What You Need to Know about the Direct Mail Track at NEDMA ‘06

Joining us once again this week is Alex MacAaron, Creative Director and “Queen B” of Plan B Communications, a past president of NEDMA (’03-’04) and our current Director of Communications. 

Alex is also the co-author (along with Donna Baier Stein, another past president of NEDMA) of the book, The New Marketing Conversation, which is available for purchase here.

This time around, Alex tells you what you need to know about NEDMA ‘06’s Direct Mail track.  So without further ado, here’s her preview…

I’m working on a major website right now with an interactive Creative Director/Programmer/Geek.  He’s really really really smart about what he does – and completely ignorant when it comes to what we do.  When I was talking about “Direct Marketing” the other day, he responded with …

“’Direct Marketing?’  Isn’t that a euphemism for ‘Junk Mail?’”

Well, my colleague’s smart aleck observation may be wrong, but he’s not alone in his thinking.  As direct mail marketers, we probably rank in the public’s esteem somewhere between ambulance chasers and used car salesmen.

That’s why I encourage you to take a stand – and take your seat at NEDMA ‘06 and its Direct Mail track.

The first Direct Mail session promises to be entertaining as well as informative.  In “Breakthrough Formats with Proven Success,” Mullen’s Sean Cunningham is going to share some packages that were such a departure that they “scared clients at first.”  Wow.  How often do we get to do that?  (And live to talk about it?)

The next Direct Mail session gives you an opportunity to hear from not one, not two, not three, but four of New England’s top direct mail creatives. Jonathan Kranz, Bob McCarthy, Pat Farley and Pam Sullivan will share their expert perspectives on “Direct Mail Strategies:  What’s Hot, What’s Not in B2B, B2C and Not-For-Profit.”

And, in the last Direct Mail session, we’ll hear about “The Value of Outsourcing Production” from Yellowfin Direct Marketing’s President & CEO, David Hazeltine.  He’ll point out some of the pitfalls of trying to do too much in-house.

Hey, I admit it.  Junk mail has been very good to me.  So, if you’re like me and make a living in direct mail marketing, I hope I’ll see you at NEDMA ’06, It’s a Brave New World, the New England Direct Marketing Association’s Conference and Exposition (June 14-15, 2006, LaCava Center, Bentley College, Waltham, Massachusetts).

Thanks, Alex.  Great post!  And as I mentioned last week, Alex is also making an appearance at NEDMA ’06, conducting an all-day (9 AM-4 PM) creative workshop on June 14 with her Plan B colleagues, Walter Bumford and Dave Gordon.  Entitled The Big Pitch, this workshop will give you the opportunity to join a team for a day and get a “real world” assignment from a major Boston-area client.  At the end of the session, your team will “pitch” its ideas to a panel of expert judges.  And if you’re on the winning team, according to Alex, you’ll get plenty of fame, fortune and…a paid freelance assignment from Plan B Marketing Communications.  How cool is that? 

Add comment March 30th, 2006