Chief Marketer Staff

• Live from ECMOD: U.S. Experts Predict What’s Ahead

  (Multichannel Merchant) “Multipositional marketing” and “e-bops” may not be buzzwords yet. But if several of the speakers here at the European Catalogue and Mail Order Days have their way, they will be. In the closing session, futurist Don Libey, e-commerce expert Amy Africa, and catalog consultant Jack Schmid gave their predictions about the future of multichannel commerce.

• Valassis Earnings Plummet on Failed Merger, Tight Market

  Valassis Communications reported net earnings of $6.6 million for the third quarter, a 68.9% drop from $21.3 million for the prior-year period, due mostly to charges surrounding its failed merger attempt with Advo Inc. and fierce competition in the freestanding inserts market.

• West Marine Income Decreases

  West Marine posted net income of $400,000 for the third quarter, compared to net income of $2 million n the prior-year.

• Haband Bought By Golden Gate Capital

  In a move that fulfills its quest to become a billion-dollar family of apparel companies, private equity firm Golden Gate Capital has acquired low-end apparel marketer Haband Co. Although calls to both parties were not returned at deadline, the Federal Trade Commission granted Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust clearance on Oct. 23.

• NY State Grants Wineries $266,000 to Upgrade Web Sites

  The New York State Agriculture Commission has awarded 114 wineries nearly $266,000 to create or improve their Web sites.

• New Products and Services

  The Personal Giving Directory of Canada: An online directory intended to help the country’s nonprofit and voluntary organizations better understand their donors and sustain their annual revenue goals — PGD Canada Inc., Toronto. …

• Bennett Wins CADM’s Wheelless Award

  Neysa Bennett, president, Bennett Wheelless Group Ltd., has been named winner of the 2006 Pat Wheelless Award for Outstanding Mentorship by the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing.

• Agencies

  Men’s Grooming Product Hits New York City Streets

  If you are a guy who loves the grungy look, stay off the streets of New York City today. The “Men’s Den,” a wrapped tricked-out truck, will be prowling the streets searching for guys to lure in for a quick dose of grooming.

• Agencies

  Saturn Grows Some ‘Green’ in Washington, DC

  Saturn is turning heads in the nation’s capital with a $500,000 marketing campaign that includes erecting greenhouses around the city to drive awareness for the automaker’s environment-friendly hybrid SUV.

• Agencies

  Scion Scripted Into Animated TV Series

  Scion is becoming animated as part of a new marketing venture that will integrate one of the automaker’s models in an upcoming episode of Frisky Dingo on Adult Swim, an adult-oriented programming slot on the Cartoon Network.