The Big Fat Marketing Blog

Ninety-four people attended the fourth annual National Catalog Forum presented by the American Catalog Mailers Association June 21-22 in Washington, D.C. The good news is attendance rose 40%, including 45 first-timers, compared to last year.

The bad news? The figure represents about 2% of the catalogers in the U.S.

“I was surprised that so few of the catalogers in our industry have participated in the ACMA,” says Chris Smith, vice president of ecommerce and catalog for Jockey International. “I am not sure whether the association is too focused — other catalogers may be part of larger multichannel retailers and therefore work with more broad-based organizations — or if it’s an issue of lack of awareness. Either way, if you are mailing catalogs, the ACMA is helping you stay in business.” more

Most catalogers who attended the National Catalog Forum in Washington June 21-22 praised Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe after he told attendees he won’t push for an exigent rate increase for Standard Mail flats – the category affecting most catalogers.

Donahoe, who made his remarks at the fourth annual National Catalog Forum held by the American Catalog Mailers Association, earned high marks in the eyes of attendees. But catalogers remain cautiously optimistic. Here’s what some of the attendees said about Donahoe: more

Will consumers tuck away online banner ads, dragging them out for perusal on winter nights when the dark has fallen early and frigid air whistles through the walls? AdKeeper is betting so, according to a column in the New York Times.

AdKeeper, a service which purports to add value to banner ads, starts with the premise that consumers will store them for further review and action. This is a supposition which might generously be classified as optimistic. more

Timing isn’t everything in email marketing, but it does count for a heck of a lot. Do your messages hit the right notes, at the right time, or do they make your audience wonder just what you were thinking?

This past week, not surprisingly, my inbox has been filled with missives related to summer and Independence Day.

Kraft, for example, this morning sent an email full of recipes perfect for July 4, such as a strawberry and blueberry topped Wave Your Flag Cake. more

In the wake of the U.S. Postal Services announcement Wednesday that it would suspend payment of its obligation to cover retiree healthcare costs, /Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House oversight committee had another idea.

He introduced a bill creating a new government agency to oversee postal finances and increase its borrowing authority.

Before we talk about what this bill says, we must ask ourselves how much of a chance does it have in Congress, especially when it’s in a mood to cut government services?

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Postmaster General Pat Donahoe admits he’s an eternal optimist. So much so that he firmly believes the U.S. Postal Service will emerge from its ongoing financial turmoil a leaner, more efficient and profitable agency.

During the fourth annual National Catalog Forum June 21-22 in Washington, D.C. – presented by the American Catalog Mailers Association – Donahoe shared a favorite joke of his that was Ronald Reagan’s favorite as well. more