Tuesday, September 30, 2008

CU does it again

I recently attended the bi-annual campaign planning meeting at Consumers Union and was once again blown away. CU's efforts to include every employee and vendor involved in the process creates amazing efficiency, teamwork and ownership. And listening to their vendors' efforts to improve efficiency, reduce cost, save energy and protect the environment was truly inspiring. I applaud them all.

In other CU news, Consumer Reports Magazine recently launched a new look with their September issue, with a redesigned consumerreports.org due this fall.

Labels: publishing

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Remembering a philanthropist

Lately we have seen movie stars making headlines because of their seemingly beneficent acts in children's causes. But face it, don't you always have a little feeling in the back of your mind that there's something jaded about their motives? I do.

But not in the case of the late Paul Newman, who passed away this weekend. He was a different breed. He didn't need the notoriety. Little fanfare was made years ago when he started the "Whole in the Wall Camps" for children with cancer, which was funded out of the profits from his Newman's Own brand of popcorn. This concept was so successful that it went on to create over 20 camps and dozens of grocery products. To the point where the line is blurred between the product and its branding and the reason it was created. We buy the salad dressing because it's good, not necessarily because 100% of the profit goes to charity.

There are no big photo ops, no headlines no Hollywood drama surrounding him or his charity.

Wouldn't every non profit love to have this kind of angel.

Don Imus is doing something similar but let's face it, he's no Paul Newman.

Labels: nonprofit

PKD awareness week

PKD (Poly Cystic Kidney Disease) afflicts over 600,000 Americans and well over 12 million people world wide. It's a disease my family and I know about only too well. But for those who suffer from this disease we got some very welcome new earlier in the month. The Senate passed a sense of awareness "PKD Awareness Week Bill". September 14-20, 2008 are the dates. This is a big move for PKD because it took years to get this accomplished. It's a step to get law makers to understand and fund more money for research to cure this disease.

In addition, after 13 years Congress passed the GINA bill (Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act ) which gives privacy to individuals who have genetic diseases and can not be discriminated by insurance companies or employers due to their health issues.

Labels: legislation, nonprofit

Friday, September 26, 2008

Food for thought

Ever since I can remember RMI has supplied candy, mainly chocolate, as a snack for all employees. Not that I’m complaining... it’s a very nice gesture which is much appreciated. But, in an effort to make our office healthier, I’ve requested to change our snacks to something more nutritious for a 30 day trial (commencing Oct. 1st and ending Oct. 31st). With Halloween quickly approaching now seems a good time to start.

Some facts: We have 39 employees in our Danbury office and I’ve been told we consume 28 lbs of “junk” snacks per month. I know… my jaw dropped too. The math is simple 28 lbs/month x 12/months = 336 lbs/year. WOW. That's not including the approximately 20 lbs sent to us during the holidays. That's over 9 lbs per person each year. Geez, I won’t even get into what that equates to in calories.

Now with this being said, Carol Forbes, “aka” my partner in crime, and I took an office survey to determine whether or not the office really wanted healthy snacks. The results were outstanding. Of the 31 employees who took the survey, 25 agreed to try the healthy snacks for 30 days. After our little experiment next month we will determine whether or not we’ll be switching over to something healthier permanently, or at the very least, adding it to the mix. Stay tuned...

Labels: employees

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Every generation has ups and downs

My 87 year old mother tells stories about how she had to take a wheel barrel full of Marks to buy a loaf of bread in the '20's in Berlin. My father-in-law tells of bread lines in the 30's. We remember long gas lines in the 70's (maybe) and double digit inflation. Somehow we got through it. And we will again now. Why? Because basically we have the right economic underpinnings and free enterprise.

Until then we just have to be smart and look out for good opportunities to improve our business. Examine all new ideas that are presented. Look at packages you tested years ago that were just short of profitable. A tweak here or there could make it a winner. Modeling lists. Explore enhanced files. Good list managers can segment their enhanced files to find the right list for you to test.

Last, talk to your broker and list manager. Have a joint meeting with them and let them know your plans and get their feedback. They are your conduit to the rest of the industry and they can give you some good insight.

No ostriches here!

Labels: economy

9 billion fewer pieces of mail

Postmaster General John Potter seems surprised at the fact that the Post Office will see this type of short fall. What did he expect? Raise postal rates on first class and 3rd class bulk and you expect a business increase? Let's go through this; more and more individuals are paying bills online. More and more people are using electronic methods to communicate as opposed to posting letters. But I believe this is a small portion of the 9 billion shortfall. The biggest cut comes from the Post Office's best customer, direct mail. We all know what happened there.

What if the post office created various levels of delivery services. Each level would have different costs to consumers and businesses but they would be more in tune with the specific business or consumer need. Example, most businesses don't need Saturday delivery. So that's a five day delivery commercial fee. Many consumers may not need Saturday delivery either. That would be a five day consumer rate. It could go as low as three day delivery.

If they reduce their costs they could reduce their rates thus increasing business.

Certainly this needs work, but it's a thought.

Labels: postage

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Courtney's Big Day

For a few weeks RMI will be playing one person short. But it's all good. Our own Courtney Waters, list management's Account Manager extraordinaire, will be getting married to long time beaux Jeremy Kowcheris on October 17th.

So lunch time will be decidedly quieter and Catherine will have to find a surrogate sister for a while.

We took an office poll and found out that what she really wants is for all of her RMI family to visit on their honeymoon. So the sign-up sheet is posted in the kitchen. Hurry so you can get your prime visiting dates.

Much love and happiness from all of us at RMI.

Labels: employees

Shazam

Self admittedly, I'm slightly behind the curve of technology, especially when it comes to my phone. But this is just crazy good... There's a free new application for iPhone that allows you to identify and automatically download a song playing on a radio or other music source wirelessly. It's called "Shazam". You just activate the program and point your phone in the direction of the song and within a few seconds it tells you what song is, the artist and downloads it for you onto a file.

No more sleepless nights wondering the name of the song or the band playing it. Am I the last person on earth to find out about this?

Thanks to Zack and Nancy for the tutorial.

Labels: technology

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Once more into the Kitchen Stadium

Take a team of motivated people, add an extra large dose of hungry co-workers and mix in some competition. What do you get? RMI Iron Chef "3". Our own Iron Chef "Chairman" Carol Forbes has declared Oct. 2nd as the next RMI Iron Chef Challenge date. The not-so-secret ingredient is....wait for it....Apples. You'll want to be around our office that day. If not for the delectables, just for the smell of Granny Smiths or Macintoshes with subtle hints of clove and wafts of Cinnamon. Say what you will, these are"Good Eats".

Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded ranging from $100 gas card for 1st place and $50 gas card for 3rd.

All this cooking is gearing us up for our next series...RMI Biggest Loser.

Watch for the results.

Labels: employees

Motorcyclists ride for cancer research

As I got up to run to the mall Sunday, Sept 21st, I noticed a lot of motorcyclists in the parking lot of the Danbury Fair Mall and wondered what was going on. Now reading about it Monday morning, I realized it was for the "Sixth Annual Kick It Motorcycle Ride for Cancer Research" of the American Cancer Society's Connecticut Chapter.

The ride was comprised of about 1,000 riders heading toward Route 7 for the first leg of a 60 mile journey. During the six years they have raised about $100,000. According to the article, nearly every rider/passenger/volunteer was dedicating this to someone whom they knew with cancer. As an avid motorcycle rider myself, riding is great but riding for a cause is even greater.

Labels: fundraising

Monday, September 22, 2008

An apple a day...

Wanna boost your creativity?

Forget the diet, but get your Apple; logo, that is.

Recent research suggests that a brand’s image can affect our behavior. Researchers flashed 2 different logos in front of test subjects so fast that the logos were imperceptible. (When offered $100 if they could recall the logo they had just seen, no one could.) Some people were exposed to the Apple logo, with its brand image for being innovative, hip and different. Other people were exposed to the IBM logo, with a brand image for being smart and responsible. Both groups of people were then given a task to challenge their creativity. People exposed to the Apple logo gave much more unusual and creative responses than those exposed to the IBM logo.

So, surround yourself with visual input of creative, innovative brands!! And just laugh when your co-workers think you’re weird for taking up hundreds of Apple logos all over your cube.

To read more about the study, see the June, 2008 issue of The Journal of Consumer Research. The study, titled, Automatic Effects of Brand Exposure on Motivated Behavior: How Apple Makes You "Think Different" was done by Professors Gawan Fitzsimmons and Tanya Chartrand of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Grainne Fitzsimmons of the University of Waterloo, Canada. The link below takes you to the study abstract.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Postmaster Potter points at nothing, just diverts

In today's DM Newsline an article recapping Postmaster Potter's address...... said nothing.

He suggests that mailers explore new ways to capture customers a la thinking outside the box. May I humbly remind the Postmaster that direct marketers are, and have been, the most creative marketers around. What has caused the greatest problem to mailers is not finding new and innovative ways of acquiring customers, it's the insane postal system and postal increases that have sent the industry into a tailspin over the past 18 months.

One third of the US Postal Service's annual revenue depends on advertising mail. If we treated our best customers the way the postal system treats the DM industry, we'd all be out of business.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Fundraising and Social Media

Our good friend Darryl from Brandflakes posted this on his blog. It seemed so relevant to what we do, we felt it important to link the whole article to you, our readers. There's a lot of real meat here for those fundraisers who either are already involved with social media, or struggling to integrate it into their marketing channels.

It's a long article but a really quick read and I think worth a look.

Labels: fundraising, nonprofit, social media

Monday, September 15, 2008

Have you seen our video on YouTube?

Last week the mice at RMI produced a great video illustrating how well they work while I'm away. A well oiled wheel, serious noses to the grind stone. A real tribute to upper management.

I feel like Alfred E. Newman of Mad Magazine fame -"What, me worry?"

Check it out.

Labels: employees, video

Friday, September 12, 2008

Darryl: there is life offline

On Tuesday our good friend Darryl Ohrt, from our ad agency, came to our offices to present a staff development session about 10 of the most useful Internet tools.

As always, Darryl wowed us with his extensive knowledge of the Internet and the many tools available. Many of us are trying out new sites like Twitter (tweet me @Tally1) and Delicious. Thought provoking discussions have been occurring around our offices.

Some wonder if the Internet is killing print publications. I think not. As with the 80’s hit, "Video Killed the Radio Star", I believe that both can co-exist.

Many of us use the Internet to receive the fastest most up to date information, but a full in-depth story? I tend not to want to read all that copy on a computer screen. I read the headlines online then the full article in print.

And what about the advertisements? Ads have come so far from a basic black and white to singing and moving double page spreads.

So Darryl, spend a few hours offline and pick up a magazine; I just ordered a gift subscription of Woman's Day Magazine for you. Enjoy.

Labels: Internet, publishing, social media

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Kindle: a whole new way to read

I received a new electronic reader - The Kindle; created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

If you have access to wireless you can down load a book, magazine or your favorite blog in one minute. Most of the popular newspapers are available to. So at night you set your Kindle to down load the next days issue while you sleep. All the best sellers are available to download too.

So you're walking through the airport and need some thing to read... download a best seller.

It's very small too. Only about 1/3 pound. Can you imagine if school kids had this? No more heavy backpacks.

Check it out.

Labels: electronics

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Fasting and fundraising

I didn't eat much of a lunch yesterday so come 6PM I was so hungry that my stomach started to hurt, which got me thinking... about how much it sucked to be that hungry, how spoiled I am to be so accustomed to a full belly that I couldn't stop thinking about food after just 9 hours without it... how terrible it is that malnourished children across the world feel like I did at that moment every day of their lives, and how I've never related and sympathized for them more.

I then started to think about the Feed the Children, and other similar nonprofit commercials and how much more responsive viewers would be if they were hungry while they aired. Maybe these organizations could start a campaign encouraging Catholic churches to fund raise among their members during Lent as they are fasting. Or air a telethon the first day of Lent and follow up with a mailing.

Maybe they could enlist grocery stores to set up donation centers with visuals showing what your cart looks like chock full of groceries for your family compared to the small bowl of rice a impoverished child will have to last a couple of days. During the fundraiser, grocery stores could do a mailing of a coupon to redeem, but instead of say - saving $1.00 on your next purchase, you can choose to feed a child with a $1.00 donation. Maybe as an incentive the donors could have the opportunity of using their coupon as an entry into a sweepstakes.

Just a thought.

Labels: fundraising, nonprofit

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Stand Up To Cancer

Yes it was an unprecedented event last week when three of the major TV outlets simultaneously televised a fund raiser for cancer research. But what affect does it have on other cancer research fundraisers? Money usually sent to personal favorite charities must feel the pinch. When you've got Hollywood's elite, hawking the public to call celebs and donate what can you do?

OK the object is noble...cure cancer. But how are independent fundraisers able to compete with this type of event?

I worry about this.

Labels: fundraising, nonprofit

A little history

Last May I had a minor foot operation. One day surgery, no big deal except that the wound just wouldn't heal. One thing lead to another and I found myself with extreme back pain. All signs pointed to the fact that I had to wear a surgical boot for such a long time that it messed up my back. A routine X-Ray and MRI discovered a mass had been growing in my back. Follow up CT Scans confirmed the fact and a biopsy determined that I have Non Hodgkin's type "B" Lymphoma. Bad news / good news. This is a very treatable type of cancer. It responds very well to Chemo Therapy. Standard procedures.

Most of you already know I underwent a Kidney transplant 11 years ago and due to the heavy regime of anti rejection drugs I have to take, this type of Lymphoma is not uncommon to follow along.

My prognosis is excellent for a full recovery and with scheduled check ups and screening, you can't get rid of me yet... (although my sources tell me that the staff does seem to be enjoying my away time)

So that's the story... don't forget to call me or email me. I'm still here...

Saturday, September 6, 2008

PETA shock tactics: maybe a little misguided

It goes without saying that the mission behind PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is a good and just cause. Much of its promotional material, including its website, is educational and very effective in tugging at your heartstrings. However when it comes to shock value, I think they've missed their mark...

There was a story on CNN today about a woman who recently responded to an ad in Dog Fancy Magazine that read:

"Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-834-6061 to claim your bag and hear about our products."

When the package arrived in the mail she was disgusted to find a black body bag representing the shelter dog she killed when she decided to purchase one, rather than saving one. In PETA's defense, I called the number myself and it clearly stated that if you wanted to receive the free body bag representing the dog you just killed to leave your name and address after the tone. I guess she didn't hear that part...

PETA's blog talks about the promo and pushes a video about the concept.

Campaign B: This past February, PETA caged a pregnant naked woman in the UK's Covent Garden with signs saying "Unhappy Mothers' Day for Pigs. Go vegetarian."

Sure, both of these are very creative, out of the box campaigns - but they're so shocking and crude that they're portraying themselves as a radical organization of extremists making it harder for people to relate.

Did witnesses conform to vegetarians after seeing the caged pregnant woman? Probably not. Will the disturbed woman purchase her next animal from a shelter 15 years down the road? Maybe. But for now she's just offended and completely turned off.

Labels: nonprofit

Friday, September 5, 2008

Meet the Broker: Mike Kertelits

If you didn't see it yesterday there was a nice article about our Mike in Direct Listline’s Meet the Broker by Jim Emerson.

And don't take that stern face too seriously; when Mike's not busy negotiating the best deals for his clients, he's really just a big softy.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Ghosts are prevalent in Savannah

Ghosts are common in Savannah, as my Girl Scout troop found out on our trip to GA last week. I took 8 out of my 10 girls for a 5 day trip to visit the Historic city. I fell in love with the architecture, my girls the ghost stories. We hired a local woman to walk us around to all the most haunted houses. The birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts, being number one on the list. It is said her grandparents still wander through the house.

Ghost hunting wasn't the only activity we did during our stay, the girls worked on many badges; cooking, Georgia Coastal Conservation, friendship and archiving. We were also lucky enough to view several of the 1st Girl Scout troop’s meeting minutes, not seen by many any more. We even got to experience what a hurricane feels like while we were touring Tybee Island; Fey was stalled over Florida most the time we were there.

The girls are looking forward to, and will be working hard fundraising for, their next trip; a W.A.G.G.G.S. World Centre in either Switzerland or London.

Labels: employees

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

CU does it again

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Remembering a philanthropist

PKD awareness week

Friday, September 26, 2008

Food for thought

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Every generation has ups and downs

9 billion fewer pieces of mail

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Courtney's Big Day

Shazam

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Once more into the Kitchen Stadium

Motorcyclists ride for cancer research

Monday, September 22, 2008

An apple a day...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Postmaster Potter points at nothing, just diverts

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Fundraising and Social Media

Monday, September 15, 2008

Have you seen our video on YouTube?

Friday, September 12, 2008

Darryl: there is life offline

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Kindle: a whole new way to read

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Fasting and fundraising

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Stand Up To Cancer

A little history

Saturday, September 6, 2008

PETA shock tactics: maybe a little misguided

Friday, September 5, 2008

Meet the Broker: Mike Kertelits

Monday, September 1, 2008

Ghosts are prevalent in Savannah

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