A Trio of DM Superstars Heads Up the Creative Track

April 5th, 2006

Alex MacAaron is kind enough to contribute yet another post this week, this time around on the Creative Track we’ve put together for you to take in at NEDMA ’06. 

Here’s Alex…

True story.  When my daughter was in pre-kindergarten, her school invited parents to come in and run creative projects with the kids.  So, I had this great idea.  I was going to do something really creative and teach the kids a little bit about direct marketing at the same time.  Under my guidance, each student would create a postcard “selling” their favorite snack food to someone.  They could draw or cut out and glue magazine pictures.  I’d ask them to write some copy explaining why the chosen snack food was so good.  And then we would send it to a grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend.  So, I explained this idea to Madison.  She was less than enthusiastic.

“Sara Cunningham’s father,” she informed me, “Showed us how to make smelly candles.”

Well, the outside world, much like my then 4-year old daughter, doesn’t always appreciate the creativity that goes into breakthrough direct marketing.  But, we know better.  Especially today, when there are more marketing messages competing for our target audience’s attention than ever before.

That’s why you won’t want to miss NEDMA ’06, It’s a Brave New World, the New England Direct Marketing Association’s Conference and Exposition.

With an entire track dedicated to Creative, you’ll have a chance to flex your muscles under the tutelage of three direct marketing superstars. 

Start off by understanding why “Creative Direct Marketing Isn’t an Oxymoron.”  The session will be led by Robert Rosenthal, the Mothers of Invention Founder, President and Creative Director.  He’ll show you how to use what he calls Optimarketing®, the powerful combination of extreme creative and smart direct marketing. 

The next session in the Conference’s Creative Track is called, “Great Creative?  You Must be out of Your Head!”   Steve Tharler (Chief Guide, THARLER DIRECTs), whose resume, credits and recognitions run far too long for me to list them here, will show you how to get out of your head … and into the heads of your prospective customers.

And, the final session in the Creative Track will be Nancy Harhut’s rapid-fire “Smarten Up!  76 Smart Secrets to get your Creative Opened, Read and Responded To.”  I’ve seen Nancy (who is Senior Vice President/Executive Creative Director of Relationship Marketing at Hill Holliday) speak many times at NEDMA and the DMA (unfortunately, I missed her recent Moscow gig!), and I always always always learn something new.

So, do you want to be more creative?  The way I look at it, you have two choices.  You can make smelly candles.  Or you can attend the Creative Track sessions at NEDMA ‘06.  I know where I’ll be.

Thanks, Alex.  We look forward to reading your fourth and final preview of NEDMA ’06 here in this space next week.

Note:  Alexandra MacAaron is Creative Director and “Queen B” of Plan B Communications.  A past president of NEDMA (’03-’04), Alex is currently the association’s Director of Communications.  She is also the co-author, along with Donna Baier Stein, of the book, The New Marketing Conversation. 

Entry Filed under: Speakers, Speakers' Books