Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association :: 2006 Benjamin Franklin Awards
by Lisa Formica, 1 Jul 2006
Lisa is currently the Vice President of FMI Direct Inc. She is also an active member on the board of the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA).
The 2006 The Benjamin Franklin Awards for Direct Marketing Excellence
The Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association's (PDMA) annual Benny awards
ceremony was held June 7th at the World Café Live in Philadelphia. The
evening's award winners were saluted by a packed crowd of marketers
heavily involved in the results- oriented world
of direct marketing. Winning a Benny Award is a particularly high honor,
as every winner must not only submit an exceptional design, but must
also prove that their creative package drew results, and not just average
results. In order to be a Benny winner, the results must have surpassed
previous efforts, and be well above average. This year's judges were
a group of eight direct marketing experts from Boston.
The Benny, or The Benjamin Franklin Awards for Direct Marketing
Excellence, as it is more formally known, is aptly
named after one of the first and most forward thinking marketers to date.
When Benjamin Franklin needed to raise funds to build the Pennsylvania
Hospital in 1751, he used direct mail to accomplish
his goals. Franklin utilized many marketing techniques
still employed today. For example, he influenced
potential donors who had no true connection to
his cause by acquainting them with the names of
influential people have had already donated to
his cause. Franklin reported that his mail campaign
was "oversubscribed," meaning
that the amount of money raised exceeded what was
required. Franklin was —
and still is — highly regarded for his efforts.
This year, The Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association
(PDMA) and the Philadelphia Business Journal joined
forces to produce PDMA's Annual Benny Award
Winners supplement. The piece, which listed all
the Benny Winners, was inserted in the June 9,
2006 issue of the Business Journal (distribution
98,000) and also given to attendees at the June
7 Awards event. This partnership allows winners further recognition
in the business community and is an exciting addition to the benefits
of the prestigious award.
Some of the awards highlights were Direct Marketer
of the Year and the Thomas Black "Best of Show" Award:
Mario Amici, Managing
Partner, Production and Operations for Roska Direct
presented the 2006 Direct Marketer of the Year
Award to Warren Hunter, President, Chief Executive Officer and one of
the principals of DMW, a direct marketing agency located in Wayne, PA.
The criteria for the award are: industry prominence regionally or nationally;
recognizable contributions to the industry and
the PDMA; business building in the marketplace; and a reputation for integrity.
Warren's vast experience
in advertising and direct marketing has contributed
to the great success of his company and his clients' companies.
Under his leadership, DMW provides direct marketing
services to no less than 13 Blue Cross plans, 49
public television and radio stations and other
not-for-profit clients (under the direction of
the Plymouth, MA office), as well as 16 insurance
and financial services industry leading clients.
Warren has also contributed his talents, both locally
and nationally, to such professional organizations
as the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the Philadelphia Direct Marketing
Association (PDMA), Professional Insurance Marketing Association (PIMA),
and JCG Conferences, where he has co-chaired the Insurance Direct Marketing
Workshops for several years.
The Thomas Black "Best of Show" Award was
presented to DigitalDimensions3, Inc for its Dimensional
entry entitled, Sea Color in Amazing New Ways,
a stunning display of color and 3 dimensional sea life.
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