MOKRYNSKIdirect

In a session during the recent NEMOA conference in Portland, Maine, that had catalogers ducking for cover, Bill LaPierre, senior vice president of the Millard Group Inc., list brokerage division, provided a veteran’s critique of several catalogs he recently observed and of the catalog/multichannel business at large. His overall finding? Today’s catalogs are boring! LaPierre pulled no punches as he picked apart catalogs, referring to them as “tofu” (lacking in flavor) or “steak” (full of flavor), though he found plenty more tofu than steak. He provided tips primarily focusing on creative design. * Adapt, make timely changes to your catalog. LaPierre praised Cuddledown’s

The recent surge in company mergers and acquisitions within the list and database industry has spurred constant debate. Some believe these acquisitions will help strengthen the industry with better, more powerful resources available to clients. Others fear they’ll lessen the core quality needed to serve catalogers and other customers — service. At last week’s DMA List Day in New York, a panel of list industry leaders — John Healey, president/CEO of PRIMIS; Ed Mallin, president of infoUSA Services Group; and Lonnie Mandel, president/CEO of Specialists Marketing — attempted to shed some light on the recent developments, primarily infoUSA’s flurry of acquisitions over the past

Using promotions excessively can be like dealing with the devil. Promote too much, and you not only give customers the impression that you’re an off-price bargain house, but also your profit margins can tumble. One of the livelier sessions held during the New England Mail Order Association (NEMOA) conference in late September was a staged debate in which panelists and audience members argued about the need for catalog promotions. To fuel the fire, response data from a recent Mokrynskidirect catalog client survey was thrown into the mix for each issue tackled. The debate brought out some issues for all to ponder. Below, are the