Donat/Wald CEO Lucas Donat Showcases New Advertising Paradigm - an ROI-Positive Approach - at DMA

Business Wire, Oct 15, 2007

'Direct is the New Brand Advertising,' Donat Says - and Demonstrates Success of This Approach with eHarmony.com, In DMA Conference Session

CHICAGO -- As the industry gathers at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) conference here this week, Donat/Wald (www.donatwald.com) announced today that founding partner and CEO Lucas Donat will take the opportunity to challenge the DR status quo with a new paradigm - an ROI-positive advertising strategy that fuses DR and brand advertising in the same ad.

A veteran of branded response advertising for more than 20 years, Donat firmly believes that the two disciplines traditionally at opposite ends of the advertising spectrum - brand building and direct response - now go hand-in-hand and, in fact, cannot be successful without the other. He is discussing his approach at a DMA Session today, called "Build Your Brand with the Power of Direct."

This strategy transcends both brand-building and direct response advertising to deliver a measurable, positive return on investment. It merges creativity with accountability - high-concept creative ads with an immediate call-to-action.

"The tug of war between 'direct' and 'brand' is something many of us at this conference have lived with for years," said Donat. "But more and more companies today need both - they need strong brands, but they also are called upon to account for ever dollar they spend. This is a huge opportunity for any agency that is steeped in the disciplines of direct response, but knows how to employ them in the service of the brand."

Donat/Wald is a full-service agency that has used the ROI-positive approach in major campaigns for eHarmony.com, Register.com, Hotwire.com and many others.

Overtaking Entrenched Competitors with ROI-Positive Approach

In 2000, eHarmony entered a cluttered category to compete with two very entrenched and deep-pocketed leading brands, bucking just about every trend in the industry - it focused its positioning around marriage, it asked people to fill out a 436-question form before the company would accept any money, and it charged twice as much as the competition.

But Donat/Wald helped build eHarmony into the No. 1 brand in the online relationship category using an approach that combined brand-building with direct response. And, because its campaigns have been ROI-positive from Dollar One, eHarmony has been able to out-spend its competition by 2-to-1.

eHarmony became the most trusted brand in a category that lives or dies based on consumer trust. It led the category across virtually every brand metric - trust, compatibility, best for marriage, scientific, quality matches, rigorous screening and happier marriages (according to an independent study by Rosetta Marketing Strategies, called "eHarmony.com Brand Awareness & Perceptions," September 2005).

That brand equity translated into dollars. In a very short period of time, eHarmony was commanding 38 percent of all new dollars in the market - more than its two largest competitors combined.

In the age of ROI accountability, Donat/Wald has become one of the most sought-after agencies because it has consistently shown that brand trust is inextricably linked to driving positive ROI.

About Donat/Wald

Donat/Wald (www.donatwald.com) was founded in 1987 and quickly became recognized as a leader in direct response advertising. The award-winning agency's multi-platform approach combines the power of television, radio, print, and interactive media to offer integrated solutions that maximize advertising ROI and enable precise accountability. Throughout its 19-year history, Donat/Wald has been orchestrating successful campaigns for notable clients such as eHarmony, Register.com, Hotwire.com, Columbia, Sony, MGM/UA, Mattel Toys, ServiceMaster, American Express, Federated, CarsDirect.com, and eCompanies.