NEWS


STRONGMAIL ADDS PINTEREST StrongMail has added Pinterest as an additional sharing channel to its Influencer word-of-mouth customer acquisition solution, enabling marketers to expand their reach by effectively motivating their biggest brand advocates to share content via Pinterest as well as Facebook, Twitter, email and other social networks.


Brands can enable customers to share a visual representation of products and services that is readily available to anyone who follows the customer’s ‘pins’ or who performs a relevant search.


WARREN JOINS INDICIA Chris Warren, founding Partner of Tullo Marshall Warren, has joined Database Marketing Award-winning customer intelligence agency Indicia as a Non-Executive Director. Warren will sit on the Indicia board and work exclusively with the fast growing agency to help to the business continue its double-digit growth.


UNDERWIRED SOLD IN MBO Underwired, the specialist eCRM agency co-founded by Felix Velarde and Jason Holland, has been acquired from Amaze owner Hasgrove by its management team on


undisclosed terms. Underwired’s clients include ASICS, Sony, Harveys Furniture, Bupa, Hodder & Stoughton, Eurocamp & Keycamp Holidays and AAR.


NEW MS TPS PLUG-IN Data8 has launched a new plug- in for Microsoft Dynamics CRM which automatically screens all telephone numbers to ensure that no marketing calls are made to telephone numbers on the Telephone Preference Service. The plug-in ensures that telephone numbers are TPS- checked as soon as they are added to a database. The contact methods within CRM are then set accordingly so that if the number is TPS then it is marked as such and a date given when the TPS screening took place.


4 April 2012 Direct mail


Direct mail industry ‘dismayed’ at massive postal price hikes


The direct mail industry has been knocked for six by the recent massive hikes in the cost of mailing through the Royal Mail with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) warning that the price hikes may force many businesses into looking at cheaper alternatives. Postal regulator Ofcom recently allowed Royal Mail to set its own prices for most of the letters and parcels it delivers. The new freedom was soon exploited with near immediate price rises, including a 14p rise in the cost of stamps. Moya Greene, Royal Mail’s CEO,


said: “We know how hard it is for businesses when our economy is as tough as it is now. No one likes to raise prices in the current economic climate but, regretfully, we have no option.”


The commercial direct mail


sector has responded with dismay at Ofcom’s granting of pricing powers


to Royal Mail. In December, concerns about the potential impact of these changes prompted the DMA and the Postal Trade Association Forum to convene a summit for businesses and organisations affected by the proposals. Representatives at the summit voiced fears about the potential for


abuse of market dominance and threats to competition and doubted projections for future mail volumes and Royal Mail’s ability to meet efficiency and cost reduction targets. Mike Lordan, Chief of Operations for the DMA, said: “We’re very disappointed that Ofcom’s decision doesn’t reflect the concerns raised by the Direct Marketing Association and other respondents to their consultation to strengthen the necessary safeguards to give commercial bulk mail users continued confidence in using mail. “Royal Mail now has the


freedom to change, prices and terms and conditions without any statutory notice requirement. We hope it uses its new commercial freedom responsibly by consulting and listening to its customers before it implements any changes. Otherwise, it will drive more businesses away from mail to cheaper alternatives.”


IDM adds Marketing Capabilities Council Core objectives


1. To develop a recognised industry definition and framework for the discipline of marketing capabilities management, and establish it as an essential and distinct practice within organisations.


2. To define, share and promote best practices for marketing capabilities management. (Includes the review and aggregation of relevant third party content and the commissioning of research studies).


3. To


promote marketing capabilities development as a generative business function, essential to performance improvement and business value growth.


4. To


create a marketing capabilities development community that goes beyond the Council itself across the HR and marketing practitioner communities.


5. To become the recognised thought leader for the marketing capabilities discipline and the go-to body for advice and opinion.


The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing has added a Marketing Capabilities Council to its body of professional advisory Councils. The new IDM Council held its inaugural meeting last month and comprises senior practitioners from brands including Callcredit, Heineken, Microsoft, Nokia and Telefonica.


The Council has compiled a mission statement which sees it aim “to gain board level recognition for marketing capabilities development as a core organisational KPI – and generative business function – which requires dedicated focus in terms of continuous monitoring and investment.” Council Chair and IDM Director of Marketing Capabilities, Paul McCarthy F IDM explains: “Marketing is a core driver of organisational value and it follows that the organisation’s marketers must constantly develop the right skills and practice to deliver marketing objectives and organisational goals in an ever-evolving marketplace. In short: it is people and practice that drive performance.”


At the inaugural Council meeting, members shared some of the challenges they face, including the need for honest assessment of existing marketing skills, developing a culture of knowledge sharing and convincing business leaders that marketing capabilities is an investment asset rather than a cost burden. Like all IDM Councils, it will meet on a quarterly basis each year.


www.dmarket.co.uk


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