Sign Up by May 1 and Save Big on D2C Registration!

We know that times are still relatively tough in our industry as well as in the general marketplace. People are watching their budgets very carefully — especially when it comes to business travel. Although ERA can’t curb fuel prices, we can certainly offer you big savings on your 2011 ERA D2C Convention registration. How? Simply go to www.d2cshow.org/registration.html and take advantage of Super Early-bird rates for members and non-members. Use discount code: SUPER. Remember, these discounted rates are only available until May 1, so don’t delay.

For more information about this must-attend event, go to D2Cshow.org.

Call for Entries – Education Sessions!

Are you interested in speaking at the 2011 ERA D2C Convention? Do you have a great idea for a case study, panel, or “How To” session? Then submit your session idea by May 6 and see if the direct response community votes on your concept.

New this year, we are implementing a crowd-sourcing strategy to determine the education sessions for the D2C show in Vegas, September 13-15. Below are the steps you need to take to get involved:

1. STEP 1: Call For Submissions – ERA will solicit and collect ideas for presentations, panel discussions or case studies. Timeframe: April 4 – May 6, 2011. (See Submission Guidelines for instructions on how to submit your idea.)
2. STEP 2: Online Voting – The sessions will be ranked via an online poll. The poll will be available at retailing.org and d2cshow.org/education.html and will be promoted via email, magazine ads and editorial,  social media and other platforms.Timeframe: May 23 – June 3, 2011.
3. STEP 3: Selections Made – The sessions to be presented at the 2011 ERA D2C Convention will be chosen based on their overall ranking. The overall ranking will be determined by weighing the average rankings of three voter groups: ERA staff (33.3%), the ERA EducationCommittee (33.3%) and the ERA membership andD2C community at large (33.3%).
4. STEP 4: Results Announced – All those who submit ideas will be notified of the results by June 10, 2011. Thosewhose sessions have been selected will be informed of all responsibilities andrequirements at that time.

Download the Submission Guidelines and Submission Form.

Questions? Contact Vi Paynich at vpaynich@retailing.org or 909-606-3406.

ERA Loves Crowds

Sometimes, getting caught up in traffic can be a good thing—a point that was driven home Wednesday at the 2010 ERA D2C Convention.

With registration surging to nearly 3,900 attendees (shattering the previous attendance mark of 3,200, set just last year), D2C is a whirlwind of activity. Everywhere you look, business is bustling. The show floor—expanded this year to two large ballrooms at the Wynn Las Vegas—is packed, as is every conceivable meeting space.

The global direct response community is here, with the entire lifecycle of a DR campaign represented, from the inventor to the fulfillment house—and everything in between. Digital and mobile marketers and solutions providers are present, too, leaving no doubt that we’re a true multichannel industry.

The press is here in force, as well, with print and broadcast media roaming the floor, conducting interviews with industry leaders and shooting video—it all adds to the sense of excitement.

It all began this morning with the keynote presentation delivered by Love Goel. His might not be a household name, but his accomplishments are enough to knock you back on your heels: he’s the only executive to take three companies from start-up to billion-dollar businesses; he’s responsible for transforming Sears and Fingerhut into two of the world’s top-three multichannel marketers; and he has advised global icons from Nike to Apple to Google, Wal-Mart, Amazon and many others. He had the crowd’s heads spinning as he explained the dramatic ways in which the retail landscape will be shifting in the coming years—but left them with a number of useful insights into how multichannel retailers can thrive in this environment.

It’s a vibrant and exciting gathering of the global DR community, with much more on the way. But we hope you don’t mind a little traffic!

Day 1: Rockin Start to the Show

More than 50 leading industry experts delivered presentations, panel discussions and case studies across four tracks—direct response success, digital marketing intelligence, operations and profitability and government affairs—making Tuesday’s education day the most robust education program in the 20-year history of the ERA’s annual trade show and conference, now known as the ERA D2C Convention.

While it’s difficult to single out just a few highlights, the DRTV 101 session—moderated by the powerhouse Stacy Durand of Revenue Frontier/Media Design Group—again packed the house, with 200 people gathering for a 90-minute primer on all things DRTV.

Hawthorne Direct’s Tim Hawthorne skillfully led a panel through a discussion of the potentially thorny issue regarding the opposing forces at work—and possible conflicts of interest that can arise—in the media-buying world…and how to navigate these waters. Industry vets Rick Petry and Jeff Meltzer helmed panels that explored how to trigger the purchase impulse and emerging DR trends, respectively. Forbes Riley showed why she’s a hall-of-fame host during her popular panel—the Hitmakers—which featured some of the leading marketers in the industry.

Topics were interesting and wide-ranging, and included tips on looking at back-end processes as potential profit centers and a discussion of relatively under-the-radar Colorado law that could turn e-commerce on its head—and what’s being done to stop it.

Online and digital marketing were hot topics, too, with sessions focusing on real-world mobile marketing success stories, plugging the revenue holes in your landing pages and how consumers’ purchase decision-making is evolving in the digital age.

The Real World: Las Vegas – Coming to the D2C by Scott Richards

No, it’s not the version featuring buff 20-somethings debating over a pool table, but the one session you will not want to miss at this year’s D2C Convention: Best Practices in Teleservices. Why? Because it will be packed from end-to-end with real world examples of ways you can partner with your telemarketing service providers to increase inbound results, conversion and ROI.

This session will forego “theory” to give you practical and actionable advice that includes:

• The simple trick you can use to increase inbound results 30 percent or more.
• The latest technologies leading edge marketers are using keep consumers happy and buying.
• Adventures in scriptwriting that reveal how learning is applied to increase overall order value.
• The pitfalls and opportunities that third-party upsells represent in today’s regulatory environment.
• How to cut through telemarketing data overload to uncover meaningful gems that will help you optimize your campaign.

So if you think spending an hour with a bunch of telemarketers is akin to a trip to your mother-in-law’s, think again! Join me, moderator Scott Richards, along with USA 800’s Tom Davis, LiveOps’ Matt Fisher, Scott Swanson of Synergixx and West Direct’s Doug Kline as we share knowledge and case studies from the real world that will empower you to succeed! Plan on attending Best Practices in Teleservices at the 2010 ERA D2C Convention on Tuesday, September 21 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Petrus 2 at the Wynn Las Vegas.

___________________________

Scott Richards is CEO of Dial 800. Dial 800 provides direct marketers and agencies powerful tools that optimize conversion and sales. He can be reached at 1-800-DIAL-800 or at scott.richards@Dial800.com.

Strategies for Engaging the Multi-Channel Consumer by Bryce Marshall

Consumers are multi-channel. Whether researching a big purchase or looking to find a gift at the last minute, consumers consult everything from customer reviews, to the mobile Web, to email newsletters for product and purchase information.

With so many channels vying for the consumer’s attention, how do you form a multi-channel direct digital marketing strategy that improves consumer experience and boosts sales? Leverage customer data.
By having customer data in a central location and combining data, like customer past purchase history or enterprise customer data, from multiple channels, marketers have the opportunity to create a multitude of unique customer segments.

For example, you can create a segment of customers who have used a mobile coupon, but have not opened an email in the last six months. Armed with this valuable information, it is possible to engage the consumer with relevant, timely communications. Another simple solution is to create a customer communication preference center. Customers want a choice in how they receive their information, take advantage of it.

Strategies and tactics like the examples above (and more) will be the focus of the “Engage Customers in Their Natural Habitat” panel in education track 2 at the 2010 ERA D2C Convention on Tuesady, September 21. Learn how technology can work together to deliver bottom line success for brands and retailers. 

___________________________

Bryce Marshall is the Director of Strategic Services for Knotice. Bryce works with new and existing clients to define strategies and plans for more powerful and profitable application of direct digital marketing programs. Contact Bryce at bmarshall@knotice.com. For more information about Knotice visit www.knotice.com or their blog http://lunchpail.knotice.com.

Secrets to Quickly Transform Your Online Marketing by Timothy Seward

As the founder of a search marketing agency with nearly 100 direct response clients, I’m able to get a behind-the-scenes look at what drives online success. Of course there are many factors at play, from ad content to customer lifetime value… yet by far the quickest and most reliable way to get major gains in your ROI is through landing page and conversion funnel testing.

If we didn’t employ testing, many of our clients wouldn’t have survived online. Simple changes can produce dramatic results and turn a break-even campaign into a money-maker.

The truth, however, is that testing costs real money when you’re paying for your online traffic. Testing random page elements and copy in hopes for a major win is foolhardy and will usually get you nowhere. To make it work requires an understanding of the major factors influencing your online conversion.

In Track 2: Digital Intelligence of the upcoming 2010 ERA D2C Convention, I’ll be speaking about how to drive conversions through landing page optimization. I’ll discuss factors that affect conversion such as value proposition, motivation, and friction. I’ll give real-world test examples that produced double-digit sales growth. There are plenty of tools out there, but I’ll show you one of our favorites for testing: Google’s Website Optimizer.

If the thought of a double-digit increase to your online sales channel sounds exciting, you’ll want to join me in this session!

___________________________

Timothy Seward is founder and President of ROI Revolution, Inc., a data driven Google AdWords Qualified Company obsessively focused on delivering profitable and scalable Pay-Per-Click advertising results.

The Tipping Point for Direct Marketers: the “Ah-Ha Moment” by Rick Petry

With consumers bombarded with thousands of messages vying for their attention, how do you get them to stop and pay attention to your message so they can be converted into buyers? The answer lies in the “ah-ha moment.” The ah-ha moment is that moment in an advertisement that is so compelling a consumer cannot turn away, and is tipped from fence sitter to buyer.

Such irresistible moments will be the focus of a first-of-its-kind panel entitled: Triggering the Purchase Impulse: Create the “Ah-Ha” Moment. The panel will be held at this year’s ERA D2C Convention on Tuesday, September 21 starting at 11:15 am. This one-hour symposium will be packed with specific examples from successful DRTV and radio campaigns that will illustrate actionable lessons marketers and their agencies can apply to their own marketing communications. A spectrum of direct marketing elements from demonstrations, testimonials, offers, and the like will be on display from spots, infomercials, home shopping, radio, and the Internet. Attendees will be invited to participate throughout with their questions and comments.

The free-flowing format will eschew PowerPoint for dynamic interplay that features some of the industry’s brightest creative and marketing executives. So – don’t touch that dial! – mark your calendar today and plan on attending this dynamic presentation in Las Vegas hosted by yours truly and featuring Doug Frankel of Broadcast Communications Media, Inc., Ron Lynch of Cesari Direct, Launch DRTV’s Drew Plotkin, Andy Spivak of Revenue Frontier/Media Design Group, and Little Giant Ladders’ Art Wing.

___________________________

Rick Petry is a freelance writer who specializes in direct marketing. Contact Petry at (503) 740-9065, rick.petry@me.com, or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thepetrydish.

Call for Entries –> 25th Anniversary Pavilion

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the infomercial. To commemorate this landmark anniversary, ERA, led by the PR Committee, is presenting the 25th Anniversary Pavilion at the 2010 ERA D2C Convention. The pavilion will showcase the most memorable infomercials and products from the past 25 years.

Want to get invovled? Here’s how:

1. Submit your suggestions for the most historical, groundbreaking, humorous, controversial and legendary infomercials of all time.
2. Indicate whether you have video of the actual infomercial and/or the product featured in the infomercial that can be submitted and used as part of the exhibit.
3. Send your submission(s) to Dave Martin at dmartin@retailing.org by Friday, May 21.

For more information about the 25th Anniversary Pavilion , contact Dave Martin at dmartin@retailing.org or 703-908-1031. Don’t forget – submit your ideas by May 21! We’re open to all ideas and suggestions!

Top 10 Reasons to Wonder at the Wynn

For 2010, the ERA D2C Convention has moved to the new, fabulous and EXCLUSIVE venue, the Wynn Las Vegas. Here are the top 10 reasons to worship the Wynn… and reserve your room today!

1.    Luxurious Rooms for Just $179/Night – rates exclusive to D2C attendees
2.    Private 1 and 2 Bedroom Hospitality Suites – entertain your guests in style. Reserve through ERA and receive special rates and become eligible to receive freight and F&B service
3.    Convenient Location – located in the heart of the Las Vegas strip, the Wynn is across from the Fashion Show Mall and a short walk to the Las Vegas Monorail.
4.    More Than 22 Restaurants – ranging from casual to-go eateries to world-class restaurants, there’s something for everyone
5.    Five Refreshing Pools – the Sunset Pool is the location of the Opening Reception on September 21
6.    Work Hard, Play Hard – after a long day on the show floor, hit up Tryst or Blush nightclubs at the Wynn
7.    Le Reve – entertain your business clients and watch the breathtaking acrobatic and artistic performance.
8.    Relaxation and Rest – tired feet? After a long day at the show, indulge in a massage or a whirlpool at the Wynn’s spa and salon
9.    Award Winning Golf Course – stay an extra day and head to the 18-hole, 7,000+ yard, par 70 golf course at the Wynn
10.    Win Big at the Wynn – with 1,900 slots and a twenty-six table poker room, don’t get sucked in at the casino and miss out on the ERA D2C Convention!

Don’t forget to register for the 2010 ERA D2C Convention by July 1 for special early-bird savings. Once you’ve registered, you can then reserve a Wynn hotel room in the ERA room block.