NZ Direct Marketing Assn Elects New Chairman

NZ Direct Marketing Association Elects New Chairman And Board Representing 4,800 Marketing Professionals

Traditional Strength of Direct Mail coupled with e-Marketing Boom Reflected on Board says New Chairman, Lee Parkinson

AUCKLAND – 29 March 2001 – New Zealand’s largest marketing organisation, the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association, today announced the election of its new Board of Directors for 2001 following the Annual General Meeting in Auckland. The new Chairman, Mr Lee Parkinson, General Manager of Clemenger BBDO Direct, was Deputy Chairman of the DMA Board in 2000. Also re-elected from last year were Sharon Henderson, Managing Director of AIM Proximity; David Jamieson, General Manager – Indirect, of Moore Gallagher; and Valerie Walshe, Business Manager – Telecommunications for The Warehouse. The Board for 2001 includes two new directors: Frank van der Velden, CEO of Brave New World and Sally Carey, Consulting Services Director for Datamine Ltd.

Commenting on his election, Mr Parkinson said he was honoured to be Chairman and excited to be leading the Direct Marketing Association at a time of dynamic growth in the industry. “Marketing communication needs are becoming more diverse while the opportunities to reach the market in new and effective ways are constantly expanding,” he said. “Key developments for direct marketers include the continuing strength of direct mail coupled with the phenomenal growth in Internet and email usage. While traditional direct marketing has been underpinned by the increasing sophistication and computing power of database development, the industry also benefits from the enhanced capabilities of call centre technology. In addition, we are starting to realise the exciting potential of interactive digital television.”

According to Mr Parkinson, marketing communication channels are proliferating while the enabling technologies needed to access them are converging. “The old ‘above the line-below the line’ labels are becoming less and less relevant in today’s fast paced marketing communications industry,” he said. “What still matters is getting the right message to the right audience, at the right time and place, and then acting upon their responses. This requires an integrated ‘through the line’ approach. Against this back-drop of continual change, the challenge for the Direct Marketing Association is to ensure that it acts as a trend spotter for members and continues to offer relevant, value added services to meet their educational, organisational and professional development needs.”

Mr Parkinson has served four terms on the national board of the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association, the last year as Deputy Chair. He was the founding chair of the DMA’s e-Marketing Council and he has been actively involved in the establishment of the Electronic Marketing Standards Authority. “We are committed to working with governmental groups in negotiating, setting and, where appropriate, enforcing fair and equitable standards to provide comfort, protection and security for our members and customers,” he said.

“The Association is in good shape and a huge amount of credit for that must go to the outgoing Chair, Scott Fuller, who has spent the last four years guiding the DMA to new levels of professionalism. We have a dedicated and skilled national office resource, ably led by Keith Norris, our CEO, and we rely heavily on volunteers at national and regional level, all of whom do a terrific job to ensure it is truly a members’ association,” explained Mr Parkinson. “I am delighted with the strength and depth of the members of our new board, which reflect the skills and experience now being applied in the wider market place to marketing communications.”

Lee Parkinson has more than 16 years experience as a specialist in direct marketing and interactive media both in New Zealand and overseas. He has held senior marketing positions in organisations such as New Zealand Post and, prior to his appointment to head Clemenger BBDO Direct, he was Chief Executive of Hyperactive New Media, one of the leading interactive media agencies in the country.

About the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association
Established in 1974, the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association is the country’s premier marketing organisation representing more than 4,800 marketing professionals from a diverse range of organisations including large corporations as well as small to medium–sized businesses.

Fostering the growth of ethical direct and interactive marketing, the DMA advances the interests of its members globally to governments, businesses, and consumers. The Association promotes a self-regulatory environment, upholding to all users of direct and interactive marketing the Code of Practice for Direct Marketing in New Zealand.

More information on the New Zealand Direct Marketing Association is available at http://www.dma.co.nz

ENDS

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