Back to School

No matter how many years keep ticking by since my school days, the early weeks of September always bring back vivid memories of starting a new school year. As a girl, back-to-school time for me was mostly about getting a new wardrobe, catching up with classmates I hadn't run into during the summer and, in high school, getting one more season to perfect my volleyball game. But there also was always at least one class or inspirational teacher who added to the excitement of another academic chapter. From introductory Latin to AP English and from Mrs. Lawrence to Mr. Nobles, certain subjects had the power to capture my attention and certain teachers had the skill to motivate me to achieve my learning potential. The same has been true of the direct marketing practice and the talented professionals who continue to evolve its application in the pursuit of peak performance. What journalist could ask for more than a subject that applies to nearly every business sector and is constantly on the move? And so it's bittersweet for me to tell you that I'm giving up my catbird seat on direct marketing to head back to school once more. After all the years of indirect study of psychology I've received while analyzing direct mail packages, discussing audience segmentation and persona development, and tracking generational differences, I no longer can resist the siren call to learn the subject for real. It's been an honor to work alongside each and every one of you. I owe a debt of gratitude to the many extraordinary practitioners (particularly Target Marketing's editorial advisory board and columnists) who shared their knowledge of and passion for direct marketing with me—it was contagious! And I want to send a special message of thanks to Denny Hatch and Peggy Hatch, whose support helped me grow both professionally and personally. In a way, it's also back-to-school time for my colleague, Thorin McGee, who as executive editor will be taking the reins at Target Marketing. But he's no freshman; Thorin's been building his direct marketing know-how for the past three years at sister publications ROI (formerly Catalog Success) and eM+C. And he's backed by the exceptional team of Managing Editor Melissa Ward and Senior Editor Heather Fletcher, whose work you and I both get to appreciate monthly. If you're going to be at DMA2010 next month, I encourage you to stop by the booth and meet them. And listen for me in the near future. I'll be hosting a couple webinars and serving as a consulting editor for this publication. Like I said, direct marketing is contagious!

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Back to School

Hallie Mummert

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Hallie Mummert