Q&As

Earlier this summer McMurry, a mid-sized marketing agency based in Phoenix, sent out a postcard announcing its pending reopening. As part of its campaign, it offered a bribe to recipients who wrote about the blessed event.

Now that’s a unique marketing strategy: Use a mailing to insult your recipients’ professionalism (the postcard was addressed to “Richard H. Levey, Industry News Columnist”). And compound it by raising a question among professional question-askers that you probably don’t want asked — namely, why does an agency with faith in its work need to bribe reporters to write about it? These were my first thoughts when I received the postcard.

Arhaus Furniture Celebrates 20 Years Retailer and direct marketer Arhaus Furniture celebrates its 20th anniversary with a sale catalog that luxuriously showcases its dedication to “natural materials, hand-made artistry” and global style. While the …

A New York-based mail-order book club has agreed to pay $40,000 to settle customer complaints including undelivered merchandise and shipments that were not ordered.

Canon USA, Inc. has tapped former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and sent an e-mail blast to more than 2 million Canon loyalists as part of a campaign that dangles a trip for four to next year’s Super Bowl as a grand prize.

The Home Depot is putting on a show this month with a cast of diverse brands.

Life-sized apples, giant kiwis and over-blown grapes will be on the streets “protesting” in Chicago this month and handing out samples of Naked Juice.

As we look into the future of loyalty-marketing innovation, three major trends will emerge. In fact, some leading-edge companies are already taking advantage of these concepts and tactics

You may not have been able to carry on your toothpaste or drinks on your last flight, but many tried out sudoku puzzles or helped the person next to them work the solutions.

Today we meet Michael Fishman, vice president of the list brokerage division at Specialists Marketing Services Inc., Weehawken, NJ.

Dr Pepper is back to quench college football fans’ thirst for $1 million. Now in its 11th year, the beverage maker is giving two fans a chance to win a $1 million cash prize as part of its 2006 ESPN College Pick ’em Game presented by Dr Pepper. The promotion is touted on more than 300 million Dr Pepper cans.