Q&As

Direct mail is without a doubt one of the most old school of traditional direct response techniques. Paper, printing, postage…it can all seem like the stuff of cavemen to marketers weaned on all things virtual.

In its first test of the power of social coupons to move consumer packaged goods, General Mills ran a Groupon deal on April 21 that offered coupon buyers in two cities a $40 Big G sampler pack for $20.

Social media, email and partnerships helped The Nature Conservancy “take the planet out to lunch” with a global picnic to raise awareness of the nonprofit on Earth Day.

As the separate successes of Groupon and LivingSocial have shown, people are hot for deep discounts on local purchases from dining to sky-diving to laser hair removal. In most cases, those deals are bought on the Web or over an app and delivered via email; they usually stay available for 24 hours and can be redeemed inside a pretty open window of a few months.

Welcome to Broker Roundtable, where each week we ask list brokers to give their opinions on issues that matter to the marketing community. This week’s question: What effects are demographic changes in the U.S. Census having on the list industry?

Research cited by American Express has found that 49% of administrative professionals do not feel they get the appreciation they deserve for what they do around the office

The other day the family decided to go out to a new restaurant. My younger son, Brad, a very stubborn 14 year old, ordered pizza, as always. My wife and I grumbled and asked him, “Why do you always order the same thing everywhere we go?”

In the age of social media, old school advertising mediums such as direct response radio often become an afterthought. But DR radio’s wide reach and low cost—less than DRTV and often direct mail—make it a media that marketers should seriously consider to test creative and reach large demographic groups.

Marketers issued $48 billion in loyalty currency, such as points and miles, during 2010. If patterns hold, customers will redeem only $32 billion of them.

Don’t count that $16 billion in breakage–unredeemed currency–as a win for marketers, however. Laying right alongside it in the till are missed opportunities to strengthen relationships with customers, as well as generate additional sales from them, as loyalty currency is rarely redeemed without additional purchases.

Mount Airy Casino Resort has launched a $5.6 million direct response print, billboard and broadcast campaign to promote the recent refurbishment of the eastern Pennsylvania casino.