Q&As

Kelley Hall-Barr did not realize she was a direct marketer until recently. Actually, she only reluctantly acknowledges being a retailer, despite owning and operating a storefront in St. Louis. She thinks of her company, K. Hall Designs (www.khalldesigns.com), as a wholesale business. This is a lady in one serious state of denial.

Let’s face it, every organization wants a great brand, one that exemplifies the corporation’s best qualities and makes every customer want to purchase their products or services. But what is a brand and how can you use it to effectively convey the right message to your customers?

With DMA05 but a month away, Direct Tips asked Grant A. Johnson, head of Johnson Direct, Brookfield, WI, for tips on how to work a convention so that the convention works for you. Johnson’s agency is one that plugs itself as aggressively and innovatively as it plugs its clients, which include GE, Humana, and Microsoft, among others. Johnson shared his thoughts on how to effectively network and get the most out of your annual conference experience

RedEnvelope tried something new when it launched Inside The Box, an e-mail newsletter, in August. Veering from the obvious, the multi-channel marketer decided to focus not on products but on advice.

Years ago, when it came to the car buying process, dealers felt like they were the one behind the wheel. Most customers relied on them for information about what vehicles best suited their needs.

Have you ever felt like you were talking to the wind? Publicist Shannon Cherry aims to change that with her e-newsletter, Be Heard Solutions.

The footer, the text that appears beneath the actual newsletter content, is the best place for administrative messaging and CAN-SPAM compliance, but it also offers a great opportunity to continue to sell your products and services and to reinforce your branding.

Those who follow e-mail spending patterns may be in for a surprise. Four years after the dot-com bust, direct marketers are creating a mini-boom, according to Direct magazine’s 2005 online marketing survey.

TV Guide is giving itself a whole new look and fans a chance to celebrate with an online sweepstakes that awards a chance to visit TV show sets and meet some of the top stars. Starting Oct. 17, TV Guide is switching from its digest format to a full …

MTV is giving viewers their own shot at 15 minutes of fame via a new reality show that lets consumers vote by text message or online for their favorite wanna-be reality star for a chance to win their own six-episode series. The Reality Show details the …