HVDMA SNOW DATE IS A UNIQUE SUCCESS

For 2010 Calendar of Events click here

See Photo Gallery below!

In a month of major snowstorms, it was tough to find a good date for the Hudson Valley DMA’s February event. Luckily, Wednesday February 24^th carved a swath between blizzards, and a crowd convened at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, CT to learn about Unique Ways to Reach the Consumer:  Insert Media, Infomercials, Partnering, Packaging and Beyond.

The subject, exploring effective DM strategies using new combinations of traditional and innovative media, was a big draw. So was the panel, which included:

• Roger Baran, Sr. Marketing Director at Rodale Inc., a giant in publishing and insert media, with titles like Prevention, Men’s Health, Runner’s World, and other niche magazines and books.
• Ron Steblea, EVP at Allstar Marketing Group, the company behind the incredible Snuggie success story, a cultural phenomenon.
• Corin Lines, of AdPakUSA (parent company Itochu International), which is bringing exciting ideas from Japan — like DM via tissue packs and new types of dimensional mailers — to the American marketplace. Who says there’s nothing new under the sun?!

Some juicy bits of information we gleaned…

From Corin: DM marketing on wet wipes, tissue packs and other (sustainable) paper products are a more than $1 billion industry in Japan. Innovative packaging designs incorporate pockets for coupons or sampling. The possibilities are truly creative – tissue packs have been handed out at the Olympics with Alka-Seltzer samples inside; have been used for promotions at book signings of tear-jerker novels; have been used for all kinds of health-related purposes, including distribution of H1N1 information. For cut-thru-the-clutter results, these new media are measurably effective.

From Roger: Rodale is deeply into multi-channel marketing via print, video and Internet. Some titles, like “Eat This, Not That” are translated into hugely popular mobile device apps; social networking sites like biggestloserclub.com enrich the customer relationship experience. But it’s not just the high-tech stuff that works; so do old stand-bys like FSIs in the Sunday paper. Rodale misses no chance to market, whether it’s the bang tail of an invoice carrying another offer, or a consistent CRM strategy which follows up every transaction and mailing with a service/sales phone call. From traditional print to webserts and online partnerships, Rodale is doing it all and reaping the rewards.

From Ron: Allstar looks at 5,000 products a year, tests 50 and hopes for seven strong sellers. Yet even they were surprised by the way Snuggie took off! In addition to strong DRTV, the economy offered a perfect storm of reasons for people to want to cuddle up at home inside an inexpensive Snuggie, while saving money on gas and heating. The product also got strong support from retail giants like Walmart and Walgreen’s, who featured it in their special TV product sections. Incidentally, Allstar has other top sellers too including the Big Top Cupcake, the Perfect Brownie, and of course, the Emery Cat, a fun item for felines that trims their nails while they play!

Special thanks to Amy Altmann of Boardroom Inc. who moderated this super-animated session with finesse.

The HVDMA is a networking and educational club for direct marketing professionals in the Hudson Valley area. The next event is the Annual Round Table Session on April 14^th. More information is available at www.hvdma.org.

The blizzard was a blast, but it can’t keep the HVDMA from bringing you a great presentation! We’ve rescheduled our event for 2/24. If you haven’t yet reserved, please join us for:

Unique Ways to Reach the Consumer:
Insert Media, Infomercials, Partnering, Packaging and Beyond

Our inspiring speakers include:

• Roger Baran of Rodale Inc., a giant in publishing and insert media.
• Ron Steblea of Allstar Marketing Group, responsible for the incredible Snuggie success story.
• Corin Lines, of AdPakUSA (parent company Itochu International), which is making gains in the marketplace with unusual media.

Plus guest moderator Robert Balancia, Managing Partner, Interactive, G2 Direct and Digital, who will guide our dynamic panel!

Short presentations will be followed by Q&A sessions. Come investigate what’s new, what’s next and what’s really working in the world of direct marketing.

Event details:

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tamarack Country Club, 55 Locust Road, Greenwich
(203-531-7300)
11:30-1pm: networking and luncheon
1-2pm: Moderated Panel Q&A

IMPORTANT NOTE: This event will be held at Tamarack, not Fairview.

HVDMA presents

Unique Ways to Reach the Consumer:
Insert Media, Infomercials, Partnering, Packaging and Beyond

New year, new inspiration! Our February session will explore the spectrum of DM, from traditional media to innovative options you may never have thought of before.

We’ve got the perfect panel of specialists to take you on this journey of discovery. Roger Baran of Rodale Inc., a giant in publishing and insert media. Ron Steblea of Allstar Marketing Group, responsible for the incredible Snuggie success story. And Corin Lines, of AdPakUSA (parent company Itochu International), which is making gains in the marketplace with outta-the-box ideas like marketing on tissue packs.

Also special for this session: our guest moderator will be Robert Balancia, Managing Partner, Interactive division for G2 Direct and Digital. His expertise in new media will add leading-edge excitement to our dynamic panel!

This inspiration-packed session will start with short presentations by each of our panelists, followed by Q&A. You’ll hear about Rodale’s integrated campaigns and success with alternate media. You’ll discover how social media and viral marketing helped expand the Snuggie business. You’ll learn how Japanese success in tissue pack DM is now opening up the US market. Investigate all this and more as these highly original thinkers share their vision on what’s new, what’s next and what’s working in the world of direct marketing.

Join us, and write your own new success story for 2010!

Event details:
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tamarack Country Club, 55 Locust Road, Greenwich
(203-531-7300)
11:30-1pm:  networking and luncheon
1-2pm:  Moderated Panel Q&A

Click here for registration form

The Hudson Valley DMA celebrated the holidays at the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, CT on December 4^th.  DMers came out in record numbers to network, share holiday cheer and support the accomplishments of this years honorees.

Check out the photos!

HVDMA President Lauretta Harris of Write Communications recalled the joys and challenges of her reign as leader of the organization, as she inducted her new successor. Margaret O’Halloran of Staywell Consumer Health Publishing, the new HVDMA President, was subsequently crowned – literally, with a New Year’s Eve party hat!

The Founders Award was presented to Rich Mercado, who was instrumental in building HVDMA membership through his skills at developing and moderating the group’s educational seminars.

Scholarships were awarded to Kaitlin Gallucci and Catherine Philip of the Pace University graduate program in Interactive and Direct Marketing, at the Lubin School of Business. Each received a $1,500 award from the HVDMA’s Laura L. Smith Scholarship Fund, as the IDM program director Harvey Markowitz looked proudly on.

The 2009 Silent Auction was also great success, with 20 companies donating exciting items ranging from gourmet baskets and fine wine selections to spa offerings and a World Yacht Cruise. Auction proceeds support the scholarship fund and the HVDMA mission to provide quality education. (See brochure for complete listing of donors.)

The HVDMA Holiday Party was generously sponsored by FCI- Furgiuele & Company, Inc., providing expert data solutions to the DM industry. Visit their website at: www.fcidms.com

Our next event will be an educational forum in February 2010. More information coming soon.

HVDMA Holiday Party

“The Best Party of the Season!”

Friday, December 4, 2009

11:30 am – 3:00 pm

Tamarack Country Club

55 Locust Rd   Greenwich, CT

(203) 531-7300

Sponsored by: FCI – Furgiuele & Company, Inc.*

Yes, it’s time to plan for the Holidays! And as always, HVDMA will help you start the season with a bang. Our December event is a huge crowd-pleaser. You’ll enjoy fun, easy networking along with cocktails, fabulous grand buffet with carving stations, and the amazing prizes of our famous Silent Auction.

Tight budget? Not to worry – we’re keeping our price the same as last year out of consideration for all our dear members and friends.

More news forthcoming but in the meantime, save the date. To be safe, send in your payment now — seating is limited and this is always our best-attended event.

We look forward to seeing you!

Registration form available here

* FCI provides data solutions, helping marketers organize masses of data and convert it into measurable, actionable information. Enhance your decision-making expertise in every marketing channel! More information at: www.fcidms.com.

Facebook is up to 250 million members, Twitter has about 40 million users. LinkedIn has more than 365,000 company profiles; more than 12 million small-business professionals are members.

In case you’re still doubting the importance of social media, consider one more fact: Twitter users spend 66% more dollars on the Internet than non-Twitter users, according the market research of ComScore.

The Hudson Valley DMA convened a panel of “Social Media Masters” on October 7^th at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, CT, to discuss some of the leading edge ideas in this new virtual frontier.

Participants were: Valorie Luther, founder of Creative Concepts Consultants and the Business Smart Tools conference, a leading-edge social media forum; Ken Crites, Director of Consumer Direct, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, whose multi-channel marketing efforts have increased direct sales by an amazing annual rate of 60%; and Darryl Ohrt, founder of the marketing agency Plaid, renowned for Plaid Nation (a rolling demonstration of Social Media) as well as his blog Brand Flakes For Breakfast and his columns for Advertising Age’s Small Agency Diary.

The dynamic trio shared insights on the importance of using social media to listen, not just talk; on developing meaningful content that can be deployed through multiple channel feeds; building an online community; and the incredible relationship value that is achieved when consumers realize you are actively listening and personally taking part in their conversations about your brand.

They also underscored the fact that segment targeted marketing doesn’t change with social media – you always need to know who your audience is and what communication channels they prefer.

Lauretta Harris of Write Communications, president of the HVDMA, gave special thanks to Hillary Taylor of RMI Direct for her role in creating the day’s event, and to Macromark (www.macromark.com), one of the industry’s most progressive full service direct marketing agencies, who sponsored the event. She noted that the event pulled one of the largest audiences of the year. Clearly, direct marketers want to learn all they can about utilizing social media as these new communication channels evolve.

The HVDMA’s next event will be the Holiday Party on December 4^th at Tamarack County Club in Greenwich, CT. Information to be posted soon.

The Hudson Valley DMA presents
Meet the Modern Masters of Social Media
New Format – New Speakers – Information you need to know!

Sponsored by: Macromark

DATE:            Wednesday, October 7, 2009
TIME:             11:30am – 2:00pm
PLACE:          Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, CT
PHONE:         (203) 531-7300
PRICE:           $65 for HVDMA members, $80 for non-members
FORMAT:      Speaker presentations followed by Q&A

Leading-Edge Marketers are Achieving Success through Social Media – And So Can You!

Do you look at really successful companies … the ones with rising stock prices, state-of-the-art marketing campaigns, and consistent double (or even triple) digit growth – and wonder: How do they do that? Good question – and you’re about to get some answers.

HVDMA is pleased to present three modern masters of today’s all-important social media.  These leaders are harnessing the marketing power of the Internet as it evolves. They’re already involved with the next new thing, beyond blogging, tweeting or flickr-ing for business. Whether you want corporate presence on existing social sites, or to see where the action is heading … you will gain insights and answers at this exciting session.

Our format will be short “success story” presentations by each of our panelists, followed by a moderated conversation and audience Q&A. Discover creative new ideas on using Social Media for business growth, as you interact with these social media leaders!

OUR PANELISTS:

Ken Crites, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is ranked 11th on Fortune’s world-wide list of the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies. They have achieved a 61% increase in net sales and 123% increase in net income over the same quarter last year!

For the past six years, Ken Crites has been Director of Consumer Direct for GMCR’s Specialty Coffee Business Unit. Under his guidance, the unit’s annual sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 60%. He’ll share how Green Mountain markets across multiple social media channels (check out houseparty.com) to broaden their customer base, and how social responsibility is a factor in helping them attain amazing growth.

Valorie Luther, Creative Concepts Consultants LLC

Founder and CEO of Creative Concepts, Valorie is a social media “very early adaptor” who quickly grasped the PR/Marketing value of today’s newest interactive tools.

In addition to helping clients like Bigelow Tea and Ouidad grow their customer base and strengthen consumer relationships through the social media channels like blogs, Twitter, videos, Facebook and more, Valorie and her team also run the bi-annual “Business Smart Tools Conference.” It’s where a dynamic exchange about uber-innovative social media marketing takes place.

Valorie began her career in public relations, marketing and sales. She was director of F.E.M.A.L.E. and founder of Women@Work before founding Creative Concepts Consultants. As an experienced social media conference facilitator, she will moderate our event.

Darryl Ohrt, Plaid

Darryl Ohrt, Founder of the creative agency Plaid, is an expert at using social media to stay ahead of the competition. His agency is the creator of Plaid Nation (www.plaidnation.com) – a rolling demonstration of social media in action, that has traveled from coast to coast sharing the stories of innovators across the country (now sponsored by Ford Motors and Sprint).

Darryl is also chief contributor of the blog Brand Flakes For Breakfast and a regular contributing writer to Advertising Age’s Small Agency Diary. He calls himself a punk rocker, an internetologist and digital explorer. His agency has been featured in Advertising Age, HOW Design, Inc. magazine, and countless blogs.

Join us as our panelists share insights on how the most innovative brands harness the power of social media. Discover interactive strategies you aren’t using – but should be!

Our Social Media presentations are hot! Please reserve your space now.

Members $65/Non-Members $80
RSVP by Friday, October 2^nd to:

Amy Altmann/HVDMA, c/o Boardroom Inc., 281 Tresser Blvd, 8^th Floor, Stamford, CT  06901, 203-973-6222.

Registration form: Click here

This meeting is sponsored by Macromark: With roots in traditional list management and list brokerage, Macromark is one of the industry’s most progressive full service direct marketing agencies, offering expertise in all customer acquisition arenas including e-commerce, direct mail and print media.. www.macromark.com.

The HVDMA is a networking and educational club for direct marketing professionals in the Hudson Valley area. More information is available at www.hvdma.org.

Ever wondered how to break down the barrier of “not interested, we have somebody, I’ll get back to you another time,” that happens on so many sales calls? Rochelle Carrington, of Sandler Training/Second Wind Advisory Group, has some unique and effective answers — and she presented them at an HVDMA workshop, “How to Put the Wind Back in Your Sales”, on Wednesday, June 10, in Stamford.

By dissecting the mindset of the buyer and seller, Carrington guided the group through her web of “pattern interrupt”: the key to breaking the negative sales pattern. And, if you are caught in “wimp junction” – that nasty place where salespeople are tempted to become too much of a pushover – Rochelle had strategies to keep you strong!

Sandler Training is a world leader in innovative sales and sales management training. For more than 40 years, Sandler has taught its distinctive, non-traditional selling system and highly effective sales training methodology, which has helped salespeople and sales managers take charge of the process. Rochelle’s insightful ideas provoked lively interaction. Workshop participants left the event with new tools and approaches for improving sales in any economy – even this one!

Please join us for our next event, the Direct Classic Golf Outing, on July 30 – information below. Summer Party coming up too! Stay tuned for details.

4^th Annual Direct Classic
Thursday, July 30^th at The Canyon Club Golf Course
Tee-Off 11 AM – Plus Softball, Swimming, Dinner

Note: Lower Prices to Lure You to the Green!

Summer Fun is here again! Get in the swing with your Hudson Valley DMA, the DMCNY and the MFSANY (the New York Chapter of the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association). If you’re not a golfer, come anyway — for the pool, the softball, the dinner!

A fun-for-all fundraiser!
Direct Classic raises funds for DM educational programs. Your participation as a golfer or a sponsor supports HVDMA scholarships for graduate-level students in Direct Marketing, funding for students to attend DM industry conferences, and other activities that enrich the future of our field.

Event Details
Thursday, July 30^th at the Canyon Club, just off 684 in Armonk. 11:00 AM shotgun tee-off. “Scramble Best Ball” in four-person teams gives everyone a chance to win.

Five o’clock Cocktail Reception followed by full dinner. Enjoy prizes and awards, giftbags and giveaways!

How to Participate
You can be part of the action by golfing, sponsoring, or by giving a gift we can raffle off. Don’t play? Come to dinner and join your friends for a fine time at this beautiful club.

For more info call HVDMA Board member John LaGreca at 845-201-8829, or email him at jlagreca@feddirect.com. John will assist you with forms, directions and prize ideas. Forms are also posted on our website: www.hvdma.org

Don’t delay! Sign up now with a team or help make one. Single players are very welcome. You’ll enjoy a great day of golf and a celebratory evening, while you support educational programs that enhance our industry.

Registration Form: Part #1 Part #2

Members-Only Early Registration!

The Hudson Valley DMA presents
“How to Put the Wind Back in Your Sales”
with Rochelle Carrington
A Brown Bag Luncheon Workshop

DATE: Wednesday, June 10, 2008
TIME: 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
PLACE: 281 Tresser Blvd. 2nd floor Community Room, Stamford CT
PRICE: $25 (special recession-buster pricing!)
FORM: Registration Form

Don’t let the current economy dictate your future! Let Rochelle Carrington of Sandler Training/Second Wind Advisory Group empower you to take a fresh look at your businesses opportunities.

Sandler Training is a world leader in innovative sales and sales management training. For more than 40 years, Sandler has taught its distinctive, non-traditional selling system and highly effective sales training methodology, which has helped salespeople and sales managers take charge of the process.

Entrepreneur Magazine has ranked Sandler as the No. 1 training company seven times since 1994, including 2005-2007.

Join us for this exclusive, hands-on workshop with executive leader Rochelle Carrington. She’ll inspire you to rethink your sales methods, recharge your career and reposition your company for growth and success in the face of today’s challenges.

As special thanks to our members, we are rolling back workshop fee to 2005 pricing!

Event Details:

• Registration 11:30-12:00. Workshop 12:00-2:00.
• Bring your own brown bag lunch. Free beverages and dessert provided.
• This interactive workshop has limited seating. HVDMA members given priority for this week only.

About Rochelle Carrington

As a marathon competitor, Rochelle Carrington knows what it takes to go the distance. As a seasoned sales professional and consultant, Rochelle works with companies to motivate the behaviors, attitudes and beliefs of sales teams.

Her company, Second Wind Advisory Group, Inc., helps businesses reach critical goals so they can drive increased revenue and more effectively manage their human capital. Rochelle’s resume includes positions at Meredith Corporation, Hearst Magazines and Conde Nast Publications. She has trained and coached sales professionals, sales managers, business principals and marketing and advertising professionals.

The HVDMA is a networking and educational club for direct marketing professionals in the Hudson Valley area. More information is available at www.hvdma.org.