Month: November 2008

• Bookspan Parent Firm Trims Staff, Possibly Mail

  Direct Brands, the parent company of book club marketer Bookspan, has let a handful of employees go over the last few months.

• Retail Sales, Deloitte Consumer Spending Index Plunge

  Retail Sales, Deloitte Consumer Spending Index Plunge

• Listline e-Newsletter 11/14

  MeritDirect now manages a list of 141,236 subscribers to ESPN Insider. Subscribers pay $40 annually for access to exclusive content on ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine online.

• Agencies

  Lone Ranger Makes DVD Comeback

  The Lone Ranger is riding again, blazing a new trail with Tonto to prod interest in the release of a 75th anniversary DVD collection of the classic western television series this week.

• Agencies

  Live, from SF: YouTube’s Biggest Stars

  YouTube, the video-sharing Web destination that has become a hit with viewers but has yet to find its business model with advertisers

• Agencies

  AT&T Pumps Services with ‘Guitar Hero’ Offer

  AT&T is offering rock ‘n roll wannabes a shot at rocking out virtually with the latest version of the “Guitar Hero” video game when they subscribe to some of the company’s services.

• News Briefs

  TGI FRIDAY’S: has announced Karen Koranda, of Romeoville, IL, as the grand-prize winner of the its “Awesome BBQ Sweepstakes,”

• Spam Levels Plummet as Host is Shut Off

  Worldwide levels of spam plummeted earlier this week after two Internet service provioders cut service to McColo Corp., a firm estimated to have been responsible for as much as 75% of the world

• Agencies

  USPS Loses $2.8 Billion in Fiscal 2008

  As expected, the U.S. Postal Service reported a net loss of $2.8 billion for the year ended Sept. 30.

• Agencies

  Gander Mountain Posts Quarterly Profit

  Gander Mountain Co. posted net income of $700,000 for the third quarter 2008 compared to a net loss of $5.1 million in the prior year.