Direct Mail is Alive and Well

Despite all the attention being paid by marketers today to exciting, newfangled online channels and strategies, traditional direct mail is very much alive and well and more effective than ever in reaching individual customers and prospects. That appears to be the premise – which, as much as I’m enamored with the Internet, I certainly couldn’t disagree with – behind the U.S. Postal Service’s recent launch of Deliver, a free, bi-monthly magazine that, according to the March 14 issue of B to B, “explores how the U.S. mail can play a key role in companies’ overall marketing.” If you weren’t one of the several hundred thousand to receive the March issue, you can apply for your own complimentary subscription here.

Creative Directors Take Note

In the March 28 issue of Adweek (where, coincidentally, you’ll find a clever ad for the aforementioned Deliver), David Tobin, associate creative director at Rives Carlberg in Houston, TX (and whom I’d like to believe is my kindred spirit, a fellow man of ideals), shares five lessons for up-and-coming creative directors, including “the law of exponentially rising frustration” (e.g., “By all means push your writers and art directors. Raise the bar. Fight complacency. Good isn’t good enough. Et cetera. But also keep this law in the back of your mind: At some point in the quest for perfection, you begin paying a rapidly soaring price in diminished morale.”), “the alchemy fallacy” (e.g., “‘All work submitted to me, I will touch and make better. Your bronze will become our gold.’ Maybe that attitude is necessary for a creative director to survive and prosper. I hope not. Humility has its place. Your judgment is not infallible. Practice saying the following: ‘I’m not sure about this, but you may be right. Let’s go with it.'”) and “the cherry-picking paradox” (e.g., “Steering high-visibility, high-reward projects to yourself is permissible so long as you also cherry-pick some lemons. I’ve worked for two creative directors who would on occasion spend the weekend handling the dregs.”).

Deceptive Advertising?

In the March 7 issue of DM News, freelance copywriter, direct marketing guru and, yes, fellow blogger Robert W. Bly ponders whether DMers are ever guilty of deceptive advertising. Given the recent controversy over Blockbuster’s questionable “the end of late fees” claim, Bly addresses “the issue of how far we can go in creating perceptions about our products and services versus describing them flat-out in literal, accurate, to-the-letter language.”

“Even formats can be deceptive,” writes Bly. “How about those mailings in which what appears to be a check shows through the envelope window?”

“Or those mailings that look like articles torn out of a magazine or newspaper with a yellow Post-it note attached that says, ‘Try this. – J.’ …and you have no idea who J. is?”

“Or ads in the newspaper, or those sections in the magazines, that look like articles, but are really paid ads?”

“Or those postcard and vouchers that look like they came from an official government agency?”

Bly’s conclusion? “The bottom line: If your gut tells you that your promotion is deceptive, it probably is. And you should probably fix it.”

Seth’s Seminars

And finally, marketing maven, entrepreneur extraordinaire, world-renowned speaker and best-selling author, Seth Godin (who could have had those new Blockbuster ads in mind when he wrote his latest book, “All Marketers Are Liars”), recently announced that he’s hosting two new seminars at his office on April 19 and 21. If you come from a company with more than 10 people, the price of admission is $1,000 for the first person and another $400 if you bring your boss. But if you’re a student or someone, in Seth’s words, “from a really little company,” it’s only $400.

Get this, though: The seminar on April 21 is for nonprofit organizations only, so if you work for one of them, it won’t cost you a cent. That’s a very nice gesture by Seth – and an extraordinarily good opportunity for the nonprofit professionals among us.

Space for both seminars is quite limited, though, so if you’re interested in spending a day with Seth Godin – and who isn’t? – drop him a line today.

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