The best in circulation promotion

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, June, 1990

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In magazine circulation promotion, where breakthrough creativity and innovation are daily job requirements, industry-wide recognition for performance is an important accomplishment. This year, FOLIO: presented nine Gold and nine Silver Awards in its Seventh Circulation Direct Marketing Awards program. Here FOLIO: showcases the Gold Award winners with comments from the judges; the names of the creative teams and suppliers who contributed to both Gold and Silver Award efforts are also included.

The competition covers promotions that were mailed between january 1, 1989, and December 3 1, 1989. Winning packages were selected on the basis of creativity, technical execution, strategy, results and cost-effectiveness.

The five judges, (left to right above) all members of the Magazine Publishers of America Circulation Council, were Harold Shain, Senior Vice President, Newsweek, Inc.; Liz Petrecca, Circulation Director, American Express Publications; David Obey, Circulation Consultant, Kitty Carroll Williams, Vice President-Circulation, Business Week; and Susan Allyn, Circulation Director, Bon Appetit.

The Awards were presented at a luncheon in New York City jointly sponsored by the Magazine Publishing Congress and Communications Data Services, Inc. (CDS).

Playboy

(Gold Award)

Creative team:

David Wise, Josh Manheimer, Copywriter

Bobbi Gutman, VP Subscription Circulation;

Lilian Gmitruk, New Business Manager;

Liz Stempel, Direct Mail Manager

Printers:

Color Graphics,

Poly Flex,

Automated Packaging

Lettershops:

Ececutive Mailers,

Jetson Mailers

The cover lines are strong. The illustration on the polybag is well done and interesting. It makes you want to move it around to see if the woman is wearing any clothes or not. Even the back of the package is very strong and would certainly get me inside. Inside it's laid out fairly well. The copy is good. The brochure is interesting and gives you the feel of a Playboy centerfold. Creatively it's a nice package, fairly expensive though.

Woodsmith

Gold Award

Creative team:

Donald B. Peschke, Publisher

Printers: Instant Web, Victory Envelope

Lettershop: United Mailing

List Broker: Names and Addresses

Package design:

Webster Design

Wood is beautiful. It's portrayed beautifully. The brochure is tremendous. It's well designed. It's warm. It uses white space well. The handwriting on the letter works well; often this looks tacky. We love the fact that they give you two shop problems on the outer envelope and then solve them on one of the pieces inside instead of leaving you hanging. In that way they give you a good idea of what the magazine is all about, which is terrific. You really feel like you are going to get a high quality product and it's going to be very useful to you.

SPY

(Gold Award)

Creative team:

Ken Schneider & Associates, Inc.'

Thomas L. Phillips Jr., Publisher;

John W. Pollock, Circulation Manager;

Lisa J. Auslander, former Circulation Manager

Printers:

Ballantine Litho Sales Inc.,

Equitable Envelope & Printing Corp.,

Double Engelope,

Three Z Printing,

American Printers & Lithographers Inc.

Lettershop: Mailco

List Broker: The Paradysz Group

If a package captures the feel of the magazine it's selling, it has done its job. This package certainly does that. The free Gorby lick n stick birthmark is terrific. Very, very clever. But everything you need to know is woven in. The copy is first rate and entertaining. It has humor, which is very hard to make work in direct mail. In this magazine humor is appropriate and it's done well.

The Nation

(Gold Award)

Creative team:

Deborah Thomas, Designer;

Paul Stiga, Copywriter

The copy is the strongest point. "We specialize in the news the mainstream press doesn't see fit to print'-or maybe convenient to print,' " etc. The package was well done. It gets high scores for overall creativity. We like the promotion of four issues free. That's a lot. They are probably giving away four issues anyway, so why not tell the reader up front?

Elle Decor

(Gold Award)

Creative team:

Len Berkowe, Copywriter;

Davidson & Maltz;

Adelaide Peters, Directo/Direct Mail;

John Dagney, Director/Subscription Promotion;

David Leckey, Director/Circulation Marketing;

Leon Rosenfield, Vice President/Circulation

Lettershop:

Skyview Direct

List broker:

Valerie Davis & Associates

It has a fascinating brochure in it. The brochure is beautifully designed and includes things the magazine will cover. If you want a unique fireplace, it tells you to try a salvage company. if you want a slipcover, it suggests that you make two or three so you can have a change at your whim. Georgeous. Outstanding overall creativity and copy. It promises a great magazine.

Black Enterprise

(Gold Award)

Very well executed. Nice envelope. The theme of the envelope - success, power and wealth - is carried right through to the brochure. Nice copy. Nice graphics. They work well together. Overall creativity is very good.

Creative team:

Creative team:

Tucker Hilliard Associates;

Pat Traylor, Cirulation Director

Printer:

Nation Printing Corp.

Lettershop:

United Mailing

List brokers: