The DMA as Your Competitor

"I expect you will," he said. DMA Insider was launched in direct competition with its members.

Fast forward to the DMA Annual conference last year. The new CEO John Greco called a meeting attended by Target Marketing Editor in Chief, Hallie Mummert, and other members of the trade press. According to Mummert, Greco told the group that his goal as the new leader of the DMA was to build bridges between industry members—including those editors at the table with him—and create a united direct marketing community.

Fast forward to a September 7, 2005, press release from the DMA:

New York, NY (September 7, 2005)-- Keeping in step with a growing process that today accounts for virtually 50 percent of U.S. advertising expenditures, The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) has launched a monthly magazine called inMarketing -- the only magazine which covers the entire direct marketing spectrum.

The press release went on to dump on the contents and vision of other publications in the field. In effect, Greco is telling the world that Target Marketing, Direct and DM News are chopped liver. Among the three publications are probably 200 person-years of direct marketing experience and know-how. Can the same be said of Pohly & Partners Inc., that has been hired to turn out the new DMA magazine and steal these publications' advertisers?

The DMA has some serious issues to deal with. Among them: massive data and ID theft; Do Not Call legislation that threatens the telemarketing industry; horrendous Internet fraud and spam that give us all a black eye; potential postal rate increases; and the need to promote the benefits of direct marketing to the U.S. public.

Is the mission of the DMA to go into competition with its own members? Will it next become a list broker? Open a lettershop? Call itself a full-service agency?