RMI Today

Martin A. Stein

2010-03-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

Today we are deeply saddened by the loss of our CEO, beloved friend and mentor, Martin Stein. Martin was a wonderful man with an amazing spirit who will be missed dearly by all who knew him.

For more information, including Martin's biography, service announcements and a video tribute, please click here.

Contributions may be made to The Martin Stein Memorial Fund through the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

RMI Flashback: Linda Weintraub

2010-03-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

Linda worked with us at RMI for 20 years, retiring in 2007, and she made those years memorable. She is just one of those people that when you tell new employees about her time here (and you always do), you always find yourself saying "Gotta love Linda, she is a unique individual." Here is what Linda had to say about her start with RMI.

OK, Tally...here goes: once again please excuse my lack of formatting, one day I do plan to learn WORD... maybe... It was the Spring of 1987. I got a call from Martin Stein and John Forte, asking if I'd like to interview for a sales position at their 2 years young shop. I was no stranger to both owners, we had all worked together at Walter Karl and I was still there, going on my 4th year of employment. How thrilled I was to be sought after! My loyalty to WK was strong, although I did go on the interview, and John and Martin truly presented me with an offer which I could not refuse. No cliche, it was a boost to my ego!!! Yet I was terrified to take on the challenge. What if I was not what they both expected? Would I be able to hold onto my clients that I had worked so hard to obtain while at WK?? So I became the 10th employee to join the newly budding RMI. It was in the Chappaqua office, my desk right in front of the office copier, that I moved in with my antique china cup and saucer, lots of heart shaped picture frames, and the 15 pairs of high heeled shoes...

As time went by, it soon became clear to me that I had lots to learn about being a salesperson and about the business as a whole. Martin and John, with their individual styles and strengths (gently) whipped me into shape. Their knowledge, enthusiasm and faith in me became invaluable... They handed over 2 house accounts, which were huge mailers, (although RMI had a tiny piece of the "pie") and gave me the job to make them grow... And boy, did I :)

My 20 + year journey at RMI has been a wonderful experience, thru the many ups and downs, the many friends and collegues that I've made thru the years will be cherished always. A huge congratulations go out to the company founders and their long-term stellar staff for upholding 25 years of OUTSTANDING BUSINESS PRACTICES, with much integrity and finesse. BEST of luck in future endeavors.

Most sincerely and warmly, Lindamaxine Weintraub

RMI Flashback: John Forte

2010-02-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

For the second post of our series, RMI Flashback, celebrating RMI's 25 years in the industry, John Forte, co-founder of RMI and my old boss sent over this remembrance of the early days...

It’s hard to believe it was 25 years ago that Martin and I started RMI! I remember it as if it were yesterday. I think the seed for RMI was planted when Martin and I first met. We became friends instantly. Martin’s leadership, intelligence and charisma captained RMI to the respected firm it is today.

Our first office was my 10’ X 12’ foot “den” in my 900 square foot house. It was interesting squeezing everyone in. We had several smokers and it didn’t take long (I think one day) for us to decide that RMI would be a smoke free office.

Our very first employee was Dan Arnold – at that time a young, bright and eager broker. He is still bright and eager and does a fabulous job heading up RMI’s Brokerage division.

Debbie Mclain joined us just after Dan. We really needed Debbie – she did all the work! Debbie’s devotion, skills and stamina have been and continue to be one of RMI’s greatest assets. Every day is “We Love Debbie” day at RMI.

Tally joined RMI as a summer employee in our accounting department. She kept threatening to leave and return to school but, thankfully, never did. RMI would be lost without her.

I could go on and on but will conclude by congratulating RMI on their 25th Anniversary and join the multitude of clients and friends wishing them another 25 years of success.

John Forte
2-18-10

RMI marks a major milestone!

2010-02-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

2010 marks RMI’s 25th year in the Direct Marketing Industry; we have many fond memories of the past 25 years and the clients and friends that have been with us, many of them for over 20 years. To celebrate, I thought I'd ask some RMI employees to share some stories on the blog about their experiences at RMI. In this first edition, Dan Arnold gives us some insight on being RMI's first employee...

Reflecting back on my first years with RMI, there were some very rewarding and funny moments. In those days, we were operating out of John's house, and it happened to work out that on my first day on the job, Martin and John left for Los Angeles for a convention. So, I was left in John's home for a week to run the day to day business. To say I was slightly panicked is an understatement. Somehow we did not go out of business that first week with me at the helm. Our saving grace could have been the speed at which our technology worked though; our first fax machine was called a Qwip and took 20 minutes to send one page. It's hard to imagine now; our industry has changed so much but it has been a great ride so far and I am looking forward to many more years!

Check out a classic photo of Dan on Flickr!

A New Face for the DMA Nonprofit Federation

2010-02-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

It looks like the DMA Nonprofit Federation has taken steps to show that they are really listening to their membership. They have recently launched a new more interactive web site. It can be found at www.nonprofitfederation.org.

Previously, you had to go through the main DMA site to get to it. The information was outdated and irrelevant in many cases. This new site looks more hip and it focused on delivery quality content, along with many more search capabilities.

In my mind it is of the utmost importance that a marketing organization keeps up on the latest formats and technologies available. Kudos to the leadership of the Federation for recognizing that as well.

The Taste of a New Generation

2010-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

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.

Catholic Digest unveils a new website

2010-02-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

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.

Kelly gets roasted for a good cause!

2010-02-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

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.

RMI’s 4th Annual Nonprofit Mailer Symposium:

2010-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2010-01-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2010-01-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

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?

You never know when a concert will take place!

2009-12-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

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!

DM Days to become Digital Marketing Days

2009-12-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

I received an email today from the DMA's Sales and Sponsorship Manager selling me on opportunities for DM Days 2010. Except this wasn't for the Direct Marketing Days we all know so well, but the newly rebranded Digital Marketing Days held at the Hilton New York, June 14th- 16th.

I tried to pry out as much information as I could, but all I got was that the show will have the same influence and feel as DMDays and that the DMA is very excited about their new location, new name, and the New Year.

A formal piece regarding the changes will be released via email by the DMA soon.

RMI Celebrates 2009

2009-12-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

On Friday, RMI held our annual Holiday Party with fun and games, and gift-giving for the people who have worked at RMI for years. This year, we all celebrated Catherine Ryan and Courtney Waters' 10th year with RMI, and Hillary Taylor has been working Insert Media now for five years. There were also a few joke gifts given out to those of us who've had some very creative solutions to problems, and to the people have entertained us with their antics over the year. It was a great afternoon, check out our pictures of the celebration on Flickr.

Why magazines won't die

2009-12-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

Maria Rodale, CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc, posted a really great article on 12/10/09 in FolioMagazine.com about why she thinks magazines won’t die. She talks about which magazines she chooses to read, and why - and I can relate. I want a magazine to sit back and relax with, and I’d much rather it be one that is going to give me a great experience and surprise me with information, pictures and more throughout the entire issue. Maria references Garden & Gun as one of her favorite magazines when it comes to getting a really entertaining reading experience. I agree (although I may be little biased here because I have been working on the Garden & Gun file for about a year).

When I was first introduced to Garden & Gun I was a little skeptical about how the marketplace would react to the title; Garden & Gun. Garden & Gun is a southern lifestyle magazine that covers so much - from the sportsman’s side of things, to the beautiful landscape, and gardens of the south. After getting to know the magazine more and seeing how it has grown since the launch, and the positive reaction from the marketplace and readers, I have also become a big fan. From the lovely photos of places and people, the articles on art, antiques, wine, recipes, gardens and more, this magazine is very intriguing and is a great experience to read it. This is one of those magazines that does it right and you save and leave on your coffee table to read again.

Personally, I don’t think we have seen the last of magazines shutting down but there are so many that are doing it right and continue to grow utilizing all the media channels successfully – including print. So while there are other magazines I prefer to read online or get a digital version, there is still a handful that I won’t stop getting through the mail because of the quality of the content and the experience it gives you that you don’t get online.

HVDMA holiday party hits a high note

2009-12-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Hudson Valley DMA celebrated the holidays this year at the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, CT on December 4th. DMers came out in record numbers to network, share holiday cheer, support the accomplishments of their collegues and to award this year’s Laura L. Smith Scholarship honorees. This year's recipients were two very deserving candidates, 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. As for the RMI attendees, it was wonderful for us to hear the awards now presented in our friend's name.

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 to the direct marketing industry. A complete listing of donors is available online at www.HVDMA.org/events.

Yes, my friends. Catalog distribution is on the rise.

2009-12-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

This week two of the larger players in the direct to consumer business announced that they were mailing more catalogs.

Coldwater Creek, who had been reducing circulation for years, decided they needed to find more new customers and remind their older customers that they were still around. Dennis Pence, Co-Founder & CEO, said the company will work hard to regain the market share lost in the direct business with effective marketing and catalog distribution. “We know that part of the deterioration can be attributed to a reduction in catalog mailings in response to the uncertain economic environment,” Pence said. “We believe we have the opportunity to regain the share we have lost by selectively increasing our catalog distribution.”

Zappos – the darling of the web – had done some earlier catalog testing and found strong enough results to expand their circulation. “Different people respond to different media,” said Aaron Magness, director for brand marketing and business development at Zappos.com in Henderson, Nev. “So far, an average order from the catalog is more than twice the size of an average order that began on Zappos.com”, said Cameron Brown, president at King Fish in Salem, Mass.

Just as catalogs signaled the end of retail stores, the internet was expected to signal the death of catalogs. Happily, the reports of their demise were very premature.

Get warm & fuzzy with the Pink Glove Dance

2009-12-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

What a great way to start a Friday... Our Kathy Duggan-Josephs forwarded me an email this morning. One of those where she got it from a friend who got it from a friend, which probably has a poem and a picture of a puppy in it. But instead, I found this message and an awesome fundraising and awareness video for breast cancer:

Go Pink!

Our daughter-in-law, Emily Somers, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. I don't know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?

Ann Somers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Go pink!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

As I walked around the office wishing everyone at RMI a Happy Thanksgiving, I am overwhelmed with how much I have to be thankful for.

RMI is blessed with the most amazing clients, thank you!
I am also so grateful for the hard working, dedicated staff at RMI; I appreciate your commitment to RMI.
I appreciate the amazing doctors who are working hard to cure Martin of cancer.
And I can not leave out my family and friends for their love and support.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Are we on the cusp of an upswing??

2009-11-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

Wondering if the credit card mailers of the world know something that we don’t. I saw in a recent issue of Direct Newsline that in the month of October credit card issuers sent out 180 million credit card offers to consumers. That is a 34% increase over the previous month. We haven’t seen that kind of volume since last December.

Could it be that finally companies will begin to extend credit to the American consumers once again? What will follow, the banks???? Couldn’t Be! Well here is one consumer that is hoping that these types of behavior will lead the economy and the direct marketing industry out of the doldrums of 2009.

2010 Fundraising Results - Creeping optimism

2009-11-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

The blog, The Agitator, sent out a survey to non-profits a few weeks ago to gauge what fundraisers plans are for 2010. Today, they shared their results:

The broad question was asked: "Looking ahead, do you expect to raise more money in 2010 than in 2009?51% expect to raise more money in 2010; 40% about the same; 9% less

20% of the respondents feel bullish about 2010 and plan to ramp up their fundraising appeals; 56% think the yield will be modest.
Those who thought they would raise more money were then asked how they expect their fundraising efforts to improve...62% expect to have better prospecting results while 63% thoguth their major gifts program would improve.
235 fundraisers participate in the survey and if half feel they are going to raise more money than in 2009; then I'm all for creeping optimism.

Ingenuity!

2009-11-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

This year has not held positive news for the publishing industry, there have been numerous press releases about publications closing or consolidating. So when I heard about the “augmented reality” feature that Esquire is building into its magazine, I wanted to learn more.

The basic definition is a layer of data (audio, video, graphics and animation) over live video. With webcams on most computers, this technology has been used in other applications - but Esquire put it into their publication for the subscriber.

I went to Esquire's website and watched the brief video on how the marker on the cover turns the magazine into a live video. Not only does Robert Downey Jr. come alive, but there are jokes and fashion pages which change based on the weather.

I am absolutely intrigued and I will be making a stop to pick up my copy of Esquire. It may turn me into a subscriber.

Honoring our veterans

2009-11-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Established in 1926, Veteran's Day is a holiday for us to honor our heroes; an opportunity to publicly commemorate the contributions of our living veterans, and to remember those who have fallen.

"Freedom is never free."

~Author Unknown

To find out what programs and services the VFW does to support our troops all year long, please check out their website, http://www.blogger.com/www.vfw.org. If you'd like to contribute to the VFW's cause, please go here.

RMI gets pink!

2009-11-06T13:27:00.001-08:00

RMI held our first annual Pink on Purpose fundraiser for breast cancer research today, thanks to Martin Stein’s suggestion. We think the day was a big success, everybody had a good time and for a good cause.

We started off the day with a Pink Pancake breakfast and kept it going with a raffle for pink gifts, which raised AICR over $265. Everyone competed for the Pinkest Person in the office today too, with Lisa Davis sealing the win with her hand-dyed pink sneakers.

If you want to check out some photos of our day, check them out on Flickr. Also, if you'd like to donate to AICR's breast cancer research, you can do that here.

Don’t bury direct mail yet!

2009-11-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

According to a study on channel preference performed by ExactTarget and published on printweek.com Direct Mail is still #1 in regards to influencing purchasing decisions.

It was found that of the 1,500 internet users polled, some 76% of them said they purchased something after receiving a direct mail piece.

This compares to only 67% from TV advertising, 58% for email & 17% for telemarketing.

The study goes on to say that direct mail also influenced 75% of the “younger” population (ages 25-34) to make purchases. This is the demographic that some marketers believe would only make purchases based on influences from electronic media.

The bottom line is that direct mail still provides the best ROI for organizations. Thank goodness I don’t have to utilize that plan B career option yet.