About 28 years ago, I started my little list business (Catalyst Direct Marketing) with a couple of generous financial backers and a lot of luck.  It took about a year before we started to see any profits; actually, that's pretty fast.  I branched out and started a compiled list reselling division (Database Network Associates) to complement the existing business model.  This showed a profit very quickly because we saw an existing audience from the start. 

When you begin a business high up on the learning curve, you not only avoid so many mistakes, you increase the likelihood of success.  So far so good, right?  Well don't get so cozy on your BarcaLounger just yet. 

Recently we dove into the world of online marketing services.  You know, email marketing, SEO, SEM, Affiliate Marketing, etc.  There was so much to learn.  And you have to find the right people to work with.  Sure, we still do list management and brokerage, but we had a vision that said the list industry and most all industries are going to be utilizing email and online marketing more than ever.  And you know what?  We were right.  Its taken a little more time than past ventures, but we are beginning to see things happen.  People are seeing an improved ROI and they're getting excited.  Do you know that in the coming months, companies are planning on increasing their online budgets?

We're just at the tip of the iceberg.  But we're ready to help our clients, and prospective clients, to pick up steam and reap the benefits of online marketing.  I've attached an article I thought you would enjoy.  Give it a moment of your time and then give us a call. 

http://www.adotas.com/2009/09/email-marketing-big-winner-in-downturn/

It's been some time since I've posted to our log.  Sorry, not much to report.  But I'll get back on track and start posting more. 

Recently, something happened that really pissed me off.  I still can't believe it happened.  I've taken a few days to cool off about it, but since I'm writing in our blog about it, I guess I'm still pissed. 

Catalyst Direct Marketing is a traditional list management and brokerage company.  We've been in business for about 28 years.  About 15 years ago I started a new division, Database Network Associates (DNA), whose function was to resell compiled data and services.  The division has done extremely well over the years.  Many of the traditional list companies do the same thing but ususally under their existing company name.  No big deal; just a matter of choice. 

Recently I discovered that a somewhat reputable list brokerage company had stolen business away from DNA; or had they?  I have been receiving orders from a specific mailer through this list broker for a few years.  No problems; the list worked and they continued to use the file.  In our line of business, that a good thing for everyone.  I receive a call from a different list broker that the orders for this mailer were now going to be written by him.  Not a problem; this happens in any industry.  Clients move to new vendors all the time.  Well, everything was groovy until the new broker started asking a few questions about the history of these past orders, and if I can omit them from new orders he was going to place with me.  OK, ready for this.   Here it comes. 

Normally, I can omit prior usage on a list.  But to do this, you need to have processed the prior order in the first place.  He gave me a few orders to research, but I never processed any of them.  How can this be?  Well, the original list brokerage company also resells data, and has their own in-house database.  Apparently they stopped ordering the data through DNA, and fulfilled these orders through their own in-house database division, but still represented the list to their client as mine.  How unethical is this?  I was furious.  Is this normal practice by this list brokerage company?  Is this normal practice by other data resellers?  It isn't for DNA, and I was pissed. 

I couldn't stop to think about the Adam Sandler movie, "Billy Madison".  Remember at the end of the movie there's this academic contest where the person that wins the most events, wins the company?  Well, Billy is a drunkin' moron (but since he gets the girl at the end, he's my hero) and the other guy is a slime ball, unethical businessman that already works for the company.  Do you see where I'm going with this yet? 

Well the last event is something like Jeopardy, where you pick a category and the other guy has to answer the question.  Well Billy is looking over the board of all the categories, trying to find something that the other guy cannot answer.  And then he finds it....."I choose 'Business Ethics'.  Well the other guy is such an unethical businessman, he can't answer the question.  Billy wins the company, wins the girl, and I think you know pretty much the rest. 

Now getting back to me.  I'm married so winning the girl is meaningless.  But the new list broker is placing the orders back with DNA, so I win the business.   Yahoo!!!! 

Now that we're repositioning the company, I thought it would be a good idea to update our web site a bit.  We built this site so many years ago that the architecture that was used is probably obsolete.  I have a friend, Dee Schmitz of Deezigns.com, who is helping me with all these changes.  I met Dee years ago playing squash.  Yes, I play squash but we'll leave that story for another day.  I'll just say this before I move on; I used to kick her butt all over that court. 

Anyway, we did what we could on the site to establish ourselves as the multichannel marketing expert to the direct marketing industry. What that means is that we are ready to help all the mailers in our industry to take the next step and add online services to their marketing mix.  No, we don't want them to walk away from list prospecting.  We want them to add this as a new channel of sales. 

What's best about Catalyst is that we're list guys; we understand what mailers are going through right now.  We're not some new vendor that you read about; and then you have to go through all that 'honeymoon period' and teach them your business model.  We can become extensions of their team and provide all the services and support they need on the run. 

Some of the services we offer now in addition to list management and brokerage are affinity marketing, blogs, paid search, SEO, SEM, webinars, social networking, and much more.

Let me know what you think of the new web site.  Well, it's not really new; just more up-to-date.  In case you got here from some other direction, the web site is www.catalystdm.com

Check back again and I'll tell you more about my squash game.  Boy do I have stories!!