? Does Web 1.0 have to be mastered first? and 3) What type of return can we expect after investing in a Web 2.0 marketing campaign? Mr. Morris' presentation provided a general interactive overview of defining social media, various social media strategy implemented in corporate (i.e. compelling content, audience engagement, and CPA), tactics utilized, such as blogs, e-letters, micro-blogs, wikis, social bookmarking sites (i.e. Digg, Mixx and Delicious) and finally online forums which B2B and B2C firms are now employing to increase ROI and customer retention. Morris' presentation ended with a brief period for additional networking, and question-and-answer session, as well as some time for attendees to interact with the luncheon's generous sponsor, Yesmail.

Call For Nominations: 2009 Pat Wheelless Award for Outstanding Mentorship

2009-06-11T11:52:00.018-05:00

The CADM Pat Wheelless Award for Outstanding Mentorship honors an exceptional mentor in the Chicago direct marketing community – one who has had a very great impact and who embodies a spirit of generosity in advancing the careers of other direct marketers. The award is named for CADM Past President Pat Wheelless, its first recipient in 2001, to honor and perpetuate the example she set as a mentor to so many in CADM and Chicago's DM community. Nominees must be current or past members of CADM, and must be nominated by an individual who has benefited from or who is directly familiar with their mentoring. Do you know a worthy recipient? For a nomination form and instructions/guidelines, please email CADM's Executive Director George Buckley at gbuckley@cadm.org or call CADM’s headquarters at 312.849.CADM (2236) ext. #25.

Past winners are: Pat Wheelless (2001), Bob Stone (2002), Betty Warden (2003), Kevin Leo (posthumously, 2004), Suzanne Ridenour (2005), and Randee Monitz (posthumously, 2006), and Meg Goodman (2007.)
Completed nomination forms are due at CADM no later than Monday, August 17, 2009. Please be sure to obtain the nominee’s agreement before nominating a candidate. The Wheelless Award may be given only when a deserving recipient has been identified by the judges and may not be given in all years.

Professor Susan Jones asks Bill Oechsler for insights on branding in a multi-channel world

2009-06-11T10:44:00.039-05:00

Note: The following is an excerpt from June/July's 2009 Ask the DM Experts column by Professor Susan K. Jones, of Susan K. Jones and Associates:

Q. In today’s world, direct and interactive marketers need to be concerned about branding – it can’t be relegated to what we used to call “general advertisers.” Can you share some insights on branding in today’s “brave new world” of media choices?

A. To answer this question, I’ve called upon Bill Oechsler, President of Xler Consulting. After stints at Leo Burnett, Hanon McKendry Advertising, and Zondervan Publishing, Bill now heads his own consulting business focused on marketing and branding.

When I asked Bill to comment on this topic, he started with a general overview of the current communications situation. Consumers – whether buying for their personal use or in business – are “bombarded and blanketed by thousands of messages and opportunities to connect with brands, products, and services,” Bill says.

He adds that there are more than 90 channels for communicating and connecting with customers in today’s world – and that number is growing all the time. These channels include: familiar general advertising ones such as broadcast TV, cable TV, and billboards; traditional direct marketing ones such as telemarketing, direct response television, and direct mail; and, online examples such as search engine marketing, web sites, and video-on-demand.

These messages may be delivered through:

· One-Way Mass Communications – creating awareness and allowing for information sharing
· Two-Way Direct Communications – focused on the consumer’s consideration and building toward preference
· Experiential Communications – involving action and relationship building

Personal Communications – tribal affiliations (such as the “Starbucks tribe” or “Apple tribe” of brand evangelists) and advocacy

Branding Online and Offline:

As a basic how-to for ensuring that your brand is optimized both online and offline, Bill makes these suggestions:

- Solidly Position Yourself in a Meaningful Way – what unique benefit(s) do you bring to each customer segment you serve?
- Clearly Differentiate Yourself from Others – is this benefit something that your customers truly value over the competition?
- Creatively Communicate Yourself via Sight, Sound, and eMotion – use all media appropriately and creatively, and engage the emotions of your target market
- Become More Insights Driven, Brand Focused, Consumer Centric – constantly monitor all sources of insight and act upon them with integrity
- Move From Features & Benefits to Experiences & Affiliations – strive to become a vital part of your customer’s life – a “member of the family” – not a low-involvement “product of convenience”
- Be Media/Solutions/Device Neutral and Savvy – understand your customer and communicate with them in their media of choice

"Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions in care of George Buckley at CADM: E-mail: gbuckley@cadm.org; Fax: 312.849.CAFX (2239).

How to stay ahead of the curve regarding Web 2.0...

2009-06-11T10:21:00.030-05:00

CADMers:

Are You Ready for Web 2.0?

No matter what communication medium one is listening to, viewing, or surfing as of late, we are constantly requested to engage with celebrities, companies, and causes through Twitter, Facebook, and a host of other social networks. These sites have amazing volumes of traffic, meaning that they provide easy access to hundreds of millions of consumers. The looming Web 2.0 question is how can we monetize the social networks and effectively track our ROI? In order to answer that question, we must first address a few sub-questions.

1) Which industries can effectively market their offering via Web 2.0?
2) When should one consider a Web 2.0 campaign? Does Web 1.0 have to be mastered first?
3) What type of return can we expect after investing in a Web 2.0 marketing campaign?

Jon Morris, Rise Interactive CEO, will address the above questions and more during this Lunch & Learn event on June 18th. This event is limited to 30 members of CADM's Interactive Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG).

What: “Lunch & Learn” Interactive Marketing SIG Event

Presentation: “Are You Ready for Web 2.0?”

Speaker: Jon Morris, CEO, Rise Interactive
Hosted by: Interactive Marketing SIG

When: Thursday, June 18, 2009
12:30 p.m. Box Lunch and Program

Where: Suite # 700, 203 North Wabash (Lake & Wabash)

Fee: Free for active members of the Interactive Marketing SIG

To register: Call Drew Stoppels at 312.849.CADM (2236) ext. #21 or visit
CADM’s web site at http://www.cadm.org/

CADM's 2009 Tempo Awards ceremony was a success!

2009-06-04T13:51:00.022-05:00

Note: The following is an excerpt from Ms. Rosalie Harris' press release of CADM's 2009 Tempo Awards' winners. Ms. Harris may be contacted at the following: Rosalie Harris - (312) 642-2163 - rhcs@aol.com.

Chicago’s Fathom Communications took home the “best of the best,” the Past President’s Award, at tonight’s 38th annual Tempo Awards ceremony, sponsored by the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The agency, which focuses on the integration of brand, online, CRM and dealer marketing, won for its International Advantage® Customer Loyalty Program for International Truck, directed to small-to-medium fleet customers. The entry won first place for marketing results in the loyalty/frequency marketing category.

The 2009 Jay Gondelman Award for Innovative Achievement in Electronic Direct Marketing was won by The Marketing Store, headquartered in Lombard. The web site the agency developed for Shell rolled out in 2008 as an online and in-station summer promotion, during a “season of anxiety” for gasoline companies and consumers. The entry, “Win $2900 Every Day Giveaway,” took first place for marketing results in the Web Sites category.
The 2009 Multicultural Marketing Award, formerly the Hispanic Marketing Award, went to Aspen Latino Marketing Services, West Chicago, for an innovative digital gaming experience for Miller Lite. The entry did not take an award in the general competition.

Because production services are key to the success of direct marketing programs, the 2009 Tempo Committee created a new award, the Innovation & Excellence in Print Production Award. Its first recipient is Diamond Marketing Solutions, Oak Brook, whose creative fundraising appeal for Creighton University provided entrée to young alumni on the path to longtime giving. The entry took a second-prize award for creative achievement in the Nonprofit Direct Mail category.

In all, CADM President Scott Reeves presented 34 first-place Tempo trophies. In addition, 40 second- and 38 third-place certificate-winners were recognized, all for work produced between October 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008. Dozens in Chicago’s direct marketing community judged entries in 17 categories, rating both creative achievement and marketing results. For the second consecutive year, the competition was chaired by Joe DeCosmo, vice president-analysis and consulting, Allant Group, Naperville.

The Marketing Store won 24 awards overall and eight first-place awards, closely followed by Rodgers Townsend of St. Louis, which received 21 awards overall and seven firsts. Draftfcb won 14 awards overall and five firsts. Fathom Communications won six firsts.

CADM's Board of Directors Announces its 2009-2010 Board Nominations

2009-06-03T11:16:00.009-05:00

Slate for 2009 – 2010 CADM Officers and Directors

CADM’s nominating committee, chaired by Immediate Past President Mike Becker, has submitted the following slate of candidates for the Officer and Director positions to be elected for August 2009 - July 2010:

Vice President: Ron Marsh, Audience Identification, Inc.
Secretary-Treasurer: Jim Sherman, Midas International
Director: Carrie Stec, Q Interactive (term expires 2010)
Director: Jay Weinberg, The JAY Group (term expires 2012)
Director: Heather Baker, BennettBaker Ltd. (term expires 2012)
Director: Will Misloski, Orbitz.com (term expires 2012)

The following Officers and Directors will continue to serve on CADM’s Board of Directors for 2009 - 2010 in the positions noted:

President: Cyndi Greenglass, Diamond Marketing Solutions
Immediate Past President: Scott Reeves
Director: Steve Kelly, DePaul University (term expires 2010)
Director: Roy Wollen, Database Insight, Inc. (term expires 2010)
Director: Rich Hagle, Racom Communications / Racom Books (term expires 2011)
Director: Dasher Lowe, Draftfcb (term expires 2011)
Director: Frank Roman, Frank Roman Partners (term expires 2011)

Pursuant to CADM’s bylaws, nominations for Officer and Director positions may also be made by petition. A nominating petition must be signed by not less than two (2) percent of the membership of the Association. Petition nominees who meet the criteria will be voted upon at the Annual Business Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on August 12th. For additional information on the nomination or election process, please contact CADM’s executive director, George Buckley, at 312.849.2236, ext. 25, or at gbuckley@cadm.org.

The members of CADM’s nominating committee for this year are: Mike Becker, MackayMitchell Envelope Company; K.L. Robertson Daly, Continental Ltd.; Randy Wait, Leapfrog Online; and, Jay Weinberg, The JAY Group.

CADM's Financial Services SIG Announces June “Second Wednesday” General Membership Luncheon - Financial Services Marketing in Challenging Times

2009-05-26T14:42:00.023-05:00

How is the current economic environment creating challenges -- and opportunities -- for Discover Financial Services? Learn how Discover is using both online and ”traditional" media to reach an audience that has become increasingly sophisticated -- and increasingly worried about financial matters. We'll explore how market segmentation is changing in the current economic climate, and how messages and media can be tailored to each household. And we'll discuss how Discover, as the relative newcomer, is competing successfully against some very powerful established brands.

In his position as head of New Cardmember Acquisition at Discover, Anas Osman manages acquisition of millions of new cardmembers across all consumer behavioral/risk segments, via all marketing channels (mail, broad media, Internet, telemarketing, etc.) and solicitation methods (pre-approved, scored). A member of the Discover team since 2005, Mr. Osman had earlier experience with Capital One Financial, and as co-founder and chairman of XOLIA, an entrepreneurial venture (later sold to Providian) that pioneered a “private-label, paid search” business model to create thousands of new accounts for its clients, record conversion rates, and valuable industry intelligence. Mr. Osman holds an Executive MBA degree from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

This event is open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members. Details for the event are as follows, and members may register here:

What: “Second Wednesday” Membership Luncheon

Presentation: “Financial Services Marketing in Challenging Times”

Speaker: Anas Osman, Vice President, New Cardmember Acquisitions, Discover Financial

Hosted by: Financial Services SIG

When: Wednesday, June 10, 2009
11:30 a.m. Cash Bar and Networking
12:00 p.m. Luncheon and Program

Where: Petterino’s Restaurant – 50 West Randolph
(Dearborn and Randolph, adjacent to Goodman Theater)

"Time" - Thoughts from CADM's president, Scott Reeves

2009-05-26T11:50:00.009-05:00

In the words of the late Malcolm Forbes, Sr., “Unless you’re serving time, there’s never enough of it.”

I’m not sure if Malcolm was trying to be funny – he certainly was an adventurer with a well-known sense of humor – or simply point out a bit of life’s irony. Either way you look at it, his words ring true. Like the waves of the ocean lapping up on every shore, time never stops and will continue to pass us by every day of our lives. (Please enjoy my attempt at being profound.)

Which brings me to the real topic of this message … my time as CADM President is almost up. So, if you’ll bear with me, I’d like to reflect on the year that has passed us by so quickly. It certainly has been an interesting and unprecedented year in so many ways.

For me, the year reached its apex on the evening of May 4 with the inaugural IMX Spotlight dinner. Saying this event would be the “must-attend event of the year for Chicago marketing” proved to be far more than just ad-speak. It truly was a landmark event.

On numerous occasions in the months leading up to IMX Spotlight, I personally challenged the wisdom of putting on an expensive dinner event in the current economy. But, the optimism and excitement of celebrating our 11 CADM Emerging Leaders and the Direct Marketer of the Year proved well worth the attention of a sell-out crowd at Spiaggia. It was a fabulous and fun evening for everyone. You truly do not want to miss it next spring!

Then there was IMX09 … the day following the Spotlight dinner. As long as any of us can remember, IMX – formerly Direct Marketing Days – has always been the penultimate annual event for direct marketers in Chicago and throughout the midwest. IMX09 was highlighted by Orbitz CMO Jeff Davidoff’s insightful and relevant keynote address and a full day of sessions that provided attendees with current and innovative content, drawing rave reviews from all who attended.

Today’s economy and changing environment for industry conference events, however, combined to punctuate the reality that IMX needs to change … significantly more than the changes we did make, and more than any of us anticipated. At the beginning of my term as CADM President, I promised change. And, we delivered a number of changes -- including significant changes in the format of IMX. But, we clearly still have our work cut out for us to ensure CADM is a vital source of ideas and networking opportunities for Chicago marketers.

In August, I will hand the reins of CADM leadership to the very capable and energetic new President, Cyndi Greenglass of Diamond Marketing Solutions. By that time, Cyndi and I – along with a very dedicated board of directors and other highly-valued contributors – will be well on our way to redefining what CADM will be to its members in the years to come. When it comes to change, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

My personal thanks go out to Mike Becker, my predecessor and an invaluable guide in the ways of CADM leadership. His even-keeled temperament and sense of humor helped me keep things in perspective. I also must thank George Buckley – the hardest working and most dedicated person I’ve ever known. This association runs on his sweat and wisdom. My sincere thanks also go to the board, SIG chairs, and volunteers who are the lifeblood of CADM. It’s wonderful to share a sincere desire to perpetuate excellence with so many fine people.

Finally, thanks to all you members. Stick with us folks. The best is truly yet to come!

Scott

CADM congratulates this year's Spring 2009 Basic Course winners - Six Pack Communications

2009-05-26T08:20:00.017-05:00

CADM is pleased to congratulate and announce the winners of this spring's 2009 Basic Course, Six Pack Communications - Lindsey Aldrich of MAB Advertising, Rob Brennan of TargetCom, Jeffrey Bach of Vision Integrated Graphics, Adam Kirsch of Uline Corporation, Joshua Redshaw of PSA Corporation, and Julie Wexler of Digitas Inc. The team's Marketing Plan won first place and was evaluated by a panel of three judges (Rob Engleman, Randy Wait, and Randy Hlavac) and scored the highest on an eight-point scale regarding target market, offer, media selection, creativity, testing, budget and economics, feasibility, completeness and overall organization in final presentation to the panel. The six winners have received free year-long memberships to CADM and continue a long, proud tradition that dates back over 50 years. Basic Course Chair, Frank Roman, of Frank Roman Partners, had the following remarks regarding the winning team and the course overall: "Congratulations on your 1st place finish for the Spring 2009 Basic Course team presentation! Your project incorporated the 11 weeks of study to a high-degree and was very professional, well-researched, and thoroughly-executed. It is obvious you more than have the basics down and you worked incredibly hard and it showed... congratulations". On behalf of the CADM staff, board, and larger CADM community, congratulations Basic Course spring class of 2009 to a job well done.. and welcome to CADM!

Jim Carey Named 2009 Charles S. Downs Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year

2009-05-12T08:30:00.020-05:00

The following is an exerpt of an entry which was submitted by Rosalie Harris, CADM's public relations consultant, who may be reached at 312.642.2163 or rhcs@aol.com.

Jim Carey is happy to credit family, teachers, and colleagues for the opportunity to serve as a leader on Chicago’s direct marketing business and educational scenes. Nonetheless, it is Carey, himself, who has been singled out for the 29th Charles S. Downs Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year Award.

Carey, 56, is a past president of CADM, a marketing consultant and Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University’s graduate Integrated Marketing Communications program. A decade before Thomas Friedman wrote The World Is Flat, Carey said that megatrends in technology, communications, finance, production, distribution, and management had placed direct marketing principles at the center of the global economy. Understanding the scope of this opportunity has driven his enthusiasm for the business.

Jim is known for using humor to help introduce new ideas to colleagues and students. Sixteen years ago, recognizing the implications of the (then nascent) Internet on direct marketing – which morphed into e-commerce – Jim gave a speech to the CADM entitled, “How Not to be Roadkill on the Information Superhighway.” This led to CADM becoming one of the first marketing associations in the world with an online presence.

Later, Jim used the same approach to help CADM launch advanced educational forums, including introducing non-technical marketers to advanced data mining tools – such as logistic regression, CHAID, neural networks, and pattern recognition – to solve marketing problems. Today, Jim focuses on applying classic direct and database marketing principles, enhanced with advanced analytics, to Global 2000 strategic business challenges. But he tries to do it with a light touch.

“No one appreciates humor — good, bad, dry, soggy — more than I,” said Mike Becker, immediate past president of CADM, chair of the Downs Award committee and vice president-national sales, MackayMitchell Envelope Company. “But although he might have chosen to be a stand-up comic, we are privileged that he came to be a standout direct marketer instead. Combining his sense of humor with intellect and an uncanny knack for seeing the next important milestone for direct marketing—and easily discarding rejecting what’s no longer working—he has inspired at least two generations of direct marketers with the sheer joy that can be found in this profession when all the stars align—and even when they don’t.”

The award was presented to Carey at the first annual IMX Spotlight Dinner on Monday, May 4, at Spiaggia Restaurant. The event, which also spotlighted the first recipients of the CADM EL (Emerging Leaders) Awards, was held on the eve of CADM’s 55th annual educational conference and exposition – IMX09, formerly Chicago Direct Marketing Days & Expo. The Downs Award is named in honor of Charles S. Downs, the late advertising director of Abbott Laboratories, a founder of CADM and its first president from 1955-57. The award is judged on a number of criteria. Winners must be current or former CADM members who have contributed innovations and new concepts to the practice of direct marketing; provided guidance and advice to colleagues; and, given his or her talents to civic and charitable works.

Join CADM as it honors the Downs Award and Inaugural EL Award Winners at Spiaggia Restaurant this Monday, May 4th!

2009-04-29T16:16:00.029-05:00

CADM recently announced the first recipients of its EL (Emerging Leaders) Awards, created to salute marketers who show uncommon promise in strategy, creativity, and innovative thinking. Along with the winner of the 2009 Charles S. Downs Direct Marketer of the Year, Jim Carey, the CADM EL winners will receive awards on Monday, May 4, during the association’s IMX Spotlight dinner at Chicago’s Spiaggia Restaurant.

CADM president Scott Reeves said, “We have created the EL Awards to introduce Chicago to a new generation of men and women who stand out in the marketing industry. We anticipate an inaugural class of strategic thinkers and creative achievers whose initiative and output can be measured by the judges. What we didn’t anticipate, but what the judges highly prized in the finalists, were the inspirational qualities the winners bring to their colleagues and clients and their generous mentoring of newer associates. Our first-year experience with the EL Awards not only gives us encouragement for the program itself, but also for the future of responsible and responsive marketing.”

There is still time to register for this event, open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members. Separate registration is required for Integrated Marketing Expo – IMX09. We at the CADM office look forward to seeing you at these exciting events!

CADM Member Briefs for the month of May

2009-04-22T13:25:00.013-05:00

Jamie King Joins Euro RSCG; Joy Schwartz Promoted

Euro RSCG Chicago recently announced the addition of Jamie King as, and the promotion of Joy Schwartz to, co-presidents of the agency. King, most recently president and CEO of Publicis & Hal Riney in San Francisco, returns to his hometown of Chicago following a stint on the West Coast. Schwartz, previously executive director of Euro RSCG Chicago, will share responsibilities with King as co-president. They will report directly to Euro RSCG Chicago CEO and North America COO Ron Bess.

JH Writing & Marketing Services Offers Free mp3 Recording of Audio Interview

People want to know who they’re doing business with before they buy. Show prospects how much you know and care about their needs with an audio interview on your web site. For a limited time, CADM member Jim Hinckley (JH Writing & Marketing Services) is offering to interview you by phone and provide a free mp3 recording of it, which you can put on your web site for prospects to listen to. To hear a recent interview, or to request a date/time to be interviewed by Jim, visit www.jhwm.net/doaudio.php or call him at 708.352.7417. This offer includes free editing (1 hour maximum) of the interview to ensure your satisfaction with the mp3.

DIGITAS Honored as One of “CRAIN’S Chicago’s Best Places to Work”

Digital marketing and media agency Digitas has been named one of “Crain’s Chicago’s Best Places to Work” in 2009. The agency is ranked among the top five companies and the highest marketing communications agency on the list. This annual award honors companies that not only offer great perks and benefits but also those whose employees enjoy showing up to work each and every day. “We’re extremely thrilled! This honor is a testament to our extraordinary employees and our unique culture,” said Tony Weisman, President, Digitas Chicago.

Do You Have Submissions for “Member News/Briefs”? If you have an item to submit for this popular section of the newsletter, please send it to adMarks Editor, CADM, 203 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601; e-mail: info@cadm.org.

Review of Michael Kahn's talk at CADM's Search and Branding breakfast on 4/16/09

2009-04-22T08:55:00.020-05:00

On Thursday April 16th CADM was honored to have Michael Kahn, SVP Marketing at Performics present on Search and Branding. Here is a brief summary of the event. For more thought leadership and a glimpse into what’s next in marketing visit www.performics.com.

Michael outlined the history of Performics, beginning as an affiliate marketing company in 1998 and growing to become the #1 search engine marketing vendor serving over 200 of the world’s top brands. Michael described how search has moved beyond the technology organization to become an essential part of the CMO’s responsibilities with companies now spending over $12 billion a year on search marketing. He emphasized that throughout this journey Performics has kept two principles constant:
1. Focus on customer acquisition
2. All marketing should be measurable

In addition, Michael discussed how, increasingly, consumers let their search engines tell them which brand is most relevant and that maintaining brand coverage in both paid and natural listings provides incremental benefits beyond those realized with one method only. Recent studies show a top position for both natural and paid search yields more than two times the likelihood of brand recall and an eight percent increase in purchase consideration.

Many companies wonder why they need to purchase paid search listings for their own brand when their name is already at the top of natural search listings. In addition to the benefits above, Michael outlined these additional considerations.

Recent analysis indicates that leading e-commerce brands only receive 87 percent of traffic from their brand term searches and that 13 percent of searches end up on competitors' Web sites. Ensuring you own your brand keywords will prevent competitors from maintaining visibility in sponsored listings and increase chances that these prospects end up on your site.

Paid and natural search users are often two distinct customer segments with their own preferences and behaviors. For example people who click through on paid search listings have a higher propensity to comparison shop or look for specific brands. To reach the largest audience and appeal to the largest set of consumers, brands must appeal to both types of searchers.

Finally, Michael explained that the landing pages appearing in natural search listings may not be the optimum destination for a specific customer search. Controlling paid search terms allows a company to serve more relevant content based on a specific search term or path to purchase.

While it’s clear companies need to control their own paid and natural keywords, they can also take the offensive, bidding on the brand terms of less adept competitors (though a recent ruling prohibits bidding on registered trademarks). These “conquest strategies” are as old as the Coke/Pepsi challenge and can be effective at reducing aided and unaided awareness for competitor brands and diverting competitor leads. While a strong offense can deliver results it's important to remember the goal is not to dilute another company's brand but to offer the consumer a better choice.

From the CADM - President Scott Reeves Discusses relevance in the marketplace

2009-04-15T10:06:00.012-05:00

Relevance: rel’-e-vance (noun); 1. Relation to the matter at hand; 2. The ability to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user.

Over the course of our careers, we form perspectives and opinions about what are the true keys to success. They could be the keys to what makes us personally successful. Or what makes our clients successful. Or in our case, what makes for successful marketing.

For me, I’ve become more and more convinced that a primary, driving key to success in marketing is relevance.

Relevance is NOT what grabs a consumer’s attention. Any loud, colorful, or shocking noise can grab a person’s attention. At a luncheon hosted by Engauge in mid-March, direct marketing icon Stan Rapp shared with us the best and worst advertising of years recently and long past. Among the worst was a television spot for soft drink Sobe. You may have seen it. A bunch of big dudes in white spandex break dance their way back and forth across the screen … eventually morphing into evil-looking lizard characters. (The most shocking and hilarious visual was that of Stan – an octogenarian – dancing with these guys in front of the luncheon crowd!) This spot isn’t relevant. Not to the consumer or the product. But it is bold and colorful and just ridiculous enough to grab your attention. Does it motivate you to buy Sobe? God, I hope not.

Relevance IS, however, what holds a consumer’s attention and motivates them to get and stay engaged. It’s the key to breaking through today’s consumer’s ADD. And, there are many facets to relevance marketers must recognize and address.

1) Relevance of message – Does the message speak to the consumer’s true reason for wanting or needing your product? Don’t presume to know what this reason is without asking. Otherwise, the only person to whom your message will be relevant is you!
2) Relevance of who’s delivering the message – Increasingly, the most effective messengers are consumers themselves. No matter how credible and respected your company is in society or how strong your brand relevance scores are, consumers will continue to grow more and more wary of advertisers. Which is why more marketers are discovering they have to start communicating less TO consumers, and more THROUGH them. It’s no wonder we’re so anxious to unlock the secrets to leveraging channels like blogs and social media.
3) Relevance of the delivery vehicle – Of course, we can’t rely on blogs and social media alone to deliver our message. We need to find the communications channels that are relevant to the consumer when they’re most receptive to our message. Whether that be mobile messaging for breaking flight updates from an airline or check-out aisle video ads for often-forgot grocery items, get the message in front of consumers when and where it’s most relevant to them.
4) Relevance of offer – This one’s probably the most “no-brainer” for us direct marketers. Offers that are relevant may not generate the biggest gross response volume, but they’ll always generate the best long-term value to both the consumer and the marketer.

The trick is staying relevant over time … as tastes change, as behaviors change, as new ways of communicating with consumers – and consumers communicating with one another – change. This is not only critical to our long-term success as marketers, but is what drives the content and service CADM provides you as members. It’s why you continue to see more programs on digital and emerging media. It’s why we change and adapt our event formats to better accommodate the demands of your busy days.

How do you stay relevant? Pay attention! Don’t let your own ADD – or the blinders created by habit – draw your attention away from what is relevant from one day to the next. And, watch for CADM programs that are relevant to you. I guarantee you won’t have to look far.

Additional 2009 Tempo Awards Judging Announced

2009-04-14T12:14:00.022-05:00

CADM still has room for direct and integrated CADM members to assist with additional Tempo Awards judging! Join us for one of the final days of judging entries in the 2009 Tempo Awards competition! Members should have at least three years' experience in direct/integrated marketing experience. In additon, there is no registration fee for the additional judging, and you may stop in to judge at any time between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. CADM recommends that judges set aside at least two hours of time. Typical "time blocks" for judging are: 9:00 am to 11:00 am, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. There is no need to specify a time block when registering online here. Judges are definitely encouraged to bring a laptop or netbook with wireless internet access to the judging in order to view online samples! Light refreshments will be available throughout the day. Questions? Please call Drew Stoppels at 312.849.2236 ext. #21. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you at the judging table!

CADM is pleased to announce this year's Charles S. Downs Award winner!

2009-04-14T07:36:00.068-05:00

On Friday, April 10th, George Buckley, Executive Director of the CADM headquarters, and the rest of the CADM staff were pleased to announce to the larger CADM community that Jim Carey, Adjunct Lecturer, Integrated Marketing Communications Program, Medill School, Northwestern University, is this year's recipient of CADM's Charles S. Downs Award. Professor Carey is the Adjunct Lecturer - Direct and Integrated Marketing, and Director-Summer Residency Program, for the Integrated Marketing Communications Program at the Medill School of Northwestern University. Mr. Carey has spent 15 years volunteering for the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing in various capacities, including President of CADM in 1999-2000. A published author and frequent lecturer, Carey has held positions at Ogilvy Inc., O & M Direct, Core Strategies, Ingalls Direct, Kobs and Brady and others before launching his own firm, The Carey Group. Mr. Carey has been associated with Northwestern's Integrated Marketing Communications graduate program for the past 10 years.

The Downs Award is named in honor of Charles S. Downs, the late advertising director of Abbott Laboratories, a founder of CADM, and its first president from 1955-1957. The award is judged on a number of criteria, including that winners must be current or former CADM members who have contributed new innovations to direct and/or integrated marketing, provide guidance and advice to colleagues, and given a substantial amount of time and resources to civic and charitable works both inside and outside the marketing arena.

The judges for the 2009 Downs Award Winner included Steve Greenberg, Director of Internal Production, of Publishers Clearing House in Port Washington, NY; Pete Deubler, Vice-President of Marketing Operations, of Kohl's Corporation in Menominee Falls, WI; and John Ehmer, Vendor Manager of Williams Lea Print Management Solutions, in New York, NY.

The entire CADM community congratulates Professor Carey on being CADM's 28th winner of the Downs Award. Please join George Buckley, Drew Stoppels, and the rest of the CADM program board and board of directors at CADM's 2009 IMX Spotlight Awards Dinner at Spiaggia on May 4th. Congratulations, Professor Carey!

IMX 2009 Keynote Speaker and Topic Announced: “Relevance Rules: Marketing Optimization in a Transparent Market”

2009-04-08T09:48:00.015-05:00

Join us for this special event to hear the success story of one of the most prolific online and offline marketing campaigns by Orbitz Worldwide. As many companies cut back on marketing in this challenging economy, Orbitz continues to break through barriers and set new standards with measurable, direct-response campaigns that deliver impressive results via a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign. Learn the secrets of their success, hear their strategies and tactics, and get a glimpse of their future plans. This is a don’t-miss opportunity to see, hear, and envision the future of direct and integrated marketing in the 21st century. Attendance at the keynote is included with a full registration, as well as with an exhibit hall-only pass.

Tech Trends for 2009 from Keith Brophy of RCM Technologies

2009-04-06T14:52:00.042-05:00

The following is an excerpt from an interview between Susan K. Jones of "Ask the Experts" and Keith Brophy from RCM Technologies on upcoming technology trends in the world of direct marketing:

Q. "In past years you’ve shared the hottest Tech Trends from your friend, the tech guru Keith Brophy. What does Keith have to say for 2009?”

A. Keith Brophy of RCM Technologies did indeed share Tech Trends at a recent meeting of AIM West – the Interactive Association of West Michigan. Before a crowd of hundreds at Grand Valley State University, Keith ticked off 10 trends that he believes are the most relevant for marketers and IT professionals to watch in the coming year. Here’s a brief summary.

1. Within five years, 50% of us will be tracked either personally or at work. For personal applications, Google Latitude allows anyone to know where someone else is (viewable on a PC or handheld device) if the subject allows it – and it’s free. Your friends and family show up on a map with their pictures and locations. Keith speculates this would be helpful to families trying to relocate each other at Disney World or a large mall – not to mention locating employees who are working in large factories, out making deliveries, or on business trips. That said, the potential privacy concerns are obvious!

2. in 5 years only 1/3rd of what is on paper today will be published on paperin 5 years only 1/3rd of what is on paper today will be published on paper. Within five years, only one-third of what is presented on paper today will still be published in paper form. Esquire’s 75th anniversary issue focused attention on the newly feasible application of ePaper, which heralds a unique way of getting updated content in a combination of traditional magazine and eMagazine. As DisplayBlog says of this process, “The limited edition issue has moving words and flashing images on the magazine cover….the batteries last approximately 90 days. That’s because it is flashing. If the display wasn’t flashing, it would last almost forever since the particular display consumes zero energy when the content does not need to change.” Keith Brophy suggests that ePaper could easily be used for shifting updates that move in front of your eyes.

3. Within three years, social networks will be seen as a utility. Brophy cites the astounding growth of middle-aged users on Facebook, with a recent total of 150 million Facebook users, half of whom use it daily. Brophy suggests that more and more, social networks will be seen as a productivity tool more than a personal social outlet.

4. Within five years, wasted heat will be harnessed and used for electrical energy. As an example, the heat from your laptop may be harnessed to repower the computer without a traditional electrical connection. For more on this, check out the work of Lonnie Johnson, who invented the Super Soaker and who is now perfecting his thermodynamics invention that turns wasted heat into energy.

5. Within three years, the majority of us will use netbooks instead of traditional laptops. More applications and storage that reside in the “Internet cloud” will power this trend. Laptops already outsell desktops, and Brophy believes the move to lightweight, inexpensive netbooks (which have no moving parts and no CD or DVD drives) will be exceedingly swift.

6. Within five years, software will reside almost exclusively in the Internet cloud and the computer platform will be “everywhere.” For an example of this, put “Microsoft Surface” into Google and read about how this coffee table-like device can (for example) grab and manipulate photos from a camera or cell phone without peripherals of any kind.

7. Within five years, simple cyborgs (combinations of living creature and machine) will appear and will be controversial. For this prediction, Keith related some of the scientific experiments now underway including: controlling birds with wireless technology; controlling instruments using monkey brains; blending animals with machines to harness animals’ extra sense powers; and, helping quadriplegics get movement using mechanical devices, simply by thinking of what they want to do.

8. Within five years, 20% of professionals, 20% of business offices, and 30% of homes will have robot helpers. Brophy presented his own robot friend, a lizard-like creature that is loaded with sensors, motors and artificial intelligence. So far such creatures are mainly a curiosity, but because they learn to relate to their owners, the possibilities for more serious uses are apparent.

9. Within five years, we will own an overall record of our lives to which we can give selective access. This information will be useful for pooling data to determine trends, affect medical research, and much more. The debate on this issue will focus on concerns about privacy versus the benefits of pooled data. 10. Within five years, workplace demographics will shift such that senior citizens will be at the forefront of the business world. According to Brophy, older people are highly productive and bring tools to the workplace that younger people often cannot match. The dropping younger population will spur research into perfecting robots and other ways of helping older people stay productive at home and work."

Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions in care of George Buckley at CADM: E-mail: gbuckley@cadm.org; Fax: 312.849.CAFX (2239).

“Brand New CRM Strategies to Build a Brand-New College”

2009-04-02T13:42:00.026-05:00

Flashpoint, The Academy of Media Arts and Sciences, will be all the talk after this presentation by Howard Tullman, President and CEO. Flashpoint is a new rising star in Chicago for higher learning, offering two-year programs in digital arts and entertainment technologies. Focused on providing a hands-on experience that helps students find employment in “the real world” upon graduation, the college has employed an audacious strategy of “marketing practicality” to attract, engage, and enroll students and their parents.

Join us on April 8th as Howard Tullman, most recently the president of Kendall College, tells the story of how his team successfully manages interactive communication with two very different groups of prospective customers (students and their parents) via a mix of appropriately targeted media, including mail, broadcast, telemarketing, e-mail, web sites, mobile technology, and more.

Mr. Tullman will discuss the development of a new brand in the for-pay education space for this new high-end, two-year college. Attendees will learn basic conceptual requirements for a new brand; rules and systems for bringing the brand to market; primary and secondary channels, and the positioning necessary today to reach target audiences; methods used to assure brand consistency and authenticity, and why that is so important for the high school and college market; and, finally, a detailed explanation of how to address multiple, but alternative, audiences which all participate in the critical purchasing decisions.

This event is open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members.

Speaker: Howard A. Tullman, President and CEO of Flashpoint, The Academy of
Media Arts and Sciences, and President and CEO of Experiencia, Inc.

When: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 – 11:30 a.m. Cash Bar - 12:00 p.m. Luncheon and Program

Where: Petterino’s Restaurant – Entrance at 50 W. Randolph St. (Dearborn and Randolph) Hosted by: CRM Special Interest Group (SIG).

If interested in attending Mr. Tullman's presentation regarding Flashpoint, please register here or contact the CADM office directly at (312) 849-2236 ext. 21.

Attention: CADM's book club will be meeting on Thursday, April 9

2009-04-01T08:40:00.019-05:00

Please note that CADM's book Club will meet next week Thursday, April 9th for a lively analysis and discussion about Seth Godin and Don Pepper's best-selling "Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers". Frank Roman, CADM Book Club Chairman, has extended open invitation to all Chicago direct and integrated marketers who are still interested in attending this great networking meetup from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at CADM's conference room at 203 North Wabash, the 7th Floor conference room, to review Godin's newest work. If interested in attending this popular bi-monthly club, please either contact Frank Roman directly at FRoman@FrankRomanPartners.com or Drew Stoppels, Membership Services Manager, at membership@cadm.org, by registering on the CADM website event page, or by calling the CADM office at (312) 849-2236 ext. 21.

CADM Announces Inaugural CADM EL (Emerging Leaders) Award Winners....

2009-03-31T14:06:00.039-05:00

The Chicago Association of Direct Marketing announces the first recipients of its EL (Emerging Leaders) Awards, created to salute marketers who show uncommon promise in strategy, creativity and innovative thinking. Along with the winner of the 2009 Charles S. Downs Direct Marketer of the Year, the EL winners will receive their awards on Monday, May 4, during the association’s Spotlight Dinner at Spiaggia.

Over several months, CADM generated nominations from within and outside the association, in all facets of marketing in and around Chicago. Eligibility was for nominees with two to eight years’ experience. The 2009 EL Award winners are:

Megan Bannon from Cultura/Rapp Chicago, Brianna Fabbri from The Art Institute of Chicago, Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz of JJR Marketing Consultants, Meghan Manchon from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Derek Britton of Travel Technology Group, Erin Creaney of Colman Brohan Davis, Jennifer Johnston from Preferred Hotel Group, Kristen Nomura of Google, Keith Tanski of Draftfcb, Sherrie Miller from Diamond Marketing Solutions, and Chris Chleboun from Colman Brohan Davis.

Please join the CADM community in recognizing these young, up-and-coming Emerging Leaders in the Chicago marketing world by registering for the IMX Spotlight Awards Dinner at Spiaggia.

First round of judging for this year's Tempo Awards began on a high note...

2009-03-31T08:09:00.040-05:00

CADM members, with ballots in hand, dove into over 165 Tempo Awards entries last week on Wednesday the 25th through Friday the 27th and began the exciting task of judging the submissions, which were submitted into one of seventeen categories. This year the judges were especially excited to see that a few categories, such as Internet Display Advertising, Emerging Media and Other Media, had been expanded in terms of qualifying entries to include blogs, expanded banner ads, blogs, widgets, online video, gaming, social networking advertising. In addition, the judges were pleased to see that entries could be considered not only for the traditional Jay Gondelman Award, but a newly-crafted Multicultural Marketing Award, which is in recognition of exceptional work targeting ethnic and/or cultural groups, and that CADM will now recognize the best-in-class work in this important discipline with Tempo’s first Innovation & Excellence in Print Production Award.

This year's Tempo Awards ceremony is planned for Wednesday, June 3rd and will be held at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Please note that Tempo Awards judging will continue next week on Monday April 6th and Tuesday April 7th at CADM headquarters and that there is still time to sign up to judge the entries here!

Search and Branding: How to Get Results and Build Awareness

2009-03-24T08:04:00.011-05:00

In the world of search marketing, consumers associate top brands with top positions. As a marketing vehicle, search helps a brand increase awareness, preference, and purchase intent among qualified consumers who have expressed interest in a brand or product through their query. For example, a top-position results listing for natural and paid search yields more than two times the likelihood of brand recall and an eight percent increase in purchase consideration.

Sounds simple enough, so how do you do it? Can you simultaneously drive response and build a brand? And how does search impact branding in light of the recent economic downturn?

Join us on Thursday, April 16th for a special breakfast meeting at Maggiano’s Restaurant in downtown Chicago as Michael Kahn, SVP of Marketing at Performics, highlights research that encourages you to invest in your brand terms. He’ll provide usable tips on how to “own” certain keywords while reviewing best practices for bidding on brand terms in a highly competitive marketplace. Come learn how brand keywords also provide the ability to get really aggressive with high-volume generic terms that may not convert well, but have an indirect ROI that may be beneficial in long-term strategy.

This event is open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members.

2009 Tempo Awards kick off with CADM office screening

2009-03-19T09:27:00.048-05:00

Today CADM welcomed 9 direct and integrated marketing screeners to kick-off the association's pre-judging of this year's exciting Tempo Awards which will be held on Wednesday June 3rd at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Lori Colman, Gina Miller, Abby Allsop, and Ron Kohudik of Colman Brohan and Davis, Joe DeCosmo of The Allant Group, Neysa Bennett of BennettBaker, Courtney Price of the Chicago Sun Times, former CADM President Carol White, active CADM President Scott Reeves joined CADM Executive Director George Buckley and Membership Services Manager Drew Stoppels in pre-screening the Tempo Awards entries by category and entry eligibility. Aftet two hours of meticulous screening, the committee processed over 165 entries for this year's competition submitted by more than 15 agencies from Chicagoland and the greater Midwest. The screening committee and CADM staff wish to remind CADM members that there is still time to volunteer for Tempo Awards judging and that sponsorship opportunities for the great night honoring creative marketers is still available. Interested marketers for judging may register either by contacting Drew Stoppels at CADM (312) 849-2236, membership@cadm.org, or by registering via the CADM website.

PPC Summit Updated Details....

2009-03-19T08:42:00.009-05:00

Don't miss your chance to learn from the Search Engine Marketing experts! Register by March 31 to receive a special $200 off the early bird rate of $1195.

- Learn Profitable Google Adwords Strategies at Pay Per Click (PPC) Summit, the educational search engine marketing summit of the year! Discover how to turbo-charge your Search Marketing profits direct from the experts during hands-on workshops, panel discussions, training sessions, personal consulting and more---all designed to boost your ROI!

-ENJOY BIG REGISTRATION SAVINGS: SAVE $400 with code: CADM
Turn Your Search Marketing and Google Adwords PPC Campaigns into Non-Stop Money-Makers! Lower cost-per-click and increase customer conversions. Manage profitable keyword research and development Learn effective web analytics tracking techniques. Improve your quality score and web site rank. Killer copywriting and web site/landing page design strategies.

Effective B2B & B2C advertising secrets for success. Register by March 31 to save $400 with code CADM online at http://www.ppcsummit.com/ PPC Summit Chicago: April 22-23, New York: May 13-14 and Los Angeles: Sept. 23-24.

When it gets warm in Chicago … it gets HOT with CADM! - From CADM President Scott Reeves

2009-03-12T09:20:00.008-05:00

Another long, Chicago winter is under our belts. We’ve survived the frigid temperatures, mountains of snow and rivers of slush, and are ready for one of those summers that makes this simply the best city in America.

This spring, CADM is heating things up as well, with events that deliver the hottest talent and best educational content the industry has to offer. Take advantage of these unique opportunities to meet the current and future leaders of integrated marketing, learn something new, and see the best creative work produced in the past year.

May 4 – The Inaugural Gala Awards Dinner – IMX Spotlight
There will be so much going on at this exciting new CADM event! Join us at Spiaggia on the eve of IMX09 for a fabulous dinner, gorgeous view of Lake Michigan, and a night of fun and recognition that is certain to become an annual CADM Integrated Marketing Expo tradition. You may even take home a unique and exclusive item from our silent auction, as you support CADM programs.

Rub shoulders with the Who’s Who of Chicago marketing as CADM honors the Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year – the 28th Charles S. Downs Award winner. Named after the very first CADM President, past winners include industry icons such as Bob Stone, Vachel Pennebaker, Jim Kobs, Ted Spiegel, and Howard Draft.

The IMX Spotlight will also feature the soon-to-be-much-anticipated CADM Emerging Leaders Awards. In its very first year, the EL Awards has drawn a very impressive response, including nominations from across the industry … digital, education, media, consumer insights, executive recruiting – agency and client-side marketers alike. Don’t you want to see who the future Downs Award winners might be?!

May 5 – IMX09
CADM’s signature event is better than ever! Held at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, you’ll enjoy a full day of content you just can’t get anywhere else. Featuring speakers from companies like IBM, eDialog, and Draftfcb, you’ll pick up valuable and immediately useful information on topics such as digital anthropology, word-of-mouth marketing, and mobile CRM.

IMX is a networking gem, too. Between the hundreds of attendees, dozens of speakers, and scores of exhibitors, you’re sure to bump into old friends and meet plenty of new ones. Even in this age of online content and social networking, nothing can replace a hand shake and face-to-face conversation. So, step away from the desk for a day next month and join us at IMX09!

June 3 – Tempo Awards
The bright, simple, and elegant CADM Tempo Award trophy is a prized feature in every agency’s case. It represents industry-leading excellence in marketing strategy and creative, and draws the attention of marketers from every discipline and channel. This year’s ceremony will be held at the beautiful Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

For 2009, CADM has added two exciting new Tempo Awards. As the digital marketing landscape expands, so shall the Tempos. This year, CADM will honor strategic and creative excellence in emerging media, including digital efforts in Mobile, Blogs, Social Networks, Widgets, Online Video, and Gaming.

For the first time, the CADM Tempo Awards will also present a special award for Print Production Innovation & Excellence. Reminding us all of the value and role of quality print advertising in our integrated marketing plans, this award will put the spotlight on the marketers and production partners who continue to perfect the art.

Got enough to do now? Need more ideas? Get information and register for these or any CADM event at cadm.org.

Using Online Tools to Promote Your DM Services – Part Three

2009-03-11T15:12:00.012-05:00

Q. "I've read a great deal about sponsored search and social networking for client companies -- but what about direct and interactive marketing agencies?”

A. To answer this question, I contacted Ron Jacobs, president of Jacobs & Clevenger, a multichannel direct marketing communications agency in Chicago. Ron is co-author with the late Bob Stone of Successful Direct Marketing Methods, a past president of the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing, and a CADM Downs Award winner.

Two months ago, we set the stage with some strategic comments from Ron about how DM agency leaders best stake their marketing claims in the online space. In the second of three columns, Ron provided some specific advice on social networking, blogs, banner ads, and other online promotional options for agencies. Now we conclude the interview series with Ron’s comments about social networking and mobile marketing.

SKJ: Which social networking sites do you recommend and why...and how do you recommend using them...just being available for people to find you, answering questions, telling the world where you are and what you're doing, or what?
RJ: I am a big fan of LinkedIn and Twitter. And, I am a growing fan of using major social network sites to host corporate social media pages, user forums, blogs, and other content.
While I am not as big of an advocate of blogs, I like both corporate and user forums. Corporate forums can be used for customer services and to access those within an organization that directly help end users. User forums can give voice to volunteers that want to help other users and fans of a company’s products and services. There is no better place for agency people to get involved asking and answering questions. It’s a great place to show knowledge in a subject area, and begin to build relationships with potential decision makers.

SKJ: What about Twitter?
RJ: Twitter is one of those ideas that’s just right for the Internet. It is a micro-blogging service. Twitter allows users to send and read other users' text-based posts (known as tweets) of up to 140 characters in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to others who sign up to follow the user.
Don’t underestimate the power of Twitter. According to a report on Bloomberg.com, Twitter had five million visitors in September 2008, growing five times in just that one month. Tweets are perfect for nurturing leads that lurk within your network. But you wouldn’t include information on traffic, your lunch, or a late flight in other lead generation efforts? So why Tweet about it?

SKJ: I agree that to “tweet” about everyday annoyances is counterproductive to real networking. So what would you “tweet” about, Ron?
RJ: I’d use Twitter to learn what your network finds of interest by getting answers to questions or surveys; to publicize or share blog posts, articles, resources and other things of interest and to link, link, link. Follow users that follow you, and crowdsource them for content. Then, tweet your links to promote your own new content. Three Tweets a day is about the optimal number for most networks.

SKJ: It seems as if LinkedIn is growing like wild, but a lot of businesspeople who are on LinkedIn don’t seem to know how to use it effectively. Your thoughts?
RJ: LinkedIn is another great source for building a business network. LinkedIn is a professional social networking site, with over 30 million members. Members create their own professional profiles, then link with others that already know or who are part of their contacts networks.
Recently, LinkedIn starting letting companies and organizations create their own pages within the network. Every agency should have one. Don’t worry that your employees may learn about LinkedIn. Many of them are already members! Embrace it, use it, and become a part of it.
LinkedIn is a great way to make business contacts, search for jobs, and find potential clients. But it is not an open database or list of other professionals. People can refuse to be LinkedIn with those that they don’t know. LinkedIn is, however, a very social network. The way to grow your network on LinkedIn is to join groups and become an active participant in the network by asking and answering questions. Members rate the answers of others. Those that provide the best answers rise to the top.

SKJ: Are Twitter and LinkedIn your favorite business social networks?
RJ: Twitter and LinkedIn represent the ways that social networks are supposed to work. They pose a challenge to organizations like CADM, which was once the best way for professionals to network, share, and learn information. It seems to me that professional organizations need to create their own forums and groups, as well as participate within the established social networks, to help rebuild and maintain their networks.

SKJ: Any advice on what NOT to put up on social networking sites?
RJ: Many younger staffers may be too comfortable with social networking. They have been at it since college days, or earlier, and don’t mind posting just about anything on their pages. Many have mixed their business and personal social networking pages into one grand reflection of their life story. This is mistake that too many people are making.
The problem is that employers, hiring officers, recruiters, and business colleagues learn more than we should know from social networking pages, especially when there is not a distinction between work and personal. What people do on their own time is their own business… But it becomes a problem when they post it on their Facebook or YouTube page for everyone to see, and then go ahead and link that page with their clients in Kansas.
While it is best not to put something you wouldn’t want to your parents to see on a social networking page, it’s still best if you have separate pages for work and play. Keep your personal, family, and church friends personal and your business colleagues all business.

SKJ: Anything else you'd like to comment on?
RJ: I think that the next great lead generation channel will be mobile marketing. In other parts of the world, large numbers of individuals are using their mobile phones as their gateway to the Internet. They have, high speed, 3G Internet access which allows for incredible browsing speed. They use texting and Short Message Service (SMS) versus our reliance on email. So, in Asia, Europe, and South America they are already reading and responding to large numbers of SMS ads on their cell phones, while gaining information from SEM without ever leaving their phones. This is unchartered territory in the US, and something that more multichannel marketers will take advantage of.
The use of iPhone applications by the Obama campaign showed just how useful these tools can be. As more apps are created for Blackberry, Google Phones, and others, I see this as fertile ground for innovative and intrepid marketers. Applications on fast 3G phones seem like a perfect complement to digital and social media programs for B2B marketers. Don’t be surprised that I see mobile marketing as the next direct marketing tool and technique.
One last word of advice to your readers… Don’t just take my word for it. If you haven’t joined the conversation, do it now. It’s a way that you can become part of the future, today. I will look for you in my network!

"Ask the DM Experts” is a monthly adMarks feature. Professor Susan K. Jones draws on the knowledge of CADM members and other authorities to answer your questions – so tell her what you want to ask the experts! Send your questions in care of George Buckley at CADM: E-mail: gbuckley@cadm.org; Fax: 312.849.CAFX (2239).

CADM's March "Second Wednesday" Luncheon over maximizing database usage a draw

2009-03-11T14:17:00.014-05:00

CADM's March 2009 "Second Wednesday" luncheon titled "Best Practices During a Challenging Economy: Using Data to Strategically Impact Your Organization", which was generously sponsored by Northwest Mailing Services, drew a large, diverse crowd of database marketers from all aspects of Chicagoland's direct marketing world. Speakers Jerry Schillinger, of Shillinger Direct, Michael Lynch, of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Cyndi Greenglass, of Diamond Marketing Solutions, and Meghan Manchon from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, spoke at length about the following: what are the most recent trends in data management during the current drawn-out economic recession, what usage and tactics should be avoided by database analysts, and what forecasts are currently in the marketplace regarding future use of databasing (i.e. analytics and databasing as it relates to social media outlets and Web 3.0). The panel, which was moderated by fellow databaser Richard Placko of Merchandise Mart Properties, followed its discussion with a question-and-answer session and a period of time for personal networking.

CADM kicks off revised Spring 2009 Basic Course at the University of Chicago Gleacher Center on March 5, 2009

2009-03-10T08:58:00.024-05:00

CADM Vice-President Cyndi Greenglass, Basic Course Chairman Frank Roman, Executive Director George Buckley, and Membership Services Manager Drew Stoppels all helped kick off CADM's Spring 2009 Basic Course at the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center on Thursday, March 5th. The Spring Course session, while smaller in number of attendees in the fall, includes students from numerous direct and integrated marketing communities in greater Chicago, including Jacobs and Clevenger, ULine Corporation, Digitas Incorporated, and TargetCom LLC. It should be noted that this Spring's course is slightly different in terms of class order - namely Ms. Greenglass' session on Database Marketing is first to be taught, then Rob Engelman's presentation on Direct Mail will be taught in week 5 of the course as opposed to week 6 followed directly by Roger Marcus' discussion of Financials in Direct Marketing, and then Scott Ballew presenting one week earlier than usual over Radio and Television at week 8 instead of the usual week 9. The class will run its typical 11 weeks and in Basic Course fashion focuses heavily on team-collaboration culminating in the final class marketing project complete with presentation and judging by CADM board members and experienced direct marketing executives. If you have any questions regarding the revised Spring Basic Course teaching sessions or are interested in learning more about this CADM program which has been in existence for over 50 years, please feel free to contact the CADM office at (312) 849-2236 or email George Buckley at gbuckley@cadm.org, Drew Stoppels at membership@cadm.org, or program chair Frank Roman at FRoman@FrankRomanPartners.com.

CADM Partners with Pay Per Click (PPC) Summit

2009-03-03T09:24:00.009-06:00

Learn how to turbo-charge your Search Engine Marketing profits at Pay Per Click (PPC) Summit, THE educational search marketing conference where Microsoft, Google and others lead hands-on workshops, panel discussions, training sessions, personal consulting and more---all designed to boost your results!

>>>Register Now and SAVE $400 with code: CADM<<<>Winning customer conversion strategies >Profitable keyword R&D and web analytics techniques >Improved quality score and site rank for top results >Killer ad copywriting tactics, web sites & landing pages >Effective B2B & B2C advertising secrets for success

REGISTER NOW and save $400! PPC Summits in Chicago: April 22-23, New York: May 13-14 and Los Angeles: Sept. 23-24.
For more info: http://www.ppcsummit.com/ -- Just 160 seats available! *link to: http://www.ppcsummit.com/overview.html?cadm

CADM hosts first-ever faculty luncheon meeting regarding the Spring 2009 Basic Course

2009-02-26T08:47:00.034-06:00

The 2008-09 CADM Basic Course committee chair Frank Roman (Frank Roman Partners) and the full board of the Spring 2009 Basic Course instructors met at CADM headquarters today for the first-ever Course Faculty Luncheon meeting. Roman and the lead instructors felt that the meeting was the perfect time to hold a session to serve as an opportunity to get to know fellow presenters and to then spark a discussion on possible emerging issues which should more fully be incorporated in the upcoming course. Covered in the faculty luncheon agenda were the outline and organization of the course, interactive teaching methods for future incorporation, discussion on previous topics which piqued student interest and participation, quick module summaries and review from the course's ten lessons, feedback on future cross collaboration, and a period for questions and answers. After discussion, it appears that many of the course's instructors favor a continuing of two courses per year at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago for CADM's students and also that many will increase their reference and class usage of Ron Jacob's and Bob Stone’s Eighth Edition of Successful Direct Marketing Methods. All members conveyed an interest in further cross-collaboration and noted that this course teaching marks over 100 sessions of the highly-successful course, which was founded in 1958 and is noted at times of having over 100 attendees present.

There is still space available for this spring's 2009 Basic Course which begins on Thursday, March 5th. If you, a personal friend, or colleague are interested in attending this valuable course, please register here or contact Drew Stoppels at membership@cadm.org or (312) 849-2236 to sign up today!

CADM Hosts February Lunch & Learn Entitled "How to Find and Sell the Multicultural Market"

2009-02-25T10:41:00.039-06:00

On February 25th CADM's newly-renamed Multicultural Marketing SIG hosted a well-attended CADM Lunch & Learn entitled "How to Find and Sell the Multicultural Market" which was sponsored by independent associates representing Aflac Corporation, featured Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz, Make-it-happen Director for JJR Marketing Consultants as speaker, and included attendees from companies such as USG, National Distribution Systems, The Allant Group and Johnson and Quin. The event focused on the demographics and buying patterns of the Hispanic marketing segment as well as the Southeast Asian market, the growth in purchasing power in these markets, and a discussion on what marketing campaigns and ideas have worked well and which approaches have not worked so well. Camacho-Ruiz utilized case studies, marketing-firm statistics and research studies, as well as personal experiences at her own firm to make the case that these minority communities, like all other minority communities (e.g. African-American, LGBT, Middle-Eastern), are continuing to experience growth and with this increase are continuing to evolve with regards to which marketing strategies work. Ms. Camacho-Ruiz ended her presentation with a question-and-answer session as well as vocal appreciation for Alfac as the corporate sponsor, Michael Machado and the Multicultural Marketing SIG for organizing the luncheon, and CADM for hosting the event at its office location in the Loop.

If you are interested in hosting or sponsoring a future CADM Lunch & Learn event similar to February's luncheon, please contact the CADM office at (312) 849-2236 or at info@cadm.org. In addition, Ms. Camacho-Ruiz may be reached at jackie@jjrmc.com and the sponsors affiliated with Aflac may be reached at alberto_hanan@us.aflac.com.