The New Direct

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD SOME BUZZ ABOUT THIS. We certainly hope so. But if not, here's the word on the new Direct.

The new Direct?

Yes. We've thrown Direct's pieces up in the air and reassembled them to create a new magazine — one we think will better serve our readers.

Direct marketing is changing. Companies now operate in many channels, requiring a whole new set of skills.

But publishing is changing, too. Direct delivers content not only through a magazine but through a Web site, e-mail newsletters,Webinars, blogs, podcasts, white papers and live events.

Magazines no longer deliver news. On the contrary, the best ones provide service-oriented material in a tailored environment.

So it is with Direct. Instead of having traditional news and feature sections, we're breaking the publication into several subject areas, the ones identified by our readers as most important to them (based on research that we regularly conduct to monitor industry trends and our audience's needs).

Integration

This section will cover multichannel integration and the other challenges faced by DMers active in both online and offline media.

ROI

It's the hottest topic in marketing. We'll cover ROI, performance measurement, marketing dashboards, analytics, tools and technology, all seen through the direct marketing prism.

CRM/Data

Here we will offer state-of-the-art articles on CRM, database marketing,analytics and demographics, written by Richard H. Levey and some of the best practitioners in the field.

Special Report

Our bonus feature. Some will be on DM disciplines, others on segments like publishing, financial services and healthcare.

Direct Mail

The focus will be on strategy, creative, lists and postal issues.

E-mail

This department will feature reporting and biting commentary by Ken Magill. He'll write on e-mail delivery, lists, best practices and legislative issues.

The Web

There's more to Web marketing than banner advertising, and all of it will be covered in these pages. Brian Quinton will report on e-commerce, search engine marketing, Web advertising, Webinars, podcasts and blogs.

Channel Surfing

Call this our potpourri section. It will cover all media and channels, including DRTV and radio, print advertising,telemarketing and wireless.

Oh yes, we're retaining our Directions section (there's no telling what you'll find there) and our high-octane op-ed area.

We hope you like the new Direct. It debuts in January.