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I read Ray Schultz's January editorial about being a “friend” minutes before reading the article regarding Publishers Clearing House changing its marketing to the elderly in Iowa (Direct Newsline, Dec. 20, 2007). Although the two pieces are related, there are important issues that need to be addressed separately.

The point made in Ray's column that we who comprise the direct marketing industry should be more vigilant in policing ourselves is fair, but slightly misdirected. The final paragraph stated, “So here's a New Year's resolution for list pros, service bureau owners and anyone who enables the great business of direct marketing….” The admonition should have read, “List brokers, list managers and list owners should not request that service bureaus fulfill questionable list rental orders.”

The data belongs to the list owner. A service bureau does not have the right to refuse to fulfill particular orders, only the right to not do business with the list owner. On occasion, ListFusion has opted to discontinue providing service to clients whose business practices or claims we find questionable. It's far more common that a service bureau won't know who the mailer is, or what the offer happens to be.

My concerns over PCH's settlement with the Iowa attorney general's office include the following statement from the Newsline story: “If the person is not suppressed from the mailing file, the person's contact information and age must be provided to the AG's office and the AG may require that that person not receive mailings.” I did not read where PCH admitted to any wrongdoing or had been accused of criminal activity. Nor did the article identify the individuals as mentally handicapped, suffering from Alzheimer's disease or dementia — but simply that they were old.

So, following “decades of complaints from friends and relatives,” the Iowa's AG's office has concluded that it can decide who may send a legal mailing to whom, without benefit of law or judgment. Simply because someone is 65 or older they are deemed no longer capable of reading and understanding a sweepstakes offer, or receiving the offer if the Iowa AG believes they shouldn't.

Perhaps this “rule” should be applied to anyone with an education below sixth-grade level, regardless of age. In addition, the AG should make it mandatory for the Iowa Gaming Commission to require ID from everyone entering a casino in the state and pull aside anyone over the age of 65. These individuals would be personally interviewed by casino staff, who will determine if they understand the risk of gambling and that they're not required to gamble in order to eat at the early bird buffet. If the casinos do not comply, the AG will ask for a list of these people and fine the casinos if anyone on the list is found on the premises, regardless of reason.

Ultimately, we in the direct marketing industry should do what is right and comply with the law. But we should not allow ourselves to be treated as criminals, nor allow it to be implied that direct marketing is somehow unethical. It's important that we stop precedents such as the PCH deal.

Remember: They can always throw the mailing away.
Darren A. Somsen
Vice President, Marketing and Sales
ListFusion
Orem, UT

I'm always intrigued by Tom Collins' suggestions in The Makeover Maven. I write and design advertising for a newspaper. I also write copy for presentation slides and Web sites.

It is said that the average reader and Internet user likes to scan, not read. And it's a common mistake to get too wordy when writing PowerPoint slides. So when I look at some of Tom's suggestions, I think: “Gee, that's wordy. Will a reader bother to wade through that much copy?”

Tom probably has covered this already, but I wonder if there's a way to reach some sort of happy medium with eye-catching art, a powerful headline and brief copy.

Of course, Tom's writing a column and not working on an ad campaign. Still, I'd like to see him address this in the future.
Ken Satterfield
Advertising/Marketing Coordinator
Word & Way
Jefferson City, MO

Tom Collins replies: If my makeovers sometimes seem wordy, there are a couple of reasons. One is that I'm not addressing all readers, only those who are prospects. The general reader is bored by detail and will not read it. The prospect is interested and will read some or all of it.

Another is what I call the smorgasbord approach to copy. That is, in each ad you lay out, as much as comfortably possible, a feast of information and persuasion and let each prospect take from it whatever he or she needs or wants.

Of course, this is a far cry from the incremental image-building in the kind of ad series so many major advertisers undertake. Their approach is undoubtedly effective as far as it goes. But I think it could go further by keeping the image-building element while adding more information and persuasion in each of the series' ads.

Each month I dive into Direct I know I'm going to pull away a few pointers. The e-mail section and Beth Negus Viveiros' column are always good.

And The Makeover Maven is always bad.

While I agree that some ads don't give enough information, Tom Collins' ads are just brutal.

Ask yourselves as publishers how many ads — like the ones Tom re-creates — do you actually see in print? You know, cinder blocks of copy, bad images and the required dedication of a few minutes to get through it?

I'd say none, other than in a DM magazine. Direct response creatives are notorious for not knowing the ad side of the business and vice versa.

You really need to update that column. Hire monthly guest “Mavens.” Or curb Tom's 1930s approach to advertising. It really is doing Direct a disservice.
Joe Doyle
Partner/Creative Director
Stalelife Studios
Austin, TX

Tom Collins replies: It is true we don't see many ads like my makeovers, and since mine can't be tested I must leave it to my readers to decide whether they would be more effective. Based on the letters I get, I would say a number of you agree with Joe Doyle and a number of you disagree.

Actually, I do see a fair number of print ads like my makeovers which do a good job of attracting and persuading likely prospects and moving them to act much as my makeovers seek to do. If there aren't more, it's because too many print advertisers and their agencies are mistakenly reaching for readers (or lookers) rather than prospects. I have said repeatedly that what may be boring or even off-putting to the general reader may be absorbing and compelling to genuine prospects.

I also see far too many ads where the copywriter's good work is undone by the art director's determinedly artistic design and typography. Their design crimes are far worse than my humble efforts.