It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. It seems like the millennium was just yesterday. If you were around during those times you’ll have to admit they were pretty crazy.

Everyone had something to sell to address the projected Y2K catastrophe, and the dotcom era was in overdrive. Lavish amounts of money created overnight success stories and instant billionaires. And then the bubble burst and the technology sector froze in response. Much has changed since then. For one thing, relationship marketing is back in the driver’s seat, thanks to a variety of factors including:

  • increased marketing complexity
  • the fragmentation of media
  • growth in online marketing
  • the rapid innovation of highly targeted marketing tactics

Gone are the days when ROI didn’t matter. We’re back to proving ROI on everything we do. One of our favorite quotes is from David Ogilvy “if it doesn’t sell, then it isn’t creative”.

We’re looking forward to another exciting year of growth and learning. For smart marketing tips please sign-up below an join in our monthly webcasts. We’ll be sure to keep you informed as we continue to articulate the best practices in today’s complex marketing world.

comments

I do like your favorite quote. But like beauty, creativity is in the eye of the beholder. Opting for a different approach in media — in reaching potential customers — is risky. And while direct marketers say they want “out of the box” ideas, few will test until proven. That just puts such ideas in a larger box.

Reaching a potential customer and conveying your message in a format that will be seen is a marketers dream. Convincing marketers that others have proven their return on investment in a new media is not an easy task. The proven way is not necessarily the creative way.

Do you think it is a good idea to reach a potential customer when her checkbook is open? We are working with Direct Checks Unlimited (a division of Deluxe Corporation) offering advertisers an opportunity to have their message bound-in to the first checkbook of an order.
It is on top and must be touch.

We have been able to sell the media effectively, but I am still amazed on how few direct marketers value “creativity.”

It is good that there creative-thinking agencies out there still trying to think outside the box.

Al Stanton :: February 12th, 2008

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