Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Taste of a New Generation

Saw an article on the Yahoo web site about a new tactic that the beverage giant Pepsi is taking this year in regards to Super Bowl advertising. They are not going to do it. That’s right; they have decided it is in their best interest to allocate this money toward launching a $20 million grant campaign, which will be distributed through social media channels.

The grant money will go to projects that cover six categories: including health, arts, culture, the planet, education, food and shelter. People will go to http://www.refresheverything.com/ to vote on worthy appeals and suggest other projects that may deserve the money.

Folks from Pepsi are buying in hook, line and sinker that the use of social media will spark a long-term movement instead of a few days of buzz like they get over a commercial seen during the big game. Time will only tell whether they are getting a better bang for their buck, but Pepsi is really trying to tap into the “tastes” of today’s generation.

Labels: social media

posted by Michael Kertelits at 11:37 AM   0 comments

Catholic Digest unveils a new website

Catholic Digest has been working on re-creating the look and feel of their new website for the past few months. Yesterday they launched the new site and I must say it’s a huge improvement. RMI is excited about the website and thrilled to share the news with our audience.

The home page is welcoming and clear in demonstrating what Catholic Digest is about. The navigation is easy; you can visit pages that focus on faith, family, people, recipes, well being, travel, making a difference, and more. I love the recipes and their readers’ stories which share true life experiences.

On the website they also announced the launch of the “Voices of Catholic Digest” blog.

Labels: client

posted by Cyndi Lee at 11:00 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Kelly gets roasted for a good cause!

The National Press Club hosted a dais of amateur roasters, who poked fun at and toasted Past-Chair of the DMA board Kelly Browning, to benefit the DMA Nonprofit Federation’s Conference Scholarship program.

Kelly, being a good sport, allowed the illustrious panel which included our very own Rich Leary to make fun of him and his long history and involvement in the direct mail industry. The packed room was filled with laughter and water was even seen coming out of a client’s nose as some obvious and some inside jokes were shared.

The response to the roasters by Kelly was hysterical and will not be forgotten anytime soon. The evening was wonderfully entertaining and brought in over $4,000 for the DMA Nonprofit Federation’s Conference Scholarship fund.

For more pictures of the event, click here.

Labels: client, DMA Nonprofit, DMA Nonprofit Federation

posted by Tally at 7:51 AM   0 comments

RMI’s 4th Annual Nonprofit Mailer Symposium:

RMI held its 4th annual Nonprofit Mailer Symposium in DC last week; this event was created to bring together nonprofits to have an open discussion of their accomplishments and concerns. Conversation flowed as we enjoyed the southern fare at Acadiana, started off by a DMA overview presented by Kelly Browning, Executive Vice President and COO of American Institute for Cancer Research, and immediate past president of the DMA Board of Directors. The agenda covered specific topics of Housefile strategies, Donor Recruitment and Creative. There was this year, as always, a tremendous amount of discussion and conversation related to Online and Multi-channel marketing and how everyone is utilizing the numerous channels.

The attendee feedback we’ve received tells us this event is consistently insightful and informative for all attendees.

Would you like to attend next year? You do not need to be a client to attend; send your contact info to Becky Terhaar to be added to our invite listing.

To see other photos of the event, click here.

Labels: Nonprofit Mailer Symposium

posted by Tally at 7:33 AM   0 comments

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Is Apple’s iPad going to change the Mobile Market?

After watching the keynote (twice), I am extremely excited about the iPad. I believe it could become a must-have gadget that will do exactly what Apple hopes - bridge the gap between a smart phone and a laptop. As a person who travels with a smart phone and a laptop, an iPad would accomplish multiple needs, and occupy down time with an e-book or publication or a downloaded movie.

But what will it do to mobile marketing? The potential for mobile marketing growth with an iPad seem limitless: The full screen allows for a broader range of messages that would be limited on a smart phone. With wireless and 3G capabilities, and companies and developers quickly designing apps, there will be an app for your every need, and some that you didn’t know you needed. I can just imagine arriving at a new city for a business meeting and receiving an offer for a local restaurant or a taxi company’s promo with a phone number. It could be the next best way to make our personal and professional lives a lot easier, and more profitable.

Labels: mobile marketing

posted by Tally at 9:16 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Red Cross SMS appeal for Haiti raises $8M in 2 days

Mobile giving has reached new heights with consumers, according to a January 15th article on mobilemarketer.com. Consumers donated more than $8 million from their mobile phones for Haiti disaster relief. In just over two days last week, the Red Cross’ SMS campaign had seen the largest outpouring of charitable support via text in history. This trumps the previous mobile giving records; $400,000 that was collected via mobile for Katrina in 2005. According to MGive, most of the mobile giving has been from New York (10.6%) and California (15.6%). The amount of mobile donations the Red Cross has seen has made it clear to other nonprofit organizations that this is a channel for them to tap new donors.

Has this phenomenon made you consider putting SMS into your strategy?

Labels: fundraising, sms

posted by Siobhan Caragine at 6:37 AM   0 comments

Monday, December 28, 2009

You never know when a concert will take place!

An impromptu concert started in the RMI accounting department on Christmas Eve. Bryan Sih (our temp/high school senior) brought in his guitar to recreate the “Let it Snow” holiday card. Lead singer Lisa Davis is backed up by Kathy Duggan-Josephs, Debbie McLain, Tally Maffucci and Kathy Englund. Debbie Mclain proved to be the one with all the words, Aidan Howell (Alison Howell’s son) is the one showing no interest in the adults making fools of themselves. Enjoy!

I can not wait for the New Years Eve Auld Lang Syne Sing-a-long!

Labels: holiday, video

posted by Tally at 9:47 AM   0 comments