October 16, 2005 Atlanta, GA USA – NextMark, Inc., a leading provider of list commerce technology, was presented with a certificate of appreciation for its contribution to direct marketing education at the 2005 Direct Marketing Education Foundation (“DMEF”) Awards Dinner held last night at the The Fox Theater in Atlanta, GA. The certificate, presented by Tim Litle, President of Litle and Company and one of this year’s recipients of a DMA Hall of Fame Award says, “The Direct Marketing Education Foundation Acknowledges and Applauds NextMark for the Exemplary Leadership Generosity In Helping Educate The Direct Marketing Leaders of Tomorrow.”
Through the DMEF, NextMark provided more than 1,100 students from 32 schools with free access to its List Strategy System. These students used the system to develop marketing plans and budgets for their school projects. Many used it to compete in the DMEF’s 2005 Collegiate ECHO competition.
The results have been positive. In fact, every winner of the 2005 Collegiate ECHO competition used the system to formulate their campaigns. Lisa Spiller, Professor of Marketing at Christopher Newport University, whose team won the Gold prize for undergraduates in Challenge 2: Orange Savings, says, “I have been teaching this database marketing course for five years. I have never seen the students so engaged in their projects as they were this year when using the NextMark system to develop their marketing strategies. We really appreciate access to this wonderful system.”
Other institutions participating in the NextMark program include Baruch College, Bluefield State College, Boise State University, Canisius College, Castleton State College, Creighton University, Eastern Michigan University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Indiana University South Bend, Liberty University, Loyola University Chicago, MSU Moorhead, Murray State University, St. Cloud State University, St. John Fisher College, Temple University, The George Washington University, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, University of Northern Colorado, University of South Carolina, University of Texas at Austin, University of Toledo, University of Washington Business School, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, USC, Utah State University, Washington College, Western Illinois University, and Yeshiva University.
The DMEF hopes to replicate the success of the NextMark program with other tools for students. The goal is to outfit them with a complete toolbox for planning and executing direct marketing programs. During the presentation, Mr. Litle encouraged other vendors to get involved. Any firms interested in offering their products or services should contact Laurie Spat at the DMEF.
This NextMark program is open to professors who participate in the DMEF’s Collegiate ECHO program or DMEF Professors’ Academy. Details and registration can be found on NextMark’s website at http://nextmark.com/products/dmef.html.