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Mar 07

Response January: Shiny and New for 2018

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Tom

Yes, it’s March. And, yes, I’m just now getting to my recap of Response’s January Issue. My bad … there have been some crazy times as we close in on MTC Expo next month. However, with a moment to breathe this week, I’m hoping that I can get both this note and one about the February issue posted. January’s book features JamesAllen.com CMO Johanna Tzur on the cover. The story about the world’s fastest growing online diamond and bridal jewelry retailer is an intriguing look at the power of online video. January also finalized our shift to becoming “the magazine for media, technology, and commerce,” and with that, we offer the first of four quarterly features on the media space — this one about the expanding world of digital advertising. We also have a look at the digital goods market and a look back at one of 2017’s biggest editorial projects — one year later — the ever-evolving consumer journey. We also move into 3Q 2017 for our quarterly media billings research, as long-form DRTV takes the stage. I guess what I’m saying is that the January issue is a meaty one. Let’s take a bite out of it.

January’s cover interview with Tzur started with a conversation sitting on a pair of upholstered benches in Chicago’s McCormick Place at IRCE last June. Tzur was presenting at the event about JamesAllen.com’s (parent company: R2Net, until the business was bought by Signet Jewelers in September) digital efforts. Following up on that meeting, I worked with Diana Vicinanza of the company’s PR agency, Goldin Solutions, to keep the conversation going. By late summer, we’d agreed on this January spot for the cover feature. In the story, Tzur says, “Today, video is the format that projects greatest authenticity and allows high engagement with our viewers.” But that just scratches the surface of what JamesAllen.com is up to. If you missed the link above, click here: No Diamond in the Rough
Beginning with this issue, the No. 2 feature in the magazine will rotate among media, technology, and commerce topics each quarter. Leading off is this media spotlight on the power of digital advertising from long-time freelancer Bridget McCrea. Yes, the combined spend on all forms of digital marketing surpassed that of TV marketing spending for the first time in 2017 (or 2016, depending on who you listen to). But is there a single digital outlet that offers the scale of TV? The answer from our interviewees is a resounding “No!” But that’s not to say they’re not high on what digital opportunities — specifically mobile and social — are bringing to marketers. Once again, here’s the link to read more: The Expanse of Digital
As freelancer Pat Cauley notes in the second paragraph of his feature on the digital goods market, “From iTunes and Audible to Netflix and Tinder, digital goods represent one of the most diverse and thriving consumer segments.” Response just started giving the digital goods space an annual look three years ago, but it’s more than deserving of remaining on our editorial calendar in 2018 given both its overall growth and the innovative forms of marketing driving its success. In case you missed the link above, don’t miss it here: Service With a Smile
We kicked off 2017 with a four-month series of features on the Consumer Journey — a set of features written by former Response staffer and stellar freelancer Nicole Urso Reed that led directly into a six-session track on the topic at Response Expo last spring. With attention turning to the home stretch of planning this year’s rebranded MTC Expo, it seems only right that we get an update from Urso on what’s new for marketers trying to connect with consumers along that journey. The recurring answer: the growing importance of personalization. Here’s that link: The Personal Touch
Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings research reaches third-quarter 2017, which means we once again turn our attention to the flagging long-form DRTV space. Long-form’s total of $169.3 million represented the lowest third-quarter total in 21 years and marked the sector’s sixth consecutive losing quarter. However, with pricing continuing to fall — especially in the cable space — the number of time slots purchased jumped nearly 7 percent. For a full look at 3Q 2017 long-form DRTV media billings, click here: Long-Form Billings’ Misery Reaches 18 Months
The January issue also features a pair of solid column submissions:
- In her Committee Corner piece, Marketing Maven‘s Lindsey Carnett asks, “Are chatbots here to stay?”
- In his Legal Review column, Venable‘s Randal M. Shaheen says that consumer protection priorities are shifting at the FTC, the CFPB, and among state attorneys general.
Finally, my January Editor’s Note column allowed me the chance to neg on the idea of New Year’s Resolutions AND quote Yoda. Fun? You decide: Measurable Goals — Not Vague Resolutions — Create Success

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!

Jan 12

Response December: A Fitting Close to 2017

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Tom

Response‘s December Issue dropped online and began hitting mailboxes the week before Christmas. While many of you have had a chance to flip through the pages or peruse the stories online, the holiday season (and catching up after it) got in the way of my monthly recap — until today. The issue is led by a cover feature on Colorado-based healthcare provider UCHealth. Features on the consumer electronics market and what’s new in the radio media space follow behind. We also take a look at 2Q 2017 DR radio media billings, and five contributed columns also give notable information from leaders in the performance-based marketing world. How did it come together? Let’s dive in.

The December cover interview with Manny Rodriguez, CMO of UCHealth, was a long time coming. The story of the story begins in March 2017, when Sallie Sangiorgio, a PR executive in Ogilvy‘s Denver office, sent a note asking if I’d like to connect with Manny during a visit to Southern California late that month. Though timing didn’t work out, I made clear our interest in a possible cover feature on what UCHealth — a nonprofit network of nine acute care hospitals and more than 100 clinics throughout Colorado, southern Wyoming, and western Nebraska — was doing to market its services. After an informational interview with Manny in April, it was clear this was a story we wanted to tell in Response. But at that point, we were locked in for covers through 3Q 2017. Sallie and I continued to stay in touch through the summer and finally settled on the December issue as the best timing for us and for UCHealth. My interview with Manny was one of my favorites of 2017. He’s forthcoming, funny, and focused — a rare combination. If you missed the link above, click here: ‘Extraordinary’ Marketing
Also in December, freelancer Bridget McCrea dug into the consumer electronics market just ahead of the annual CES event that took place in Las Vegas this week. What did she find? Perhaps the only thing growing and changing faster than the technology behind your favorite tech gadgets is the technology supporting the marketing programs that are placing those gadgets at the front of your mind. Check out the story for more: The Future Is Now
Speaking of marketing technology, our annual look at the radio media marketplace has a distinct focus on the use of artificial intelligence as a facet of the programmatic buying process — not to mention back-end analytics programs that are measuring creative effectiveness and audience response. If you missed the link above, freelancer Doug McPherson‘s story is a good one: Robotic Radio
Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings research focuses on second-quarter 2017 DR radio research provided by our partner Kantar Media. After riding high through much of 2015 and 2016, DR radio suffered a second-consecutive quarterly decrease, dipping 18.1 percent compared to 2Q 2016 numbers. Still, it’s not all bad news: the total spend of $13.9 million is the third-best second-quarter total in the past decade. For a full look at 2Q 2017 DR radio media billings, click here: Radio Dials It Down Another Notch in 2Q 2017
The December issue also features five excellent column submissions:
- In his Support Services piece, OrderLogix‘s Bill Southwick urges readers to focus on the good things in life — and in business — as we head into 2018.
- In her Global Perspective column, Thane‘s Denise McRae contends that the growth of digital marketing in Europe presents U.S. direct marketers increasing opportunity.
- ESPN‘s Sylvester Phifer calls for leadership in the industry’s digital transformation in a stirring Committee Corner.
- The sub box boom causes California to once again tighten automatic renewal rules. What does it mean? Venable‘s Ellen Berge and Damon Wright give you the skinny in this Legal Review column.
- Matti Kon‘s Guest Opinion column says companies have to understand ransomware attacks to avoid them. The InfoTech president and CEO says 70 percent of companies hit with such attacks are out of business within six months.
Finally, my December Editor’s Note column touches on the changes we made in 2017 — not only in Response, but also with the DRMA and MTC Expo. But our work is far from done, though the calendar has flipped. What’s to come? Plenty: A Year Ends and an Evolution Continues

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!

Oct 13

Response September: 25 Years Down and a Transition to Come

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Tom

Following on the heels of my August recap, here’s a look at Response‘s September issue — the last issue of our 25th year of publication and the final issue prior to the brand refresh we’ve been working on in recent weeks. Appropriately, then, the issue is led by a cover story about a traditional direct-to-consumer marketer also celebrating its 25th anniversary: Tristar Products. Beyond that, September’s book includes a look at marketing in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market, a piece on the power of video marketing (no matter the medium) driving the convergence of media, technology, and commerce, and our 22nd annual State of the Industry report. Let’s take a look at how these — and other stories — came together to form this transitional issue.

One could say that September’s cover feature was a long time coming. After all, Keith Mirchandani has led Tristar Products to a series of mega successes using long-form DRTV and the now tried-and-true DR-to-retail model. You know them: the Ab Roller, the Jack LaLanne Juicer, the Genie brand of women’s intimate apparel, and — most recently — the Copper Chef brand. (Side note, I interviewed LaLanne for a June 2003 Response cover story. Still one of my favorite interviews of all time.) The company also won the sixth DRMA Marketer of the Year Award in 2014, earning part of a cover with fellow finalists Euro-Pro and Zumba Fitness. Turns out we caught Mirchandani at the right time for an intriguing interview, as he says Tristar is focused on the digital future. His thoughts about Amazon feel revolutionary to anyone who’s spent a lot of time around many traditional DR marketers who seem resistant to change. If you missed the link above, here it is once again: Product Power
Many experts believed — for some time — that consumers would never transition away from buying CPG products only at brick-and-mortar retail locations. But technology has a funny way of making such predictions look foolish, eventually. And with CPG marketers following the lead of success stories like Dollar Shave Club, Charlie’s Soap, and others, the CPG e-commerce revolution is well underway. What should you expect in coming months and years? Our feature from freelancer Doug McPherson has some answers: CPG Market: Toilet Paper Cleans Up … Online
As video marketing becomes prevalent everywhere — from that 50-inch flat screen in your home to the 4-inch screen in your hand — it’s leading the way to a true convergence of media, technology, and commerce that’s serving both the marketer and the consumer in equally efficient ways. As we transition to our new tagline later this month — the magazine for media, technology, and commerce — this feature from freelancer Nicole Urso Reed tells part of the story about why we’re heading in this direction: Prime Time, All the Time
As we’ve done every September for the past 21 years, we queried the members of our Advisory Board for their thoughts about the current state of the industry. Ten of these leaders answered at least a few of our 14 questions, and though we could never fit that in the limited print pages of the hard copy of Response, we can give you each answer they shared in the online version. Here’s that story link again: Response Magazine’s 22nd Annual State of the Industry Report
Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings wrap up first-quarter 2017 results with a look at Kantar Media‘s DR radio results. After a five-quarter-long winning streak, DR radio finally gave back a little of those gains, dipping 7.9 percent compared to 1Q 2016 results. Still, the quarter’s total spend marked the second-best 1Q result during the past decade — so there’s no need to panic. For a full look at 1Q 2017 DR radio media billings, click here: Radio Loses Volume in 1Q 2017
Don’t miss these solid column submissions that give weight to the September issue, as well:
- In the Media Zone, Kingstar Media‘s Ed Crain and Anat Freed say that DRTV is poised to become a leader on the shifting media landscape.
- In her latest En Español column, Omni Direct‘s Denira Borrero shares four key tips to maximize ROI from Spanish-language TV ads.
- Icon Media Direct’s Jeff Lazkani — a member of the DRMA TV Everywhere Committee — takes over the Committee Corner with his thoughts on the expanding power of programmatic media buying.
- Finally, Venable’s Daniel S. Blynn shares a Legal Review update on telemarketing law shifts.
My Editor’s Note column sets the stage for Response Magazine’s coming brand refresh, while also dropping the news of our complete rebrand of our annual three-day event as MTC Expo. Yes, you’re going to be hearing a lot about the convergence of media, technology, and commerce. But it’s exactly where the business is headed — and we’re going to be right there with it, if not a step ahead. If you missed the link above, here it is: We Stand at the Intersection of Media, Technology, and Commerce

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!

Tom Rants.

I rant. You read.

Tag Archives: Venable

Response January: Shiny and New for 2018

Response December: A Fitting Close to 2017

Response September: 25 Years Down and a Transition to Come