New York, NY, March 13, 2007 - The secrets behind the ultimate
marketing mix for today's multichannel merchants will be abundant at
several forums presented at the upcoming Annual Conference for Catalog &
Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) (www.accmshow.com) when it convenes May 21
- 23 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, MA.
New Power Forum: Differentiate and Conquer
Monday, May 21, 11:00 am - 12:45 pm
Moderator: Sherry Chiger, editorial director of Multichannel
Merchant.
Panelists: Love Goel, chairman/CEO of Growth Ventures Group, a
multichannel retail consultancy based in Minnetonka, MN, and Jeff
Schumacher, partner, McKinsey & Co., a global strategic management firm
based in Chicago.
The new realities of multichannel commerce have translated into
increased competition - for distinctive merchandise, for compelling
calls to action, and, of course, for customers. It's no longer enough
to offer new products, now that knock-offs and look-alikes can be turned
around in a matter of days. And it's no longer enough to promise
multichannel convenience, as even retailers and manufacturers are
selling to customers via the Web and mail.
Sherry Chiger will lead the ACCM Power Forum discussion of options,
strategies, and tactics for rising above competitors and retaining (or
regaining) customer loyalty.
New Executive Forums:
Creating the Exceptional Cross-Channel Customer Experience
Tuesday, May 22, 10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Moderated by Alder Yarrow, founder and principal, HYDRANT, a panel of
executives responsible for customer experience will discuss how to think
strategically about delivering an exceptional experience for customers
across different channels. The conversation will include best
practices, pitfalls, and how to get started down the road towards an
integrated customer experience.
Customer Experience Immersion
Wednesday, May 23, 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
This special Executive Forum will include a discussion with ACCM
keynote presenter David McQuillen, who was voted one of Fast Company
magazine's "Top Ten Creative Minds for 2006."
In this interactive discussion, McQuillen will continues his keynote
presentation on the importance of interacting with the company from the
customer's point of view, and teaching people how to implement
programs within the organization to help managers and executives.
About ACCM
Co-sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Multichannel
Merchant, the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants
(ACCM) is the world's largest and most comprehensive conference for
catalog, Internet, and multichannel professionals. For more information
and to register, please visit www.accmshow.com.
About Multichannel Merchant
MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT helps executives manage all facets of their
businesses by providing superior analysis of successful strategies
across all areas of multichannel marketing - print, catalogs,
e-commerce, merchandising, operations, retail and more. It's the one
source that helps professionals capitalize on opportunities in their
core businesses, and integrate strategies to maximize their successes in
each channel. MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT'S franchise includes MULTICHANNEL
MERCHANT magazine; the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel
Merchants (ACCM); MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT Weekly, List & Data Strategies,
and Searchline e-newsletters; www.multichannelmerchant.com; the Annual
Multichannel Merchant Awards; and much more.
About Direct Marketing Association
The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading
global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using
and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA
advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes
relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and
provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities
to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process.
Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,600 companies from
dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including
a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit
organizations.
In 2006, marketers - commercial and nonprofit - spent $166.5 billion on
direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales,
these advertising expenditures generated $1.93 trillion in incremental
sales. Last year, direct marketing accounted for 10.3 percent of total
US GDP. Also, there are today 1.7 million direct marketing employees in
the US alone. Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.8
million other jobs. That accounts for 10.5 million US jobs.
The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.
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