$60.6 BILLION spent on Direct Mail in 2006!

After learning about direct mail techniques in class, I found a brief from the Center for Media Research showing an investment of $60.6 billion on direct mail in 2006. That is a 7.5% increase from the year before.
The brief states that though there will be growth in direct mail investment over the next two years, it will not be as large of an increase as this past year. New trends in direct mail techniques, such as marketing consolidation, are listed in the brief, as well as some strategies in direct mail R-O-I (return on investment). I highly recommend a quick look over of the brief- however the main thing that it is missing is detail on actual R-O-I from the $60.6 BILLION invested in direct mail in 2006.

Are We Addicted to the Virtual World

In the age of information, various technologies allow us to do more different things than the old time. For instance, we can simply upload video to YouTube to broadcast and express ourselves; we can use cell phone to check and reply e-mail instantly; we can subscribe different shows from Podcast and get the most up-to-date information automatically.
However, how many of you have ever thought about the problem lead by all this new inventions? In his article, "The Hyperconnected. We're addicted to data, and new inventions like Twitter and the iPhone will only make it worse," Grossman suggests that people in this centuries are becoming addicted to Internet application unconsciously. Here is an example: After a train comes out from the underground, the first thing all the passengers will do is to take out all kinds of the mobile devices and check e-mail or up-to-date news/ information immediately.
Today's technology companies seem to recognize that this trend is getting more serious and new inventions continuously fulfill our desires, such as the ongoing improvement of mobile devices, Google and Earthlink cover free wireless service in more cities and even suburban areas. Although these things seem improving our lives and draw people close too each other, it is time for us to step back and think about this question: the closeness of the virtual world may lead to the disconnection of things that are surrounding us in our real life, which may also prevent us from developing our own thoughts individually.

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- Jas

To Iraq and back...the Woodruff report

If, like me, you missed last night's special report by ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff, To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports, you can still catch it online.

In an email to JMC faculty, Prof. Bob Rucker calls it "a truly remarkable and moving special report."

He continued, "This is absolutely GREAT television reporting...definitely EMMY Award caliber. It is also very very emotional TV. It's difficult not to tear up and cry when you see what Woodruff and some Iraqi war veterans went through, and now face as life-long battles for survival."

To watch the video, go to http://abcnews.go.com/ and click on Bob Woodruff links on the main page, or click on this direct link: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2909190.

(Cross-posted on McCunications)