Gilbert Direct Marketing

The 50 Best Tips of 2014
December 1, 2014

One Kings Lane, a flash-sales site for high-end home goods, has taken a different approach to building a high-quality affiliate program. Its solution is to block coupon, loyalty or any other nonbrand relevant sites from its affiliate program. This puts all affiliates on a level playing field, making the program very attractive to those affiliates who

5 Customer Service Tips to Satisfy Online Holiday Shoppers
August 1, 2014

Today's digital age has become impersonal.  Sure, we still get greeted online and retailers know our preferences thanks to cookies, but the human element is gone for sure. Within this impersonal, digital world we live in, however, there are huge opportunities for retailers to step back and become more personal. Consider the following customer service tips as you prepare for the busy holiday shopping season: 

50 Best Tips of 2011
November 1, 2011

A compilation of this yearโ€™s best and brightest ideas in our annual 50 Best Tips issue.

Check it Out
November 1, 2010

"The smartest thing those wunderkinds at our beloved Postal Service can do is nurture the direct mail industry. Imagine what would happen if the USPS actually offered discounts for online โ€จmarketers to give direct mail a chance?" From "PRC Denies Exigent Postage Rate Increase โ€ฆ Big !@#$ Deal," by Jim Gilbert, CEO of multidiscipline directโ€ฆ

How to Choose the Right Design Team for Your Catalog or Direct Mail Program
May 10, 2010

Choose designers who specifically know the mail order market. Catalogs/mailers accustomed to generating sales via mail/internet ordering are a very different animal from a branding vehicle. They may look similar, but companies that create mail order catalogs and direct mail know exactly how to leverage creative that not only builds their brands, but also sells product. What looks simple is actually highly specialized and technical.

How to Spread Exponential Customer Good Will
February 15, 2010

Itโ€™s amazing how a little customer care from a typical, nameless, faceless corporate entity changes people's attitudes and perceptions of a company. And when the CEO gets involved, the goodwill level goes up exponentially.

Why Direct Marketers Hate Beer Commercials and Branding
February 8, 2010

I've always believed that branding is something you do while you're stimulating orders and leads via direct marketing. To me, making someone laugh while watching a commercial doesnโ€™t exactly cause new customer acquisition. You do that with offers, calls to action, superior guarantees and, of course, products that measure up to and exceed expectations. 

Shop Talk - March 2010
February 1, 2010

Q: "We've been using Google Ad Manager to serve our internal promotional banners, but unfortunately, the benefits of scheduling, tracking, testing and inventory control can't outweigh the cost of the painfully slow load times it's created. Are there any other solutions out there? Any suggestions or research would be gratefully accepted!"

Who Said I Couldnt Multitask ... A Cautionary Tale
February 1, 2010

Everything we do today on high speed (and sometimes on autopilot) has an effect. Mistakes happen with all this multitasking, for instance. And sometimes those mistakes play themselves out with your employees, bosses, clients and customers. Other times mistakes โ€” seemingly harmless at the time โ€” wind up on the internet, being reviewed millions of times on social media sites.