DMA Recruiting Members for Interactive Research Forum

New York, NY, December 19, 2006 – Delivering on its commitment to
provide insight into the latest trends and best practices in the direct
marketing process, DMA (www.the-dma.org) has launched the DM Research
Forum, an interactive community of marketers and suppliers who will
participate in a new cutting-edge research panel developed by the
Association’s Research and Market Intelligence Unit.

The establishment of a unique research panel will improve the quality,
quantity and relevance of DMA research. Members of DMA’s DM Research
Forum will constitute an interactive community representing the direct
marketing universe at large. Panelists will take part in short surveys
on an ongoing basis, and will interact with one another through
discussion groups. Hosted by Vision Critical (www.visioncritical.com),
a leader in online panels and interactive research, the panel boasts a
rich array of software applications providing the opportunity for new
insights into direct marketing today.

"We searched extensively for a research platform that would enable
DMA to create a community of direct marketers who are focused on new
insights, trends and practices," said Dr. Peter Johnson, vice
president and senior economist, DMA Research & Market Intelligence.
"Vision Critical facilitates our objective, providing us with a
platform that cultivates community-building and insight-sharing."

DMA’s DM Research Forum has begun recruiting members, and will be
fully operational in early 2007. Members of the DM community who are
interested in joining can complete a short survey at
http://www.dmresearchforum.com/R.aspx?a=4 . 
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About DMA

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading
global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using
and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA
advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes
relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and
provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities
to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process.
Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,600 companies from
dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including
a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit
organizations.

In 2005, companies spent an estimated $161 billion on direct marketing
in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these
advertising expenditures generated an estimated $1.85 trillion in
increased sales in 2005, or 7 percent of the $26 trillion in total sales
in the US economy (which includes intermediate sales). All together,
direct marketing accounted for 10.3 percent of total US GDP in 2005.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.