Tag Archives: Las Vegas

Sep 24

Response September: Telebrands at 30, I.Predictus at 1, and the State of the Industry

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RES0913_CV1The September issue of Response has been available online since Friday. Hopefully, if you’re one of our readers, you’ve taken a look at it, but — if not — here’s some back story on the cover feature on TELEBrands and AJ Khubani, as well as a number of the other key pieces in the issue:

  • September’s cover feature on TELEBrands takes an inside look at the direct response and retail giant that’s celebrating 30 years in business in 2013. In June, I sat down for a breakfast interview in New York with Khubani, who spoke eloquently and at length about the past, present and future of the business. His expertise and experience are unparalleled, as his company has helped drive the “As Seen On TV” category into a retail giant. Here’s the link again, if you missed it above: It Was 30 Years Ago Today …
  • Every September, we bring you our annual State of the Industry Report feature, where we query the esteemed Response Advisory Board regarding what’s happening right now — and what’s to come — across the direct, digital and data-driven marketplace. We’ve been fortunate, in recent years, to take advantage of technology to overcome the space limitations in print media by using our website to publish the full and unabridged answers of our contributors. So, even if you’ve already read the print version, I’d urge you to click on the following link now to get the rest of the story: 18th Annual State of the Industry Report
  • For the first time since our May issue, the DRMA Spotlight is back! This month, the spotlight falls on Direct Response Marketing Alliance member I.Predictus, a technology company looking to revolutionize the media buying business with high-end algorithms that could maximize the measurability of direct response media. I sat with the company’s founder, Monica C. Smith (who also founded Marketsmith, another well-known company in the DR space), in San Diego in August to hear more about I.Predictus’ technology and Smith’s vision. If you missed the link above to the written feature, click here: I.Predictus Takes the Gamble out of Media. If you’d like to watch the video interview with Smith, click here: DRMA Spotlight Video — I.Predictus
  • There was more tough news in our latest analysis of the DR industry’s quarterly media billings results. Taking a look at DR radio’s 1Q 2013 billings results, a $2.1 million loss (15.9 percent) from the same quarter a year prior continued the troubled story started by 1Q DRTV results. The $11.2 million total was the second-lowest result in a first quarter since 2005. For a full look at all the categorical and outlet results, here’s the link: 1Q 2013 DR Radio Media Billings Fade by $2.1M
  • My Editor’s Note makes a link between the voting for the DRMA Marketer of the Year (the winner of which will be revealed on Sept. 25 in Las Vegas) and the voting that also has a major hand in deciding the champion of one of my favorite sports, college football. See for yourself if I drew a clear enough parallel before joining about 900 of your closest friends at Vanity at the Hard Rock in Vegas tomorrow night! Here’s the link: All Polls Are Not Created Equal!

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!

Oct 19

Response October: DRMA’s Big Winners, FTC’s Big Losers and Some Hope for Long-Form

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The October issue of Response was another busy one for me and the team. Let’s take a look at some of the key pieces to the issue!

Response October

The Marketer of the Year Finalists graced Response’s October cover.

  • The 2012 DRMA Marketer of the Year race was a runaway for SENSA Products, but the battle for the other two finalist spots was tight, with Space Bag, recently purchased by consumer package goods behemoth SC Johnson, and Hampton Direct edging a slew of other competitors. What made these companies so strong in 20120? Find out in the cover feature, where SENSA’s Jeff Campbell, Space Bag’s Betty Jamieson-Dunne and Hampton’s Steve Heroux discuss the reasons for their products’ successes. Here’s the link again, if you missed it above: A Taste of Victory
  • The fourth annual MOY (as we call it internally at Response) event was also a big success, drawing around 900 DR industry folks to the Chateau Rooftop in Vegas. See a few pix of who was there in our monthly “But Wait, There’s More” section here: MOY Party a Who’s Who in Vegas!

    Zadspace

    Transpromo agency Zadspace is featured in this month’s DRMA Spotlight.

  • Our DRMA Spotlight focuses this month on a new player in the traditional direct marketing space: Zadspace. The company, which plays in the transpromotional sector of direct, features a familiar face at the helm to long-time DR insiders: Jeff Giordano, who served as chairman of the Electronic Retailing Association in its earlier days. Zadspace’s patented technology and methodology allows companies to place targeted promotions on the outside of DTC packages sent by E-tailers and catalogs. During a summer trip to New York, we were lucky enough to sit down with Jeff both for the print interview that’s featured in the magazine and for a video interview that can be found on our DRMA website. For the print story, once again, click here: Zadspace Turns the Box Upside Down For the video interview, in case you missed the link above, click here: DRMA Spotlight Video with Jeff Giordano
  • MB Chart

    Long-Form Media Bounced Back Big in 2Q 2012.

    The October issue also featured our latest analysis of the DR industry’s quarterly media billings results, this time in the long-form DRTV space. Second-quarter 2012 results — from Response‘s exclusive in-house research —  have the year off to its best six month start in quite a while. The $32 million leap in 2Q 2012 means that long-form DRTV media billings are up more than $40 million total in the year’s first half. For a full look at all the categorical and outlet results, here’s the link: 2Q 2012 Long-Form Media Billings Leap $32 Million

  • Finally, my October Editor’s Note tackles the recent FTC actions — with astoundingly big dollars attached — against some DR marketers. These actions, and their financial aspects, were all the buzz in Las Vegas last month, as many of the members of our Advisory Board are curious to see how the FTC proceeds from here. Is there not a better way to protect consumers than tackling products five years down the line? There will be more on this topic in coming issues of Response. If you missed the link above, here’s my take: The FTC Leans Hard on the DR Business … Again

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!