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  • ATG Acquires InstantService for $17 Million

    ATG (Art Technology Group Inc.), an online marketing systems company, has acquired InstantService, a provider of live chat services for $17 million.

  • Skechers Expects to Post Income of 50 Cents per Share

    Skechers USA Inc. expects to report that net earnings per share for the fourth quarter will exceed 50 cents per share, compared with a net loss of 44 cents per share last year.

  • Online Retailers Better at Customer Satisfaction: Survey

    Retail stores still trump online stores as the go-to holiday destination, but online retailers are delivering higher customer satisfaction, according to advertising agency Allen & Gerritsen.

  • NBTY December Sales Rise 12%

    NBTY Inc. reported net sales of $269 million for the month of December, a 12% increase over $241 million last year.

  • Direct Group, Par Agree to Share Data

    Direct Group, a direct marketing services company, has signed an agreement with Swedish data company Par to offer European data directly to its current clients and prospects, while opening a fully regulated gateway to 14 European countries for U.S.-based businesses and list brokers who represent them.

  • Email

    Obama, Jolie Top 2009 Spam Names: McAfee

    President Obama’s name graced more spam subject lines than any other celebrity in 2009, according to a recently released report from Internet security vendor McAfee.

    Also, Obama was the only male to beat Angelina Jolie in terms of spam-subject-line popularity, according to McAfee.

  • Email

    Stupid? Brilliant? Getting Pitched on String

    At first, I thought it was the stupidest PR pitch I had ever received.

    The rep wanted me to write about string. Yes, string.

  • Email

    Sad Magilla Watch: Where’s the Hate?

    OK guys, fess up. Is it you? Or is it me? Where is all the wonderful hate that was once directed my way?

    It wasn

  • Email

    Stupid Media Watch: A Cringe-Inducing Defense

    I have contended for years that sales-and-marketing executives are arguably the most under-appreciated professionals there are. Want to insult someone? Call him a used-car salesman.

    But sales reps and marketers are what make capitalism work. Countries that do away with sales and marketing tend to start work camps and gulags.

    So I defend the sales and marketing professions loudly and often.

    But invariably, a sales rep or marketer will come along and embarrass me by exhibiting the worst traits of their profession.

    Such is the case this week in a guest column on KansasCity.com written by one Todd Natenberg, president of TBN Sales Solutions in Leawood, KS.

  • EA Gamers Score Extra Play in Dr Pepper Package Campaign

    Beverage maker Dr Pepper has announced a year-long partnership with game maker Electronic Arts that will let customers who buy marked Dr Pepper packaging download exclusive online content for selected EA games