If you are sending money back to a customer, make sure you take advantage of the moment.

Lately, I have had a number of clients and private equity investors asking me to help identify who are the best email marketing companies and how they differentiate themselves.  Quite frankly, it’s confusing.  And you need to choose wisely because it’s typically going to be a long term relationship. Choosing an eMail Service Provider (ESP) [...]

Dave Newmark, CEO and Founder of the radio advertising inventory auction agency Bid4Spots, is our guest blogger today!  More about Dave at the end of the article….now on with the show…. In a recent article in Atlantic Magazine, author Richard Florida, talks about opportunities that can come about in the current recession. He says that [...]

I think Vince the Sham-Wow infomercial guy just jumped the shark.  He may have fallen into the trap of believing he can sell anything, that he is infinitely charming, and that he is now ready for prime-time. If you don’t know who Vince is, he is the pitchman for the Sham-Wow absorbent towel sold on [...]

Here’s something fun to do, just as you’ve seen the latest innovation on TV from our friend Billy Mays. A Eicoff & Co. has a short “DRTV Quiz” on their web site.  It’s not as much fun as “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”, but interesting nonetheless.  Whether you are new to the direct response TV world [...]

What do you know, Ma Bell sent me a letter.  She doesn’t want to take me for granted anymore. Today I got a letter that literally opens with “We know better than to take your business for granted”, and then spells out an offer that actually could save me $40 a month if I switched [...]

This week I was interviewed by Karen Marchione for Compete’s weekly Financial Services Advisor Newsletter. The theme of “Trust” dovetails with the presentation I gave yesterday at JFAM:Live! to over 100 financial services marketers – in today’s environment your internet marketing and web site need to convey trust, ease and security more than ever before. [...]

Starting tomorrow, 9/11 of all days, I’ll be on the road and hoping to see lots old and new friends. Tomorrow I am speaking at the JFAM:Live! Fall 2008 Symposium at the Bloomberg Building in NYC. JFAM is a catchy acronym for the Journal of Financial Advertising and Marketing, run by Bill and Samantha Wreaks. [...]

You’ve got to love a book about direct marketing that has a big yellow starburst on the cover! And a big blue arrow telling you what’s inside! But wait…there’s more! 2,239 more fantastic ideas and thought starters to be exact! I was given this book back around 2001 and have loved it ever since. I [...]