Sally Hooton reports from the inaugural iDi Marketers Forum in New York last month.

Every spring for the past 30 years, the circus arrives in New York City. People throng the streets of Manhattan to witness the midnight spectacle of elephants parading along 34th Street towards their Big Top – Madison Square Garden.

This year, there were heavyweights of a different kind among those crowds. Direct and interactive marketing experts had gathered from around the world to showcase their own skills at the all-new iDi Marketers Forum, a conference staged specifically for building cross-border business contacts among top-level professionals.

And while this may not have been ‘the greatest show on earth’, the iDi’s main attraction was its top-level talent, offering engrossing and entertaining conference performances from some giants of the DM kingdom.

Right from the start of the show – a presentation of global research into the effectiveness of traditional media, by DHL Global Mail’s Dr Diane Rinas – the audience was fully interactive with the speakers; floor questions were intelligent and frequent. This was no novice gathering and, unusually, many of the presenters chose to remain in the debating room throughout the day. The idea was to discuss the state of their industry . . . and that’s just what they did.

Debate flowed across all elements of the ever-changing media landscape, with Mike Germano of Carrot Creative scrutinising new media and explaining its nuances for direct marketers. The day culminated in predictions for further channel progression and integration. Round-table discussions proved that international lists (moderated by Karie Burt, Mardev) and data management (Mark Roy, The REaD Group) are particularly crucial topics, attracting the most interest during the afternoon. 

Cross-pollination
The iDi’s ‘big top’ – the vast Marriott Marquis hotel on Times Square – might have been too lofty for this first-time show, but co-location alongside the long-established Publishing Business Conference & Expo (www.publishingbusiness.com) offered useful cross-pollination for iDi exhibiting sponsors Data Services Inc, Brokers WorldWide, Direct Media International, Manning Media International, Pacnet Services and World Innovators.   

DMI-Events – a joint venture between this magazine’s publisher Matt Edgar and the MD of international marketing services company 1 Stop Data, Pauline Murphy – was set up specifically to bring together international DM players, to fill the space left by many other regular conference platforms which have recently folded or been given a less international focus. Their mission may have been daunting, but proved possible, assisted by an iDi panel of experts – Karie Burt (Mardev); Mark Bridges (MBDirect International); Gary Dolderer (Brokers WorldWide; Thom Hansen (Direct Media); ‘ringmaster’ concierge Doug Sacks (Focus WorldWide); and Merry Law (WorldVu).

Edgar said: “We were pleased with the way the event went. I have had many favourable testimonials: our table-top companies were pleased with the symbiosis that the co-locating publishing show offered – an audience they might otherwise not have reached – and our speakers have been described as ‘compelling’. You don’t get much better praise than that!”

But, just like the circus, the inaugural event involved an element of risk. Edgar said: “Starting a new show in the middle of a recession could be construed as either foolhardy or innovative, depending on your level of positivity. I much prefer the latter description!”

Murphy added: “As the experts agreed during this very full day of in-depth industry debate, a recession offers an opportunity. The iDi was ours . . . and it is an excellent platform on which to build. Our thanks go to the North American Publishing Company for their help in making our event a success.”

DMI-Events (www.dmi-events.com) is already in talks for the next iDi: the event has a circus element of its own in terms of its moveability: the plan is for it to doorstep delegates in their own locations in the UK, continental Europe and around Asia, with New York City remaining the prime Stateside rendezvous.

iDi snippets and snapshots
It’s impossible to summarise a whole day of expertise in this space, but here’s a few comments expressed during the iDi.

“Addresses are the essence of direct marketing . . . but while fully-addressed mailings are most important, greater integration of electronic instruments, data security and respect for the consumer will become increasingly important” – Diane Rinas, senior marketing manager, DHL Global Mail.

“There are lots of ways to mail out internationally, but people do get confused. It really isn’t too hard” – Barry Burns, international product manager, global business development, US Postal Service.

“The key is to have a blend of products and a relationship with the vendors” – John O’Donnell, sales manager, Brokers Worldwide.

 “Postage is 60 per cent of our costs” – Walt Terry, senior manager, international new business marketing, National Geographic.

“If you plan ahead and start production earlier, you can curb costs by perhaps downgrading  to a slower level of service” – Michael Vassalotti, VP sales and marketing, Pitney Bowes International Mail Services.

“Knowing who your readers are is absolutely the most important thing” – Yuko Tanaka, director of international sales and marketing, Nikkei Business Publications.

“There has been a real shift from the traditional DM of ten years ago to online: the changes have been phenomenal” – Simon Burrell, circulation marketing director, Atlantic edition, Newsweek.

     “In 2000, the Internet was a giant brochure of easy information. In 2009 it is a high school reunion, a cookery class,  a record label, a political summit, a soapbox, a car showroom, an art gallery . . . it offers people who want information and who want to engage with brands and who want to be on a highly segmentable list. It is a new age of data” – Mike Germano, president and creative director, Carrot Creative.

“848 items of direct mail a year are sent to the American consumer but the DM industry spent $30m sending mail pieces which ended up unopened in landfill. It’s time to start listening to the consumer” – Mark Roy, chief executive, The REaD Group.

“I have found that ad agencies now want to refer to themselves as ‘through-the-line’, not above or below it – the difference has disappeared” – Jørgen Andreassen, marketing & membership manager, FEDMA.

“Mass media has already changed forever” – DMI columnist Ian Hughes, MD, Consumer Intelligence.

“A recession fosters innovation – those people who lose their jobs sit back and think about what else they can do” – Jeanniey Mullen, global executive VP/chief marketing officer, Zinio and VIV magazine.