Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) yesterday sent a letter to Congress restating its long-standing commitment to ensuring the security of consumer data across the entire data-driven marketing economy. The letter states, in part:

Every year there's a different focus to the Direct Marketing Association's Annual Conference. This morning I'm heading out to Chicago to witness the spectacle once again. And once again (if you pardon the shameless self-promotion), I'll be presenting my session, The 9 Immutable Laws of Social Media Marketing. My session is part of the DMA's "Back by Popular Demand" series. In truth, I haven't read much about DMA13. Frankly, I want to be surprised.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Mom365 released a new whitepaper titled Direct Marketing to Moms. The joint study by Mom365 and the DMA is the first study of its kind on direct marketing behavior and attitudes of new mothers.

With over 1.4 billion users of email, it's not surprising that businesses are using this channel for more communications. Email is relatively inexpensive and generates a high return on investment, with the Direct Marketing Association estimating a 43 to one return on every dollar spent on email marketing campaigns.

The cross-channel retail industry is at a crossroads. For starters, due to the economic downturn, the past couple of years have been difficult for the retail sector. But that's changing. Retailers are starting to see signs of life and are breathing a sigh of relief. At press time, for example, it was announced that February retail sales increased 0.6 percent over January and 4.2 percent year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation.

On Jan. 26, a United States District Court Judge in Denver entered a preliminary injunction against the Colorado Department of Revenue in the lawsuit that the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) brought challenging Colorado's new notice and reporting law, H.B. 10-1193. This controversial legislation — the enforcement of which is now suspended by the court's order — imposes three sets of obligations on out-of-state retailers that don't have nexus in the state and don't collect Colorado sales tax.

The Federal District Court in Denver has sided with the Direct Marketing Association over the Colorado Reporting Law violating the Constitution. 

Today I bring you the latest quarterly employment survey from Bernhart Associates. I find it very encouraging, and hope you will too. A rebound in hiring in the direct and cross-channel retail industries spells good news for all of us — and the economy in general.

I don’t know how much more I can do or say about the U.S. Postal Service and its stupidity. I've made all kinds of suggestions on how it can increase its revenues, incentivize companies to try mail and win back customers who have abandoned the channel. I even wrote a fake testimonial letter from an online marketing company thanking the USPS for helping it build their business. And yet the madness continues.

With yesterday's decision by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to reject a postal rate hike proposed by the U.S. Postal Service, business mailers — and the trade groups that represent them — have reason to celebrate. At least for now.