When measuring the effectiveness of a promotion, the focus should always be on the incremental order activity that is generated by the promotion, according to Jim Wheaton, a principle with Chapel Hill, NC-based database solutions firm Wheaton Group. The overall order activity during the promotion
For months mailers and pundits have whispered that a double-digit postal rate increase was all but inevitable in 2006. But new rumors put the increase at something like 6% for next year, followed by a 4%-5% hike in 2007.
The third quarter of 2004 was strong for most of the publicly traded consumer merchants tracked by CATALOG AGE. All but two of the 15 companies, or 87%,
The latest Mokrynski Catalog Industry Update indicates that well over 80% of mailers had met or exceeded their holiday 2004 numbers, says Steve Tamke, senior vice president for Hackensack, NJ-based list services firm MokrynskiDirect. Indeed, with the exception of a brief soft period during September, 2004 produced encouraging results.
That said, during the past several years most mailers had reduced their prospecting efforts, instead increasing contacts to house file names. As a result, fewer
Direct marketers put a huge amount of time and money into examining, testing, analyzing, and fine-tuning their marketing on a campaign-by-campaign basis. The results of a single campaign are judged by response rates, average spend amounts, and often, the ROI generated by that campaign.
But less attention has been given to the long-term behavior of customers, says Don Austin, Ph.D., director of client strategy at Greenwich, CT-based list services firm Direct Media. In general, the amount of the first transaction predicts the amount of subsequent transactions. But Austin a variety of other variables can be used to segment customers into low long-term value and high long-term value groups.
Stephen Gordon, founder/chairman of Corte Madera, CA-based furnishings cataloger/retailer Restoration Hardware, has resigned to assume the position CEO at Salt Lake City, UT-based Sundance, an upscale merchant of artisanal furniture, apparel, and gifts.
Congratulations–you survived the fourth quarter! Before you let the holiday season fade in memory, take time to look back over what worked and what didn
When the 109th Congress convened in Washington on Jan. 4, catalogers received some encouraging news. Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) wasted no time in reintroducing the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (H.R. 22), which calls for postal reform.
There
After six years of selling to both consumers and businesses, Portland, ME-based Planet Dog is putting its consumer catalog in hibernation for a year.