NAMMU MEDIA GROUP

WEDNESDAY  NOVEMBER 11, 2009

        BIG WIN FOR LoyaltyOne – AIR MILES REWARD PROGRAM AT 2009 NAMMU AWARDS

Toronto, November 4, 2009…Direct Antidote took home the Addressed Admail, Relationship Building/Loyalty award for their outstanding “April Inspired Living Program”  at the 2009 NAMMU Awards held November 4, at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre. The NAMMU jury also awarded this campaign the newly designated Data Leveraging award, and the ALL STAR TEAM honors, to the delight of all those involved.

AIR MILES set out to build the most highly customized DM package in North America. Direct Antidote moved beyond the old way of buckets and cells and transitioned the DM model so packages are driven and created at the inventory level – enabling more targeted communications to their customers. Lifestyle content was married with coupons for bonus offers from partners. The aim was to inspire collectors, provide helpful tips and editorial, and ultimately drive coupon redemption. “Inspiration Cards” were modular enabling a high degree of targeting within the collector base.

Along with inspired creative, this outstandingly successful program profited from production team

work, inspired and developed by Direct Antidote, and executed across a common platform, by all the

vendors. Real ALL STAR TEAM work, and the first process of its kind in North America.

Tony Keenan, Head Judge Emeritus, presented the first award and noted: “We are seeing real 1:1 marketing with this program – and the success is undeniable. Well done!”

Emma Warrillow, Emma Warrillow & Associates Inc., and NAMMU jury member, presented the Data Leveraging Award and commented: “This is what it is all about – leveraging data for maximum advantage. The results speak for themselves!”

The jury unanimously awarded the ALL STAR TEAM award to this program.

Laura Artibello, President, Mailennium, and NAMMU Board member announced the win. “The All Star Team is an award that’s all about teamwork – and the difference it can make between good work and truly outstanding work. This award really reflects the contribution of all the players, and the excellence and commitment they all brought to every facet of the campaign. I am delighted to invite the whole “April Inspired Living Program” team up to accept this award.” 

Sharing the 2009 ALL STAR TEAM honors and celebrating the achievements of a truly effective collaboration:

Agency:                 Direct Antidote

Data & Lasering:     Bassett Direct

Mail Component

Manufacturers:     Printer:      Transcontinental PLM

                          Envelopes: Supremex Inc.

Value Add Mailer:  Data Direct

The complete listing of NAMMU 2009 Award winners is available from topten@nammu.org

Additional Information: Contact  media@nammu.org 416-977-3703

NAMMU MEDIA GROUP

THURSDAY  NOVEMBER 11, 2009

                     “my MNY PERSONALIZED BEAUTY GUIDE”  WINS NAMMU TOP HONORS

Toronto, November 4, 2009…. Truly all about the consumer and her preferences, this campaign created

a bond of trust between the Maybelline New York brand and the customer, and made this entry the top

jury pick for the Best of the Best  Award at the 2009 NAMMUs, held November 4^th, at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre.

Entered by Strategies Marketing Direct in Addressed Admail CPG, the campaign scored top marks with

the judges for relationship marketing, execution, and amazing results. The first 100 per cent customized

Beauty Guide from Maybelline New York, this 20 page “magazine style” guide was customized to the reader’s unique characteristics.  Featuring coupons for the recommended products to track success, subscribers using all six coupons also received a bonus.

Head judge, Alan Brodeur noted “One of the beauties of myMNY is the amount of specific customer data

generated, allowing for better targeting and more relevant  product recommendations. This exciting campaign deserves the category win, and to be named Best of the Best.”

Mark Morin, President, Strategies Marketing Direct, and the creative genius behind this campaign, accepted the category win, and bounded onstage when his entry was later announced Best of the Best.

Accepting the award from Rosalie McGovern, General Manager, Marketing and Business Development, Direct Marketing, Canada Post Corporation, Morin was clearly moved: “This is truly my crowning achievement, and it means everything to have this recognition. Thank you.”

The complete listing of NAMMU 2009 Award Winners is available from topten@nammu.org

Additional Information: Contact media@nammu.org

FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009

SPECIAL EDITION
The 2009 POSTAL FORUM REPORT – MAIL 2.0

What’s on Your Wish List?
Delegates to Canada’s Postal Forum presented by NAMMU, June 11th at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre, voted overwhelmingly in favor of making this Forum an annual event, according to written exit polls that ranked content, delivery, relevancy, engagement, and potential for positive action. The 2009 Postal Forum attracted delegates from the United States and Canada across all business sectors, and the topic was the business of mail. Working together was a common theme throughout the Forum. This shared experience resonated with delegates who gave this Forum top marks on all counts, and cited the open exchange of vital business information as “groundbreaking.”
Click here to view some delegate comments:

Opening remarks set the stage when NAMMU President, Kathleen Rowe, noted that all advertising revenues are down – not just mail volumes – and the mail medium holds a “customer preference” winning hand. “The mailing industry is poised for recovery, and we know that recovery won’t return us to the old picture – there will be a new normal. Everyone in this room is a stakeholder, and sharing our visions and business priorities will help us all skate to where the puck will be,” stated Rowe.

Three main themes drove discussion at the Forum:
• Postal economics, infrastructure renewal, pricing strategies;
• 100 per cent deliverable mail;
• Partnership initiatives with the VAM community

Keynote presenter, Tony Cioffi, President and CEO, The Reader’s Digest Association (Canada) candidly discussed his current business model, his plans for development, and his “wish list” citing postal economics as a key driver, and his desire to deepen the already solid business relationship with Canada Post to effect even more opportunities. Mr. Cioffi engaged actively in the morning’s discussions with subsequent presenters and delegates from his own business perspective.

Jacques Cote, Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation, hosted the first plenary session for delegates. His presentation “Canada Post at The Crossroads” covered the current state of Canada Post’s business - particularly the impact of the recession; infrastructure renewal and funding requirements; cost sensitivities that drive pricing; new business development requirements. Mr. Cote also referenced the Strategic Advisory Panel’s recommendations. Following this presentation, Jacques Cote engaged in open discussion with delegates. Several of the delegates’ key points are covered in the Transaction Mail round table report, following later in these highlights.

The NAMMU Challenge: 100 per cent Deliverable Mail
Alexis Zamkow, General Manager, Direct Marketing Data and Services, Canada Post Corporation; and Ross McKenzie, Mailing Innovations; engaged delegates in a discussion of the issues and next steps for mailers to achieve higher mail deliverability and ROI. Discussion focused on how the industry can help raise the awareness and benefits of using the existing, as well as new/enhanced tools.

Alexis Zamkow presented her report of ongoing pilot studies that confirmed mailers’ assumptions about the deliverability of their files vs real life results demonstrated a significant negative gap. The false deliverability assumption is seen as a major obstacle in convincing mailers to use the existing address hygiene tools, as well as the proposed enhancements. Her team was able to demonstrate to mailers involved in the pilots, the specific and quantifiable improvements to their mail deliverability, and convert them to users. This CPC team will work with the VAM community and NAMMU Councils to create and share material that demonstrates the real payoff of using address hygiene tools.

Ross McKenzie presented and discussed issues with the current NCOA program, with the goal of improving usage. Going well beyond the basics of using NCOA to avoid sending mail to the wrong/old address, McKenzie’s key issues addressed the improvement of overall cost/benefit, as well as current restrictions in usage permission: why can only the mail file be updated, why not the customer database? Privacy concerns were debated, and as noted by Alexis Zamkow, the deliverability issue is an ongoing dialogue with industry, not a one-off discussion. Several of the proposed enhancements – particularly the proposed “deceased” treatment were debated during the round table discussions and comments follow in those reports.
Click here for Alexis Zamkow presentation:
Click here for Ross McKenzie presentation:

The VAM Potential
Patrick Bartlett, General Manager, MSP Sales Channel Management; Eleanor Rafter, Director Partner Relationship Management, Canada Post; and Laura Artibello, President, Mailennium, Chair, NAMMU VAM Council; presented the status and next steps of the Partner Program Initiative.

From a Canada Post perspective: The objective of this program is to work with our partners such as Value Added Mailers and Printers to meet the needs of our shared customers. The benefit to Canada Post and its Partners is to ensure the sustainability of mail, more specifically increase mail volumes and curb customer erosion.

The VAM Council is very pleased with the commitment and progress from Patrick Bartlett’s team with respect to this initiative. As presented by Eleanor Rafter, the program has been given the green light by the Executive team at Canada Post, with an initial budget based on the business plan as presented to date. This business case will not carry through unless an adequate number of VAM’s register. The initial registry will begin in August, and NAMMU will continue to foster support for this important industry benefit.
Click here for presentation:

What’s on Your Wish List? Round Table Reports

Transaction Mail: Chaired by Kathleen Rowe Click here:

Publications Mail and Direct Mail: Chaired by Jim Wiseman, Transcontinental Printing –RBW Click here:

Address Management: Chaired by Ross McKenzie, Mailing Innovations
Click here:

VAM Council Priorities: Chaired by Laura Artibello, Mailennium
Click here:

Questions? Additional information needed? Contact: executive@nammu.org

MONDAY   JUNE 15, 2009

The 2009 Postal Forum Big Hit with Delegates

Toronto, Thursday, June 11…..Delegates to Canada’s Postal Forum today voted overwhelmingly in favor of making this an annual event, according to written exit polls,  that ranked content, delivery, relevancy, engagement, and potential for positive action.  NAMMU presented The 2009 Postal Forum at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre, attracting delegates from the United States and Canada, across all business sectors.

“We are delighted with this positive response and thank the presenters from Canada Post and industry, as well as our delegates for their full engagement, expertise and goodwill. This Postal Forum is about the business of mail, and everyone in that room is a stakeholder. We need to work together to achieve success,” said Kathleen Rowe, NAMMU President.

Working together was a common theme throughout the Forum. Opening remarks set the stage with Rowe noting that tough economic hardships are the reality across all business sectors, and tough business decisions are being made. She noted, however, that all advertising revenues are down – not just mail volumes – and the mail medium holds a “customer preference” winning hand.

“The mailing industry is poised for recovery, and we know that recovery won’t return us to the old picture – there will be a new normal. Sharing our visions and business priorities will help us all skate to where the puck will be,” stated Rowe.

This shared experience resonated with delegates who gave this Forum top marks on all counts, and cited the open exchange of business information as “groundbreaking.”

FRIDAY MAY 1, 2009

NAMMU WELCOMES GOVERNMENT REPORT

Montreal, April 30, 2009 – The National Association of Major Mail Users (NAMMU) today acknowledged the release by the Hon. Rob Merrifield of the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review Advisory Panel Report.

“We welcome the report and thank the panel for its dedicated efforts,” said Kathleen Rowe, President. Rowe also praised the willingness of Minister Merrifield to continue the dialogue with stakeholders, in her words “possibly the most important step in the process.”

The President advised the Association’s full response to the report will be tabled following the review by the NAMMU Board and consultation with members. “The 60 recommendations address several of the mailing industry’s vital concerns, notably increased transparency of the rate setting process for Transaction Mail; and as well, the re-examination and hopefully the significant reduction of what can qualify as revenue foregone postal fees,” said Rowe. She added that these two points had been addressed by NAMMU in its brief.

NAMMU is committed to an affordable, efficient and innovative postal service. NAMMU’s priorities are to present a strong voice for the nation’s mailers in their business interests and

to provide the quality of strategic and operational consultation and input from industry that

will ensure an efficient and affordable postal system for all Canadians.