Direct Marketing News and Information Direct Marketing News and Information http://directmarketingnewswire.com en-us Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:21:26 GMT Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:21:26 GMT <![CDATA[ANA/Forrester Survey: TV Advertising Budgets Are Under Siege]]>
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--A joint ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and Forrester Research Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) survey of more than 100 national advertisers illustrates marketers’ continued lack of confidence in the effectiveness of television ads. And while they still express faith in the future of the 30-second spot, advertisers feel that the fundamentals to support their use is in need of an overhaul. Specifically, they express dissatisfaction with the current measurement techniques, an interest in more targeted ads, and a desire for less ad clutter and more relevance.

Respondents to the Association of National Advertisers/Forrester study of national advertisers said their TV ad spending will remain flat this year. They also reported allocating only 41 percent of their media budgets to television last year versus 58 percent in our 2008 survey. Other findings include:

    * A lack of confidence in TV ad effectiveness. Sixty-two percent of respondents think that TV ads have become less effective in the past two years. Clutter is the main challenge to TV ad effectiveness: 69 percent of advertisers would like fewer commercials per pod.
    * Renewed faith in the 30-second commercial. Only 19 percent of respondents believe that the 30-second spot will be dead in 10 years, down from 28 percent a year ago.
    * A desire for more targeted TV ads but reluctance to pay for them. Seventy-eight percent of respondents say they would be interested in the ability to target consumers more precisely, but only 59 percent would be willing to pay a premium for it.
    * Dissatisfaction with measurement. Nearly all advertisers who responded think that the TV industry needs new audience metrics beyond reach and frequency. Eighty-two percent of respondents would be interested in ratings for individual commercials.
    * High interest in branded entertainment and interactive media. Eighty percent of advertisers agree that branded entertainment will play much more of a role in TV advertising, and 38 percent plan to spend more on branded advertising in 2010 as an alternative to the 30-second spot. Seventy-five percent of respondents believe that interactive TV will be an effective source of lead generation, but only 28 percent plan to spend more on interactive TV ads in 2010.

“As the overall marketing landscape is in the midst of a massive shift, so is the iconic medium of television,” said ANA President and CEO Bob Liodice. “The standard methods of delivery and measurement need to adapt to what marketers today need: more specificity, greater effectiveness, and more detailed measurement. ROI is one of the most crucial aspects of marketing today, and the processes behind TV must be held to the same scrutiny as marketers.”

“CMOs need to prepare for television’s digital future by forcing change upon the TV advertising ecosystem,” said Forrester Research Vice President and Research Director David M. Cooperstein. “We recommend that advertisers get ready for the future of television by preparing to deliver targeted commercials, delivering true branded entertainment experiences, and embracing the connected TV.”

The survey results will be presented at the ANA’s TV & Everything Video Forum in New York on February 11, 2010. Respondents to the Forrester/ANA survey include 104 advertisers across 21 major industries, representing nearly $14 billion in media budgets. The survey was conducted from December 2009 to January 2010.

Full survey results are available to select Forrester clients in the new Forrester report “TV Advertising Budgets Are Under Siege.” ANA members can access the report at http://www.ana.net/thoughtleadership.

About Forrester Research

Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 20 key roles at major companies providing proprietary research, consumer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 26 years, Forrester has been making IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful every day. For more information, visit www.forrester.com.

About the ANA

Founded in 1910, the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) leads the marketing community by providing its members with insights, collaboration, and advocacy. ANA's membership includes more than 350+ companies with 9,000 brands that collectively spend over more than $250 billion in marketing communications and advertising. The ANA strives to communicate marketing best practices; lead industry initiatives; influence industry practices; manage industry affairs; and advance, promote, and protect all advertisers and marketers.
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]]> Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:21:24 GMT <![CDATA[Direct Marketing Association Names Robert Allen Interim President & CEO]]>
New York, NY, — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit multichannel direct marketers, today named Robert (Bob) Allen, Interim President & CEO.  Mr. Allen, an award winning direct marketing executive, is the former President & CEO of The Vermont Country Store, a multichannel retailer of hard-to-find products.  He will assume the title of Interim President & CEO effective Friday, February 5, and be based in DMA's New York office.

A seasoned marketing executive, Mr. Allen is a veteran of The Vermont Country Store, where he began in 1982 as assistant to the president.  He advanced to president in 1994, earning the distinction of the first non-family president of the business.  Mr. Allen has extensive experience with a diverse marketing background, currently serving as a director for six for-profit companies in New England:  Gardeners Supply; Cuddledown; Susan Sargent Designs; JK Adams; Danforth Pewterers; and Kalow Technologies.  Mr. Allen received a lifetime achievement award in 2004 from Catalog Success magazine and another in 2008 from the New England Mail Order Association.  He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island.

“Bob Allen's in-depth knowledge of direct marketing and his multi-year experience leading a trade organization make him the natural choice to lead DMA during this time,” said Eugene R. Raitt, DMA Board Chairman.  “He has successfully navigated businesses through revolutionary changes in direct marketing and will keep DMA advancing into the 21st Century.  He is exactly the kind of forward-thinking leader we need.”

“I am honored to serve DMA while the board conducts a thorough search for a permanent President & CEO,” said Mr. Allen.  “Direct marketing is in the middle of a period of rapid change. It will be important to maintain a balance between tried and true methods and new concepts like social media and the digital landscape; as I did when guiding The Vermont Country Store in its evolution from strictly ‘traditional’ media to digital.  Successful companies will be the ones who understand and embrace both.  I look forward to guiding DMA through this process.” 
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]]> Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:57:29 GMT <![CDATA[2010 National Postal Forum Set for April 11-14 in Nashville]]>  
This April, more than 4,000 mailing industry professionals will attend the National Postal Forum (NPF), the industry’s premier event and tradeshow, in Nashville, Tenn. and gain cutting-edge strategies and techniques for helping their organizations thrive in today’s marketplace.
 
Since 1968, the National Postal Forum has provided business mailers with ongoing training and education and helped them keep pace with the industry’s rapid progress. This year, more than 130 workshops and sessions on key topics led by USPS management will explore global opportunities, direct mail, shipping services, Intelligent Mail and much more. In addition, the Forum will offer attendees the chance to network with business and thought leaders across the mailing industry, including Postal Service executives. Back by popular demand, peer-to-peer roundtables will be hosted on a wide range of industry topics and to promote the exchange of ideas – as well as business cards.
 
“There is no greater opportunity than the National Postal Forum to connect with businesses, organizations and people who shape the mailing industry,” said Steve Kearney, senior vice president, Customer Relations. “From people-in-the-know to people you need to know, NPF offers leading-edge strategies to navigate and succeed in today’s business world.”
 
To help mailers take advantage of technological advancements in mail processing and the demand for high visibility throughout the process, the Intelligent Mail Technical Workshop will provide a practical understanding of what’s required for organizations to leverage both Basic and Full Service options for implementation of the Intelligent Mail barcode. Attendees will dive into the world of electronic mailing documentation and learn about the various types of Intelligent Mail barcodes, how they’re constructed and how they can help organizations achieve the maximum ROI.
 
Other sessions include:
°    Future Business Model of the U.S. Postal Service – This workshop envisions the Postal Service of the future and how the agency must evolve to meet the changing needs of customers.
°    Exploring Five-Day Delivery – A panel of experts on city and rural delivery, mail processing, Post Office operations and transportation will talk about how the Postal Service is proposing to adjust its processing and delivery operations.
°    The Postal Service Takes Wall Street – Top financial analysts will take part in a panel discussion about the current state of the shipping industry, including expedited transportation and important strategic initiatives to drive growth.
 
After one of the most dynamic and turbulent years the Postal Service has ever faced, Postmaster General John Potter will take the stage during the opening keynote session and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the mailing industry moving forward. Attendees will hear firsthand from the Postal Service’s chief executive about innovations designed to keep the mail – and businesses – more competitive than ever.
 
Don’t miss out – register today at www.npf.org and take advantage of an early bird registration discount through Feb. 12.
 
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
# # #
 
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the third Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.
 
The National Postal Forum, a not-for-profit education corporation, was established in 1968 by a group of postal customers/mailers who were committed to an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Postal Service. The Forum’s goal, then and now, is to provide education to business mailers and communication/feedback between the Postal Service and its business customers for a more responsive and efficient mail communications system.
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]]> Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:23:51 GMT <![CDATA[Radio, TV, Print Budgets Slashed as Marketers Look Online to Build Brand Reputation]]>
INDIANAPOLIS--Increasing investment in social media, mobile marketing, email marketing and search will fuel a 17 percent surge in digital marketing spending this year, as marketers migrate budgets from television, print and radio.

Featured in Marketing Budgets 2010: Effectiveness, Measurement and Allocation, new joint research conducted by Econsultancy and global digital marketing provider ExactTarget, the survey of more than 1,000 marketers found two out of three increasing their digital marketing budget in 2010, earning digital channels nearly a quarter of marketers’ total budgets.

“The shift from offline to online is in full swing as marketers look to measure direct increases in top-line sales, site traffic and improve overall marketing return on investment,” said Morgan Stewart, ExactTarget’s director of research and strategy and co-author of the report. “Interestingly, brand reputation is becoming a more significant driver of the migration to digital marketing, particularly when it comes to social media.”

Social media is the fastest growing digital marketing channel, according to the survey. More than 70 percent of responding companies are increasing their budgets for off-site social media marketing on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Nearly 65 percent of companies are planning to increase their budget for on-site social media such as blogs or ratings and reviews.

“The research shows a healthy outlook for the digital marketing industry with the majority of responding companies increasing their budgets for most digital channels,” said Linus Gregoriadis, research director at Econsultancy. “Social media marketing is the area where companies are most likely to be spending more money during 2010, but areas such as search engine marketing and email marketing will remain buoyant.”

Key findings of the research include:

    * 28% of marketers are shifting marketing budgets from traditional to digital channels.
    * Two-thirds of marketers are planning to increase investments in social media even though less than one-fifth can effectively measure ROI.
    * 64% of companies plan to increase budgets in search engine optimization.
    * 56% plan to increase budgets for mobile marketing.
    * 54% plan to increase budgets for email marketing.
    * 51% plan to increase budgets for paid search.
    * 42% of marketers plan to keep budgets the same as 2009 and 13% plan to decrease their overall marketing budget.
    * 41% of marketers plan to decrease spending on print and radio marketing in 2010.

Marketers can download a summary of the More Money, More Channels: Marketing Budgets For 2010 report free of charge here. The entire report is available for purchase from Econsultancy online.

The release of the joint research follows Forrester Research naming ExactTarget a “leader” in email marketing and awarding the company a perfect 5 of 5 in the Customer Category of “The Forrester WaveTM: Email Marketing Service Providers Q4 2009” (December 2009) report. The independent research firm found ExactTarget to be the only email service provider to score a perfect score in the Customers Category, noting “with high satisfaction scores and online community, ExactTarget can successfully meet marketers’ complex business needs.” To download the report, visit www.ExactTarget.com/Wave09.

About ExactTarget

ExactTarget is a leading global provider of on-demand email marketing and one-to-one marketing solutions. The company’s software as a service technology provides organizations a single platform to connect with customers via triggered and transactional email, integrated text messaging, voice messaging, landing pages and social media. Supported by collaborative global services teams, ExactTarget’s technology integrates with more sales and marketing information systems than any other in the industry, including Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Omniture and Webtrends among many others. ExactTarget’s software powers permission-based multi-channel communications for thousands of organizations around the world including Expedia.com, Aurora Fashions, Papa John’s, CareerBuilder.com, Gannett Co., Inc., The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Home Depot and Wellpoint, Inc. For more information, visit www.exacttarget.com or call 1-866-EMAILET.
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]]> Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:06:24 GMT <![CDATA[Merkle Releases ‘View from the Social Inbox’ Consumer Email and Social Networking Trends Report]]>
The new report is available at no cost by visiting: www.merkleinc.com/viewfromsocialinbox2010

The findings from the “View from the Social Inbox” have implications for marketers who are interested in social marketing strategy. Highlights of the report include:

    * Time spent with personal, or social, email to friends and family is unchanged from last year, with 71% of respondents spending 20 minutes or more weekly. These numbers contradict early speculation that social networking would quickly replace traditional email use.
    * Active social networkers are more likely to be avid email users, as measured by time spent with social email as well as number of times checked daily. Forty-two percent of social networkers check their email account four or more times a day, compared to just 27% of their non-networked counterparts.
    * Over half (53%) of online adults over 18 use Facebook weekly or more frequently. Just 18% regularly use one-time leader MySpace, demonstrating how quickly the online social space changes.
    * Demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity and education influence which social sites consumers use. For example, regular users of Facebook skew higher in education and MySpace users skew lower. Both sites are more likely to be frequented by females.
    * Twenty percent of Facebook, MySpace and/or Twitter users have posted or shared something from permission email to their social account(s) via a "share" option, indicating the importance of an integrated email marketing strategy.

Merkle’s Director of Research and Analytics, Lori Connolly, said, “There is no doubt that social media sites, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, have grown in popularity across demographics. Yet, we are seeing consistent social use of the email channel, as well as evidence to support the idea that social networking and email use are actually more related than previously thought. Merkle’s 'View from the Social Inbox' shows that email continues to be an important personal communications tool for consumers. Perhaps more important for marketers, it shows that there are distinct demographic differences in the social sites that consumers frequent, which have actionable targeting implications.”

About Merkle Inc.

Merkle is one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing customer relationship marketing agencies. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. By combining a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines, Merkle works with clients to design, execute and evaluate Integrated Customer Marketing™ programs. With more than 1,000 employees, the privately held corporation is headquartered near Baltimore in Columbia, Maryland with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Little Rock, Minneapolis, New York, Phila
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]]> Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:22:43 GMT <![CDATA[Retailers Missing the Mark with Product Recommendations]]>
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--ChoiceStream, the premier recommendations service provider for the world’s largest brands including Tesco, Zappos.com, Borders, Blockbuster, Ticketmaster and AT&T, today announced Part 2 of the findings of its 2009 Personalization Survey designed to help retailers align their recommendation strategies with consumer demands. According to the survey, the quality of product recommendations on retailers’ sites declined significantly year over year with many more shoppers reporting that they received poor quality recommendations in 2009 versus 2008. The survey also finds a large discrepancy in recommendation quality between retail categories with shoppers giving music and entertainment stores top scores while rating toy stores and office supplies at the bottom. (Part 1 of the survey findings was announced on January 20, 2010 and may be found at www.choicestream.com/surveyresults/part1.asp.)

Overall, the number of online shoppers who received poor quality recommendations in 2009 was 59 percent, which represents a 31 percent increase over the 45 percent reported in 2008. When asked for a reason why the recommendations were considered poor, the majority of shoppers responded that the recommendations were for products that were unrelated to what they were looking for.

Separately, shoppers were asked to rate the quality of product recommendations across 10 retail categories. On average, only 17 percent of shoppers rate retailers’ recommendations as ‘excellent.’ There is also a wide discrepancy in recommendation quality between the categories. For example, music and entertainment stores are 48 percent more likely to receive excellent ratings than toy or office supply stores.

"It's unfortunate, but not surprising, that so many consumers report receiving poor quality product recommendations. Consumers expect more from recommendations than they did even a year ago. They expect them to be accurate and on target, so when they're not, shoppers are disappointed," said Lori Trahan, vice president of marketing at ChoiceStream. "It's also true that as product recommendations become more pervasive and more recommendation providers enter the market to meet demand, these vendors lack the in-market experience necessary to create good quality recommendations. This should highlight for retailers the importance of working with solution providers that have deep expertise in analyzing specific shopping behaviors and factoring them into their recommendation strategy."

The actual ranking of the retail categories by recommendation quality appears below in order from best to worst:
            1. Music and entertainment stores (ex: iTunes, NetFlix)
            2. 'Big box' store (ex: Amazon, Target)
            3. Grocery stores
            4. Book stores (ex: Barnes and Noble)
            5. Electronics (ex: Best Buy)
            6. Shopping comparison sites (ex: Shopping.com)
            7. Department store (ex: Macy’s, JCPenney)
            8. Shoes
            9. Toy stores
          10. Office supplies (ex: OfficeMax)

“The categories that fared the best in this ranking are those that have the most experience in using product recommendations as part of their merchandising. Considering the complexities involved in delivering good quality recommendations, it makes sense that those with the most experience rise to the top,” said Steve Johnson, founder and CEO of ChoiceStream. “This ranking also shines a light on the upside potential for product recommendations. Retail categories with less experience with this type of merchandising have a great opportunity to lift revenue and, at the same time, improve their brand image as consumers increasingly come to expect good quality recommendations as part of the retail experience.”

For more information on the 2009 ChoiceStream Personalization Survey, click here. To learn about ChoiceStream product recommendations and how they help increase revenue for online retailers, visit our website.

About the ChoiceStream Personalization Survey

The ChoiceStream Personalization Survey provides insight into consumers’ interest in, and perceptions of, personalization. The survey was first fielded in May, 2004. Each year the Survey is re-evaluated and updated where appropriate to ensure that it stays relevant and addresses the current issues of the day.

This year, new questions address the interest in recommendations within various sales channels, the impact of the location of recommendations within e-commerce sites, and how shoppers perceive the quality of recommendations from various retail categories.

The Survey Research Brief provides detailed findings of the study and is now available at www.choicestream.com/surveyresults.

About ChoiceStream, Inc.

ChoiceStream delivers dynamic, personalized product recommendations and display ads that increase purchases and customer engagement for today's biggest brands, including Zappos, Tesco, Borders, Blockbuster, AT&T, and Ticketmaster. Recently named the company with the “deepest experience” of the ‘pure-play’ personalization engines” by a leading independent research firm, ChoiceStream enables retailers to put the right content and products in front of the right people at the right time to maximize the value of every interaction with consumers.
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]]> Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:17:51 GMT <![CDATA[Reprise Media Announces 6th Annual Super Bowl Search Marketing Scorecard]]>
NEW YORK-- Reprise Media, an award-winning search and social media marketing agency, will release its sixth annual Super Bowl Search Marketing Scorecard on February 8th, 2009. The Search Marketing Scorecard ranks Super Bowl advertisers based on the level of integration between their television commercials and presence in search and social media, a proxy for how prepared each brand is to handle online interest and buzz.

“We’ve seen Super Bowl advertisers make steady progress from minimal cross-channel integration to holistic multi-channel campaigns over the last six years,” said Reprise Media Senior Director of Strategy & Innovation, Anthony Iaffaldano. “While most of Super Bowl Advertisers play follow the leader with their campaign integration there are always a few that emerge from the pack with something truly innovative.”

Reprise Media is tracking several trends that may impact the way marketers integrate online components into this years’ Super Bowl campaigns:

    * Brand Marketers Jump Ship: Given the economic crisis, and increased scrutiny on budgets, large brand-focused marketers like Pepsi and GM have headed to the sidelines this year, making room for a new class of Super Bowl advertisers to step into the spotlight – direct marketers. An all-rookie team of advertisers focused on conversions are making their debut, including HomeAway, Flo-TV and KGB.
    * Building Buzz: In a continuation of a trend from last year, more marketers are approaching the Super Bowl as the culmination of a long-term campaign, rather than the launching pad. The time leading up to game day is now just as important as the actual spot, with many brands leveraging social media to help generate awareness and buzz around their Super Bowl buy.
    * Engagement, Not Just Presence: Simply having a Facebook, Twitter and YouTube profile is now the cost of entry. Savvy marketers are planning leverage their social media presence to engage with their individual fans and followers. As an incentive, many brands are planning to offer exclusive experiences, including special promotions, for their fans and followers.

“It appears that marketers are truly realizing the increasing power of social media in creating a platform for cross-channel engagement,” Iaffaldano continues. “Companies such as Bud Light and E-trade are already connecting with consumers through social media to help tease and generate buzz for their spot(s) airing the day of the game.”

As many as 90 million Americans are expected to tune in to watch the game on Super Bowl Sunday, many of them with computers by their side or even on their laps. comScore data shows that for last year’s Super Bowl two-thirds of viewers went online at some point during game day, and approximately 41 percent of respondents said they used the Internet during the actual game, while 33 percent logged online during halftime.

The release of the Search Marketing Scorecard on February 8th will be followed on February 19th by an in-depth webinar and white paper. To reserve your seat at this year’s webinar, visit http://bit.ly/scorecard10 .

Additionally, to stay on top of Super Bowl Advertising news in the weeks leading up to the game, follow Reprise Media’s Super Bowl Scorecard on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Reprise_Media.

About Reprise Media

Reprise Media (www.reprisemedia.com) is a leading global search and social marketing agency. The company helps the world’s most recognizable brands – including Microsoft, The Home Depot, and Hyundai, – manage their online reputations, drive traffic to their websites, acquire new customers and generate revenue through search engines and social networks. Headquartered in New York, the company has offices in San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid and Sydney.

Reprise Media is a registered trademark of Reprise Media Inc. All other product and brand names are the property of their respective owners.
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]]> Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:13:04 GMT <![CDATA[DMA Releases 2010 Statistical Fact Book]]>
New York, NY, — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today released the 2010 Edition of its Statistical Fact Book.  Now in its 32nd year of publication “The Definitive Source for Direct Marketing Benchmarks” continues to adapt with the ever-changing business landscape, replacing and updating information as necessary.

This year’s reference book contains 10 revised chapters and two new chapters:  Catalog; Consumer Demographics; Direct Mail; Direct Marketing Overview; Email; Financial Services; Hispanic Market; Internet; Mobile (new); Nonprofit; Social Media (new); and USPS Information, giving marketers the most current and accurate data needed to successfully plan and navigate integrated, multichannel marketing campaigns.

“What makes this book such an invaluable resource is that it evolves every year, allowing marketers to improve upon their current strategies as well as learn something new,” said Yoram Wurmser, DMA research manager.  “Around the globe marketers can look to this book as a powerful picture of the scope and direction that truly reflects today’s direct marketing community across all channels, traditional and new.  Every aspect of our life, whether you are a marketer or a consumer, is touched by changes in business and technology, from the way we get and share our news to the way we shop. This particular chart from PriceGrabber.com is a great example of just one of the more than 300 ranging from the annual volume of direct mail to the use of Twitter by small businesses that are a part of this comprehensive work.”

DMA’s Statistical Fact Book, in addition to the wealth of new research and data, provides information from 75 prominent sources.  Some key findings include:

· 79 percent of households either read or skim advertising mail sent to their home.

· The average salary range for a creative copywriter for catalogs with 1 – 3 years experience is $60,000 to $77,000.

· Emails with subject lines of less than 35 characters have higher click through rates.

· One in four Inc. 500 companies consider Twitter an appropriate vehicle for B-to-B communications.  (The Inc. 500 is a list of fastest-growing, private US companies compiled annually by Inc. Magazine.)

· 22 million Hispanic Americans were online in 2009, a 63 percent increase from 2004.

· 47 percent of spending on Internet advertising in the US goes to Paid Search.

The Statistical Fact Book is available for purchase from the National Mail Order Association's online bookstore.  The cost is $470.  To purchase, please click here.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques.  DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process.  Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,100 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2009, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounts for 54.3% of all ad expenditures in the United States.  Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures will generate approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales.  In 2009, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product.  Also in 2009, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US.  Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.9 million US jobs. 
]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:54:30 GMT <![CDATA[VibrantNation.com Research Shows Boomer Women Are Travel Industry’s Most Valuable Consumers: They Plan More, Spend More and Learn More]]>
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- VibrantNation.com, the leading online community for smart, successful women over 50, will unveil this week the results of its recent travel survey about the growing power of the Boomer Woman consumer. These insights will be shared at the 24th Annual Educational Travel Community (ETC) Conference 2010, the world’s only conference focused on affinity and educational travel.

“While our ongoing online surveys and polling give us an up-to-date pulse of what Boomer Women want and what truly matters to them, the results of our recent travel survey even caught us by surprise with a staggering 79% of Boomer Women already having leisure travel planned for 2010,” said Stephen Reily, Founder and CEO of VibrantNation.com.

According to the Vibrant Nation survey, Boomer Women are on-the-go and traveling globally:

    * 79% already have leisure trips planned for 2010
    * 40% of those leisure trips include foreign destinations like Europe, Asia, cruises and the Caribbean

Boomer Women, even when married, are making their own travel decisions. They know what they want. 70% of survey respondents decide where to travel by themselves. An additional 20% make that decision with their spouse/partner or friends. While 2/3 of respondents are married, only 5% allow their spouse/partner to make travel decisions without their input.

Finally, even in today’s challenging economy, Boomer Women are not afraid to spend on their travel experiences:

    * 58% spend up to $2,500 per trip
    * 42% spend more than $2,500 per person per trip

Boomer Women are not just traveling for leisure but value educational opportunities and activity:

    * 57% say they would pay more for trips that include educational components
    * 31% have already taken trips that include educational travel before
    * 58% prefer sightseeing with either moderate or extensive physical activity

“This influential and fast-growing demographic, who we’ve termed ‘Vibrant Women,’ is one of the dwindling number of consumer groups with available discretionary funds,” added Carol Orsborn, PhD, VibrantNation.com Senior Strategist. “As a member of this demographic, it amazes me how we somehow remain overlooked in the travel marketplace despite being the healthiest, wealthiest, most educated generation of women in history.”

Both Mr. Reily and Dr. Orsborn will be sharing these and other survey results at the ETC Conference this week in Providence, Rhode Island. Survey results came from nearly 500 smart, successful women aged 50-70 who are VibrantNation.com members and e-newsletter subscribers.

For more information and to join the conversation with other Vibrant Women, please visit http://www.vibrantnation.com.

About VibrantNation.com

VibrantNation.com is the leading online community devoted exclusively to the influential and fast-growing demographic of smart, successful women over 50. At Vibrant Nation, these women (whom we’ve named “Vibrant Women”) can look for tips, share information, and join smart conversations about work, style, relationships, wellness, books, and more.

Vibrant Women represent the healthiest, wealthiest, most educated generation of women in history, yet their real strengths and interests are generally ignored in the marketplace. As a result, they rely even more than others on support and information from other women like them when making important decisions. VibrantNation.com is the place where they can connect with other women at their lifestage and discuss the issues they are passionate about. For more information, please visit www.vibrantnation.com.
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:41:36 GMT <![CDATA[Malware and Spam Rise 70% on Social Networks, Security Report Reveals]]>
BOSTON-- A report published today by IT security and data protectionfirm Sophos has revealed an alarming rise in attacks on users of socialnetworks, such as Facebook and Twitter, by cybercriminals.

Sophos’s “Social Security” investigation reveals that criminals haveincreasingly focused attacks on social networking users in the last 12months, with an explosion in the reports of spam and malware:

    * 57% of users report they have been spammed via social networking sites, a rise of 70.6% from last year
    * 36% reveal they have been sent malware via social networking sites, a rise of 69.8% from last year

“Computer users are spending more time on social networks, sharingsensitive and valuable personal information, and hackers have sniffedout where the money is to be made,” said Graham Cluley, seniortechnology consultant for Sophos. “The dramatic rise in attacks in thelast year tells us that social networks and their millions of usershave to do more to protect themselves from organized cybercrime, orrisk falling prey to identity theft schemes, scams, and malwareattacks.”

72% of Firms Worried Workers Behavior on Social Networks is Putting Their Business at Risk

Sophos surveyed more than 500 organizations*, and discovered that 72%are concerned that employee behavior on social networking sites exposestheir businesses to danger, and puts corporate infrastructure – and thesensitive data stored upon it – at risk.

The “Social Security” survey is just one part of Sophos’s 2010 SecurityThreat Report, which explores current and emerging computer securitytrends. It reveals that criminals identify potential victims on socialnetworks, and then attack them, both at home and at work. In Sophos’sopinion, many Web 2.0 sites are concentrating too much on growing theirmarketshare at the expense of properly defending their existing usersfrom Internet threats.

Facebook – The Most Feared Social Network?

Survey respondents were also asked which social network they believed posed the biggest security risk, with 60% naming Facebook:

    * 1. Facebook: 60%
    * 2. MySpace: 18%
    * 3. Twitter: 17%
    * 4. LinkedIn: 4%

“We shouldn’t forget that Facebook is by far the largest social network– and you’ll find more bad apples in the biggest orchard,” explainedCluley. “The truth is that the security team at Facebook works hard tocounter threats on their site – it’s just that policing 350 millionusers can’t be an easy job for anyone. But there is no doubt thatsimple changes could make Facebook users safer. For instance, whenFacebook rolled-out its new recommended privacy settings late lastyear, it was a backwards step, encouraging many users to share theirinformation with everybody on the Internet.”

Sophos’s Threat Report also reveals that 49% of firms allow all theirstaff unfettered access to Facebook, a 13% rise on a year ago.

“The grim irony is that just as companies are loosening their attitudeto staff activity on social networks, the threat of malware, spam,phishing and identity theft on Facebook is increasing,” said Cluley.“However, social networks can be an essential part of the business mixtoday, and the answer is not to bar staff from participating in them,but to apply some ‘social security’ instead.”

LinkedIn – Providing Hackers with Your Company’s Corporate Directory

Although LinkedIn is considered to be by far the least threatening ofthe networks, Sophos advises that it can still provide a sizeable poolof information for hackers.

“Targeted attacks against companies are in the news at the moment, andthe more information a criminal can get about your organization’sstructure, the easier for them to send a poisoned attachment toprecisely the person whose computer they want to break into,” explainedCluley. “Sites like LinkedIn provide hackers with what is effectively acorporate directory, listing your staff’s names and positions. Thismakes it child’s play to reverse-engineer the email addresses ofpotential victims.”

For further detailed information about the study, as well as exploringthe last 12 months of computer security threats and predicting emergingcybercrime trends for 2010, download the Sophos Security Threat Report2010.

About Sophos

More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the bestprotection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committedto providing security and data protection solutions that are simple tomanage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry’s lowest totalcost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpointsecurity, web, email, and network access control solutions backed bySophosLabs – a global network of threat intelligence centers. With morethan two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader insecurity and data protection by top analyst firms and has received manyindustry awards.

Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:37:59 GMT <![CDATA[Credit Card Direct Mail Back on the Rise]]>
CHICAGO--It wasn’t just holiday cards and catalogs filling your mailbox last month. Mintel Comperemedia, a service that provides direct marketing competitive intelligence, reports that in Q4 2009—for the first time in three years—credit card direct mail volume increased from the previous quarter.

    “In this post-recessionary environment, card issuers need to offset potential lost revenue from CARD Act regulations. We see more cards being promoted with annual fees and high purchase APRs”

With a 47% increase in direct mail compared to Q3 2009, credit card issuers demonstrate increased confidence in the economy and willingness to extend more consumer credit. However, last year’s direct mail volume still pales in comparison with recent years. Mintel Comperemedia reports that the total number of credit card offers sent in 2009 falls 66% behind the number sent in 2008. Pre-recession (2004-2007), card mailings topped seven billion annually; last year, they didn’t even reach two billion.

“Credit card direct mail volume leveled out mid-last year and finally, in the last quarter of 2009, we saw the long-awaited increase in card offers for consumers. More direct marketing is an excellent sign for the economy, because it shows issuers gaining confidence and taking a more positive outlook towards gaining new cardholders and reducing delinquencies,” states Andrew Davidson, SVP of Mintel Comperemedia.

Next month is significant for credit card companies, as another wave of CARD Act regulations take hold on February 22. In anticipation of tighter restrictions on credit practices, many companies are trying to rebalance their portfolios. “In this post-recessionary environment, card issuers need to offset potential lost revenue from CARD Act regulations. We see more cards being promoted with annual fees and high purchase APRs,” comments Andrew Davidson.

According to Mintel Comperemedia, more than a third of credit card offers sent in 2009 (36%) featured an annual fee, compared to just one in five (20%) in 2008. Purchase rates are also on the rise, despite the steadily low Prime rate. On variable rate card offers sent during Q4 2009, the mean go-to APR for purchases was 13.95%, an increase from the average of 11.80% observed during Q4 2008.

Many top credit card issuers increased direct mail volume during Q4 2009, but the biggest bumps compared to the same period of 2008 came from Chase (up 87%) and U.S. Bank (up 64%).

Visit Mintel Comperemedia’s blog for the latest direct marketing trend analysis: www.comperemedia.com/blog/

About Mintel Comperemedia

Mintel Comperemedia provides competitive intelligence for businesses looking to advance and improve their direct marketing strategy. Tracking direct marketing (including mail, email and print advertising) targeted at consumers, small businesses and insurance agents, Mintel Comperemedia offers a unique perspective on everything from banking trends to insurance trends to credit card statistics. For more than 35 years, Mintel has provided insight into key worldwide trends, leading the industry for consumer, product and media intelligence. Follow Mintel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mintelnews
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:25:54 GMT <![CDATA[Shopping on Mobile Sites Has Long Way to Go Says Retail Study from Keynote]]>
-- Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon Rank Number 1, 2 and 3 in Search Results Performance

-- Foot Locker, Barnes & Noble and Best Buy Rank Number 1, 2 and 3 in Product Information Performance

SAN MATEO, Calif.--Keynote Competitive Research, the industry analysis group of Keynote Systems (Nasdaq:KEYN), the global leader in on-demand mobile and Internet test & measurement solutions for continuously improving the online experience, today announced the top line results of one of the nation’s first ever in-depth studies of the performance of leading mobile Web sites during a holiday shopping season and the results were not impressive.

Using Keynote Mobile Application Perspective®, the company measured the performance of 10 retail mobile Web sites during the critical weeks from November 18, 2009 to January 4, 2010. The 10 sites included in The Keynote Mobile Holiday Shopping Study were: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Foot Locker, Musicians Friend, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart. The study measured the download performance for three pages on each site: loading the mobile site home page, searching for product and getting information about a specific product. Measurements were taken from two markets (New York and San Francisco) using AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon wireless data connections. The study results provide an excellent source of business intelligence regarding the performance and reliability of leading retailers’ mobile offerings and are available for immediate purchase. To receive more information about the study view: http://www.keynote.com/keynote_competitive_research/industry_studies/mobile_retail_holiday_study_2010.html

“Shopping on mobile Web sites still has a lot of catching up to do in both download performance and uptime when compared to the performance of connected Web sites,” said Ben Rushlo, senior manager of Internet technologies at Keynote.

Home page average times on the Study ranged from 8.3 seconds in the best case of Best Buy to 34.4 seconds in the worst case. Search results ranged from 4.5 seconds for Wal-Mart to 37.9 seconds. And product information ranged from 5.7 seconds turned in by Foot Locker to 26.8 seconds. “Consumers on the wired Web are used to much, much faster times, and often expect pages to load in two seconds or less. Even the best mobile Web sites take two to three times as long as that despite being optimized heavily for the mobile phone experience, and the worst sites are taking over a half a minute on average to load each page,” Rushlo continued.

The Keynote study also showed that mobile Web sites have much higher error rates than non-mobile sites. The overall range of availability was between 97.6% for Foot Locker to just 74.7%. Consumers on the wired Web expect 99.5% or better availability, so even the very best mobile Web sites are not fully meeting expectations. In fact, in the Keynote study only two mobile sites achieved an overall availability better than 90%, and three sites were below 80% overall.

Questions Answered By Keynote’s Mobile Holiday Shopping Study

Study purchasers will find answers to questions like:

    * Which four sites had the most consistent performance?
    * Which wireless carrier delivered the fastest page load times on average?
    * Which sites had load handling issues, slowing down more than 25% on average each day?
    * Which site had five major performance spikes during the holiday shopping period, mostly in retrieving information about a specific product?
    * Which site had a major performance spike on the day after Christmas?
    * Which site had a problem where it would either load the home page quickly or not at all?
    * Which site had a high error rate during the critical Black Friday/Cyber Monday period?
    * On which network carrier did Keynote’s measurements have the highest error rates?

More Information About the Study

The Keynote Mobile Holiday Shopping Study is commercially available and priced at $5,000. For more information visit us online: http://www.keynote.com/keynote_competitive_research/industry_studies/mobile_retail_holiday_study_2010.html

About Keynote

Keynote Systems (NASDAQ:KEYN) is the global leader in on-demand test & measurement solutions for continuously improving the online experience. For over a decade, Keynote has been providing measurement data and testing capabilities that allow companies to understand and improve their customers’ online and mobile experience. Keynote has four test and measurement businesses: Web performance, mobile quality, streaming & VoIP and customer experience/UX.

Known as The Mobile and Internet Performance Authority™, Keynote has a market-leading infrastructure of 3,000 measurement computers and mobile devices in over 240 locations around the world. Keynote’s 2,800 customers represent top Internet and mobile companies including American Express, Disney, eBay, E*TRADE, Expedia, Microsoft, SonyEricsson, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone and YouTube.

Keynote Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Mateo, California and can be reached at www.keynote.com or by phone in the U.S. at 1-800-KEYNOTE.

Keynote®, DataPulse®, CustomerScope®, Keynote CE Rankings®, Keynote Customer Experience Rankings®, Perspective®, Keynote Red Alert®, Keynote Traffic Perspective®, Keynote WebEffective®, The Internet Performance Authority®, MyKeynote® , SIGOS®, SITE®, Keynote™, The Mobile & Internet Performance Authority™, Screen Sensing Technology and Keynote FlexUse™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Keynote Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2010 Keynote Systems, Inc.
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:16:05 GMT <![CDATA[2010 U.S. Virtual Goods Market to Surpass $1.6 Billion, Social Gaming to Contribute $835 Million, Concludes Research Firm Inside Network]]>
"2009 was the year that casual games like Zynga's popular FarmVille took over the major social platforms and changed the way millions of people socialized with friends online. Casual games introduced a rich, new way of interacting with friends on social networks, and saw the highest engagement numbers that the online entertainment industry has ever witnessed," Justin Smith, founder of Inside Network's InsideFacebook.com and InsideSocialGames.com, says.

"With tens of millions of returning users, and millions of new visitors daily, it is no wonder that the social gaming industry saw significant M&A activity: an up-to-$400 million acquisition of Playfish by Electronic Arts, and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional venture investments. Social games are now impacting businesses across the media landscape," adds Charles Hudson, VP of Business Development at Serious Business, and host of the annual Virtual Goods Summit.

The second research report in the Inside Virtual Goods series, "Inside Virtual Goods: The Future of Social Gaming 2010" concludes that social games will alone make up half of all virtual goods revenue in the United States this year.

With research based on interviews with top executives and entrepreneurs in social gaming and virtual goods, Smith and Hudson indicate that the 2010 virtual goods industry will be bigger than previously predicted, and that social gaming will make up the largest and fastest growing portion of the total market.

It's become clear that there are substantial opportunities for social game developers with virtual goods revenue models, but the market is still evolving rapidly and opening new doors on a regular basis. "This type of rapid change and growth is exactly what we sought to cover and analyze in The Future of Social Gaming," says Smith.

"Inside Virtual Goods: The Future of Social Gaming 2010" takes an inside look at the present state of social games and the future of what's shaping up to be a very fundamentally strong and profitable industry.

The report is focused on the following areas:

1. Emerging Social Game Development and Studio Models - How do small, medium, and large developers organize their teams, and how does this affect development cycles and growth?

2. Social Game Design and Mechanics - The emergence of a few key game genres with proven mechanics and monetization have spawned dozens of fast followers. How are some publishers continuing to innovate?

3. Monetization Data and Payment Trends – Now that developers have proven the virtual goods model, how does monetization break down by key game genres, demographics and monetization methods, and what's likely to change?

4. Facebook's Platform Changes, Credits, and What's In Store for the Future - In late 2009, Facebook announced major adjustments that will dramatically alter how social games reach users.How will continued change impact the industry? As Facebook rolls out its much-discussed Credits currency, how will monetization be affected? Will another dominant platform emerge?

In 2009, social games began to show that immense value can be created on top of social networks. According to Inside Virtual Goods, 2010 will be an even more important year as social gaming, powered by virtual goods, becomes this year's industry to watch.

For more details and to purchase the report, please visit: http://www.insidevirtualgoods.com
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:10:51 GMT <![CDATA[Rubylane.com #1 in Auction Bytes 2010 Seller’s Choice Marketplace Ratings]]>
Over 1,400 online sellers were asked to rate 15 ecommerce sites including eBay, Amazon, Bonanzle, Craigslist, Etsy, Tias and Ruby Lane in several categories.

Ruby Lane came in first place across the board. Its highest rating was in ‘Ease of Use’, and respondents rated the site as the ‘Most Profitable.’ Additionally, Ruby Lane came in first as the number one recommended selling venue.

“We are very proud to have received such high rankings in every category,” said Palmer Pekarek, Director of Communications and New Business Development. “It is very meaningful, and a great validation, to have such wonderful praise from our customers.”

Ruby Lane has worked with its shops to implement innovative and creative strategies to weather the economic crunch that so many are feeling.

“One of our top priorities has been to help sellers remain profitable in this challenging economy – mentoring, selling-tips, and unique marketing tools have really helped shops compete,” says Pekarek.

Focusing on the future, Ruby Lane looks to continue to place its customers at the forefront of its business plan and work even harder to maintain its outstanding reputation among buyers and sellers.

To view Auction Bytes full survey results go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y210/m01/abu0255/s16.

About Ruby Lane

Since 1998, Ruby Lane has brought together individually-owned shops offering unique items from around the world. Today, Ruby Lane offers more than 400,000 items in inventory ranging from antiques, glass, books, dolls, fine art, antique and vintage jewelry, vintage clothing and accessories, porcelain, postcards, silver, pottery, artisan jewelry, and vintage collectibles from more than 2,000 shops. For more information, please visit www.rubylane.com and/or http://blog.rubylane.com. Follow Ruby Lane on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rubylanecom and/or fan them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/rubylane.
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:23:47 GMT <![CDATA[New Online Shopping Data Shows 23 Percent of Consumers Will Shop Online for Valentine’s Day]]>
RYE BROOK, N.Y.--Twenty-three percent of consumers plan to shop online for Valentine’s Day gifts, with 9 percent indicating they will spend more money online compared to last year. This represents an increase in online shoppers over the 2009 Valentine’s Day holiday. Further, the majority of consumers will shop for gifts other than the traditional flowers and chocolates.

This is according to the eBillme Online Spending Index, a quarterly survey conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research. The Index polls 1,200 consumers to measure projected online spending for the quarter and the influencing factors. According to the Q1 Index, consumers plan to spend an average of $236 online, which is in line with spending levels from Q1 2009.

This quarter, consumers were also asked if they have decided what purchases they will make for Valentine’s Day. Overall, 47 percent of respondents do not know what to purchase for their loved ones.

    * Fifty percent of males are unsure about Valentines Day gifts for her.
    * Forty-five percent of females are unsure about Valentines Day gifts for him.
    * Consumers who are married or living with their partners responded with more uncertainty.
    * Consumers become more certain about what to purchase with age. Consumers 65 years old and over responded with more certainty than consumers in the younger demographics.

“Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for retailers to build on holiday sales,” says Samer Forzley, Vice President of Marketing for eBillme. “The number of consumers planning to shop online for Valentine’s gifts and spend more than last year is encouraging news for the eCommerce industry. It’s interesting to see that consumers are looking towards more non-traditional gifts this year but are still in the dark about they will be purchasing. For e-tailers, this means there is still time to market and capture these undecided sales.”

The Online Spending Index is released quarterly by eBillme, the most secure payment option online that enables consumers to pay with cash using online banking and walk-in locations. eBillme offers consumers buyer protection features including satisfaction guarantee, best price, in-transit protection, and fraud protection, in addition to cash-back rewards through the eBillme Rewards program.

For more information or to receive the full findings from this quarter’s Index, please contact Samer Forzley at sforzley@eBillme.com.

About the Index

The Index is based on data collected from an online consumer survey deployed quarterly starting in August 2008, with a sample size of 1,209 respondents. The survey targeted U.S. adults (age 18 +) and was based on representative proportions of gender, ethnicity, and income as compared to the overall U.S. online population. Overall margin of sampling error is ±2.8 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

The next Index will be released in April 2010. Data from the Index will be posted on the eBillme Web site at http://blog.eBillme.com.

About eBillme

eBillme™ is the most secure way to pay online and the only online payment solution that extends the convenience of online banking to the merchant’s checkout process. The service enhances security for online shoppers, and enables merchants to increase sales while reducing transaction costs. No financial data is exposed and the payment transaction is securely transferred from the customer’s bank to the retailer’s bank. Consumers can shop online, by catalog or through call centers, and pay for their purchases at their bank, credit union, or bill pay portal using the security and convenience of online banking or by paying the bill at over 75,000 walk-in locations. For more information, please visit www.eBillme.com or eBillme’s Online Debt-Free Shopping Mall at http://Shop.eBillme.com.
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:18:57 GMT <![CDATA[Postal Service Updates Consolidation Initiative -- No final decisions have been made]]> WASHINGTON - The U.S. Postal Service today filed an update with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) indicating that 162 offices remain under review for possible consolidation under the station and branch consolidation initiative. That is six fewer from the last update in December. No final decisions have been made regarding specific office consolidations.

Today's filing with the PRC updates a review process begun last summer that initially examined about 3,300 stations and branches in urban and suburban areas, focusing on facilities in relatively close proximity to one another where consolidations might be feasible without compromising customer access.

"Consumer behavior is changing. It is important for the Postal Service to adjust to the shift," says Dean Granholm, vice president of Delivery and Post Office Operations. "We will continue to provide easy access, but changes to our retail network are essential to our ability to continue to provide the safe secure and fairly priced postal services that Americans have counted on for 234 years."

With more than 36,000 Post Offices, stations, branches, contract and community post offices, the Postal Service has the largest retail network in the United States. Always on the lookout for convenience, though, many Postal Service customers are choosing to access postal services and purchase stamps via alternative access - locations other than a Post Office.

More than 56,000 locations such as supermarkets, drug stores, and other retailers sell postage and selected postal services. Nearly 18,000 ATMs dispense sheets of stamps. It is the online alternative at usps.com, where you can get shipping information, purchase and print postage 24/7, that customers find most convenient. In 2009, nearly 30 percent of postal retail transactions were conducted in locations other than a Post Office.

The Postal Service receives no tax subsidy to operate the nation's mail service. Revenues from the sale of postage, products and services fund its operations. Last year, the Postal Service reported a loss of $3.8 billion. A number of new initiatives have also been undertaken to build revenue, including Flat Rate Priority Mail pricing and the introduction of greeting cards for sale at about 900 select Post Offices.

As part of the consolidation process, the Postal Service has filed periodic updates with the Postal Regulatory Commission identifying the retail stations and branches that remain under consideration. Today's filing does not represent a final decision on consolidation. No facility-specific final decisions have been made as a result of this initiative.

Click here for the list http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/stationbranchop.pdf
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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:18:52 GMT <![CDATA[eBay announces a new fee structure]]> In an effort to attract more sellers andlistings to its online marketplace, eBay announced pricingchanges that reduce listing fees for fixed-price items and do away withlisting fees for sellers who occasionally auction items on its site.

The moves reflect eBay’s realization thatit has two main types of sellers—professional merchants andhobbyists—on its online marketplace, says Scot Wingo, CEO ofChannelAdvisor Corp., a provider of e-commerce technology and servicesthat help retailers sell through multiple online channels. “The movesreflect a win for both types of sellers,” he says.

Starting March 30, eBay is introducing afour-tiered price structure for its fixed-price listings. There arethree monthly subscription levels—basic ($15.95), anchor ($49.95) andpremium ($299.95)—that offer discounts on listing fees. The ratesreduce the fixed-price listing fees per product from 50 cents forsellers without a store, to 20 cents for basic, 5 cents for anchor and3 cents for premium stores. Subscribers also can insert eBay-hostedpictures for free.

“Lowering the threshold to list an itemmeans that merchants will increase the number of items they put on thesite,” says Wingo. “Those merchants could see significant savings onupfront costs.”

EBay also says all of the site's fixed-priced inventory will appear in eBay's main search results.

Starting March 30, sellers will be able toauction up to 100 items for free every 30 days. When an item sells,eBay will take 9% of the sale price or $50, whichever is less. EBaycurrently allows sellers to auction up to five items for free every 30days and charges 8.75% of the sale price or $20, whichever is less.

After sellers exceed the 100 free listings,they are subject to new listing fees and commissions that varydepending on the item’s starting and sale prices. The fees range from15 cents to $2, depending on the item’s starting price. EBay’s currentrange is 15 cents to $4.

EBay made a similar change to fees in someEuropean markets in 2008, and those changes nearly doubled the numberof listings on eBay in those countries, CEO John Donahoe told analystslast week.

EBay is also expanding its buyer protectionservice to all buyers. The service gives buyers and sellers access tocustomer service representatives to resolve disputes. If a sellercannot resolve the issue, the service, which excludes categories likereal estate and vehicles, will refund a buyer’s money. Previously theservice was only available for transactions that used eBay’s paymentservice, PayPal.

“With eBay buyer protection, customers canshop with confidence as they take advantage of the great deals andselection eBay sellers offer,” says Lorrie M. Norrington, president ofeBay Marketplaces. “We’ve now got you covered on eBay every day.”

Details here: http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/FeeUpdate2010.html
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]]> Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:16:30 GMT <![CDATA[Study: TV Ads Integrated within an Interactive, Social TV Environment Outperform Broadcast TV Equivalents]]>
CHICAGO--Akoo, the world’s largest social music television network, today announced the results of the first major Advertising Effectiveness study in the rapidly emerging social TV space. The study was conducted by media research firm Arbitron and included Akoo advertisers in the categories of gaming consoles, quick-service restaurants, consumer electronics retail, movie studios, and mobile broadband service providers.

Among the study’s major findings: traditional 30-second TV commercials, when integrated within an interactive, social TV programming environment, often outperform broadcast TV equivalents in brand metrics such as recall, consideration, and purchase intent.

The study results come at time when converged Internet-connected HDTVs, social media apps, smart phones, and Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices are profoundly changing how people experience broadcast and IP-based television programming – both in-home and out-of-home. Many leading industry observers also predict 2010 will be the year that “social” becomes a ubiquitous experience spanning all screens and ultimately transforming the broadcast TV model.

As a result of new technology, commercial avoidance, and the exodus of younger demographics, a McKinsey & Company study concluded that traditional TV advertising in 2010 would be one-third as effective as in 1990.

“The Akoo study validates that a social TV environment delivers younger, more engaged, and higher quality audiences,” said Niko Drakoulis, Akoo CEO. “These factors increase the effectiveness of traditional television advertising dramatically.”

According to certified Arbitron audience measurement research, 64.5 million monthly viewers currently watch Akoo programming and advertising in 53 top markets across 30 U.S. states. Akoo’s patented technology allows the company to deliver major label music videos and original programming to a national audience, while enabling viewers in each location to participate in the local programming experience. Viewers can select programming, via SMS text message request or Akoo’s mobile application, and share it on the network, free and on-demand.

Highlights from the study include the following:

Purchase Intent

    * 64% of viewers who recalled a QSR’s premium coffee TV spots on Akoo are planning to buy the QSR’s premium coffee. Further, 23% of viewers did not know that the QSR was serving a line of premium coffees prior to seeing the TV spots on Akoo.
    * 84% of viewers who saw a movie trailer on Akoo were more interested in seeing the movie, with 64% “a lot more interested.”
    * 52% of viewers who recalled seeing TV ads for a game console on Akoo said they were more interested in purchasing the game console as a result.

Favorability and Consideration

    * After seeing a mobile broadband service provider’s TV ad on Akoo, 79% of viewers were more likely to consider trying the company’s newly launched service.
    * 76% of viewers were unaware they could text a consumer electronics retailer for gift advice prior to seeing the TV ad on Akoo. However, after seeing the TV ad on Akoo, 27% of viewers were more likely to use the service for gift advice.
    * 63% of viewers said that seeing a TV ad for a game console on Akoo improved their opinion of the game console.

Unaided and Brand Aided Recall

    * Unaided recall was measured up to 25%.
    * Brand aided recall was measured up to 60%.
    * Average brand aided recall was 43% across all advertisers.

About Akoo

Akoo is the world’s largest social music television network. The company delivers major label music videos and original programming to 89.6 million monthly consumers in premium out-of-home environments across the U.S. Akoo empowers social engagement by uniquely enabling viewers to control programming on its high-definition TV screens with their mobile devices. Viewers can select music videos from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI, via text message request or Akoo’s mobile app, and share them on the network, free and on-demand. Akoo’s ability to engage media-elusive demographics, while integrating brand sponsors within the media experience, results in increased advertising effectiveness. Founded in 2001, Akoo is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.akoo.com.
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]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:24:41 GMT <![CDATA[NRF Forecasts 2.5% Increase in Retail Sales for 2010]]>
WASHINGTON-- The National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5% from last year. According to its quarterly Retail Sales Outlook report, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent.

“As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S. economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, retailers will soon be able to reap the benefits of leaner, smarter inventories and a year and a half of pent up consumer demand.”

Other positive economic contributions will come from trade, especially strong exports, a turnaround in the inventory cycle, and federal government spending. Consumer spending will lag behind overall economic growth, Wells estimates, but will continue to expand at a modest 2.0 – 2.5 percent rate.

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2009 sales of $4.1 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com.
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]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:16:52 GMT <![CDATA[PRINT OPPORTUNITIES IN AN INTERACTIVE WORLD WILL BE THE FOCUS OF THE 2010 ON DEMAND CONFERENCE]]> Keynote and General Sessions Speakers Address the Impact of the Digital Revolution

NEWTON, MA, January, 2010 – On the opening day of the ON DEMAND Conference, Jeff Hayes, President of InfoTrends will deliver the State of the Industry Address: Print Opportunities in an Interactive World. Hayes will kick of a series of speakers who will provide insight and perspective on the future of the industry. The ON DEMAND Conference & Exposition, the largest digital printing and automated production event in North America will take place April 20-22, 2010 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

“The digital transformation of the marketing, publishing, transaction printing, photo printing, and package printing industries continues to gather steam,” said Tom Bliss, Group Conference Director for Questex Media Group, producers of the event. “We have gathered the best and brightest minds in the industry to talk candidly about the future of the industry and the rethinking of business models that’s occurring as communications of all kinds continue to move online. This year’s program will help printers work through that process and show them how to take advantage of advances in digital printing technologies, such as personalization and web-to-print, to enable those emerging business models and secure their place in the new print communications value chain.”

Immediately following the InfoTrends presentation, Gina Testa, Vice President, Graphic Communications, Xerox Corporation will moderate an all-star keynote panel comprised of some of the world’s top chief marketing officers and senior marketing executives from leading brands and Fortune 500 companies. The panel will examine where print fits in this new marketing landscape, how their print-related marketing strategies have shifted over the past year or two, how they’re likely to evolve in the near term based on volatile economic conditions and consumer buying behavior, and what they’ll be looking for from their print and other marketing vendors in the months and years ahead.

The ON DEMAND Conference will also offer four general sessions. On Tuesday, April 20following the keynote address Mal Baboyian, President, Production Printing Systems, Océ North America will present 50 Ideas in 50 Minutes, a fast-paced and informative session featuring a panel of industry veterans and experts who will share a lifetime’s worth of digital printing experience in only 50 minutes.

On Wednesday, April 21 there will be three general sessions from 8:30 am – 10:45 am. The morning sessions “Improving Your Bottom Line in a Tough Economy” will be led by Manish Kapoor, EDP, Managing Director of Operations Network, FedEx Office and Divakar Rajamani, Director, University of Texas at Dallas. They will offer guidance for managing today while preparing for the future under current economic pressures.

Ken Garner, President, MFSA will discuss “Improving Your Competitive Position: Rethinking Your Business Model.” Garner will review the groundbreaking work of a collaboration of industry associations, including the MFSA, who are working to create a fresh, more compelling business model for companies who want to better position themselves for future success. The third general session, “The War Against Print and How to Survive It” will be moderated by Charles Corr, VP, Corporate Strategy, Mimeo.com. Panelists including Steve Sherman, Director, Document Automation & Production Service (DAPS), U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Defense; Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chief Marketing Officer, Eastman Kodak Company and Ben Cooper, Executive Director, The Print Council will address the future of print and paper in the Internet age and how the industry needs to overcome the attacks that print is expensive, harmful to the economy and a poor investment.

The ON DEMAND conference program will offer seven tracks with over forty sessions during the two-day program. The in-depth conference program features the world's leading authorities, who will examine the most up-to-date innovations, in a carefully designed program. For a complete listing of sessions and to receive extra early bird discounts for the conference program, visit www.ondemandexpo.com.

ON DEMAND Conference & Expo is the leading Digital Printing Conference, encompassing all the technologies used to create, manage, personalize, print and deliver content. The contributing sponsor of the event is InfoTrends, the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. The ON DEMAND Conference & Exposition is produced and managed by Questex Media Group, LLC, a global, diversified business-to-business integrated media and information provider, headquartered in Newton, MA. For information, visit www.ondemandexpo.com or call 888-824-3004 (US) or 972-620-3005 (Outside US).
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