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Print in the Mix
Direct Mail Delivers Strong ROI...Yet Experiencing Highest Cuts
According to Target Marketing's "2011 Annual Media Usage Forecast" survey results, for the first time since 2007, there are signs of stability for direct marketing—with not a single media category seeing more companies decreasing spending than increasing.
With this said, direct mail advertising is the medium seeing the highest percentage of companies reducing spending (12.7 percent)—this despite direct mail being a top performer by ranking strongly in ROI for companies using the tactic.
Target Marketing reports open responses to the survey indicated that companies decreasing direct mail spend were doing so due to costs, not due to results.
One B2C marketer, talking about the upside of direct mail, wrote about the personal touch of direct mail and social media. "Metrics we pull have our messages being received and read, even responded to, on the prospect/customers' time frame," he noted.
"Not [an intrusive time frame as with] TV commercials, e-mail, some search engine marketing, online advertising, etc. Direct mail, especially, allows our customers a noninvasive first touch or introduction to products, services, etc. They opt to continue communicating that way, or they allow us to offer the communication method most preferred."
To read this Print in the Mix Fast Fact and other print market research studies, go to www.printinthemix.rit.edu. Print in the Mix is a free and easily accessible clearinghouse of research on print media effectiveness, published by the Printing Industry Center at RIT and made possible by a grant from The Print Council (www.theprintcouncil.org).
Dora Wong, director of human resources at 4over Inc., Glendale CA, has been named to the board of directors at The Electronic Document Scholarship Foundation (EDSF).
The 2011-2012 officers of the Printing Industries Association of Southern California (PIASC) were installed recently. They include: chairman, Ken Bittner, Diversified Printers; executive vice chairman, Urban Hirsch III, Ink Systems; senior vice chairman, David Overgaard, Burdge Cooper; and vice chairman, John Hodgman, Direct Connection Mailing.
The Printing Industries Alliance Franklin Event has announced the recipients of its 2011 Power of Communications Awards. For Printing: Michael Graff, president and CEO of Sandy Alexander, Clifton, NJ; for Publishing: Laura Reid, vice president of production for Hearst Magazines, New York; and for Retail Advertising: Rita Little, vice president of marketing, Bed Bath & Beyond, Farmingdale, NY. The trio will be honored on Sept. 21 during the Franklin Event in Manhattan.
Two executive management appointments have been announced at Philadelphia-based Phoenix Lithographing. Scott Thorell, former president of Tursack Printing, has been named president; and James Mele, most recently employed at Content Critical, is the new executive vice president of sales at Phoenix.
The members of Strategic Print Alliance have re-elected their executive team to an additional two-year term. Dan Adkison, president and COO of Wright Enterprises, will continue to serve as the group's president; Bob Berardino, president and COO of The Flesh Co. will continue as vice president; and Gerard Winterbottom, CFO of The Flesh Co., will continue as secretary and treasurer. Member companies include Apex Color, Bradley Graphic Solutions, Printgraphics, Superior Business Associates, The Flesh Co. and Wright Enterprises.
Andrew Gordon has joined Boston-based online printer 48HourPrint.com as vice president of sales, marketing and business development. He most recently served as manager of business intelligence at production printer manufacturer Océ North America.
WOA and Printing Industries of America named John Gaspari, vice president of operations, Specialty Print Communications, Niles, IL, the recipient of the 2011 H. Howard Flint II Operations Manager of the Year Award. He received the award during the Offset & Beyond conference, held last month in Orlando, FL.
At Skokie, IL-based Triangle Printers, Lori Henderson has been hired as an account executive. Prior to joining the company, she was employed at Argus Press.
Dena Goldstein has been named an account executive at Curtis Packaging, Sandy Hook, CT. She comes to Curtis with 30 years of industry experience managing high-end accounts in the fragrance, cosmetics and gourmet confections industries.
Two appointments have been made at Minneapolis-based Imagine! Print Solutions. Craig Mandery, founder and former president of Quantum Graphics, has been hired as the new vice president of manufacturing. Dean Pospesel, formerly with Maximum Graphics, has joined as vice president of business development.
Barb Dawson has joined Ann Arbor, MI-based Edwards Brothers as chief information officer, a newly created position at the printer. Dawson most recently served in the same capacity at the largest franchise moving company in the United States.
Cathedral Corp., a national provider of transactional documents, customer care communications, personalized direct mail and e-marketing programs based in Rome, NY, has named Tom Wetjen senior vice president of business sales. A longtime Xerox employee, Wetjen previously served as its vice president of worldwide graphic communications.
Franchise Services, parent company of the Sir Speedy and PIP Printing and Marketing Services franchises, named Lee Whitaker of PIP in Burlington, NC, as the recipient of the 2011 Don F. Lowe Salesperson of the Year Award at its 2011 Sales Forum.
Proforma announced seven new company owners within its network. New members include: Eric Ellison, Proforma Double E Promotions, Houston; Jacques Soriano, Proforma PME, Calabasas, CA; Mike Schiller, Proforma Accent Your Image, Rochester, MN; Gary Denardo, Proforma Four Seasons Solutions, Bluefield, WV; Chris Ferro, Proforma Impact Branding, Henderson, NV; Koby Marowelli, Proforma Image Gallery, Adrian, MI; and Johan and Marlene Oosthuizen and Scott Killion, Proforma Star Business Solutions, Grapevine, TX. PI
