Connecting with the customer - DMEF's annual report

Abstract

Connecting with the customer is the call to action for business success in the 1990's. For more than a quarter of a century, the Foundation has been doing just that ... building the relationship between the direct marketing business community and the academic world ... between this generation of direct marketers and the next. The Foundation's mission has been constant: To improve and expand direct marketing education at the college and university level. But what we do has changed over the years to better reflect the needs of our customers. And the Foundation will continue to grow and evolve. That's the commitment to the hundreds of companies, local clubs and associations, and individuals who support the Foundation -one group of customers -and to thousands of students and educators in our nation's colleges and universities -DMEF's other group of customers. Four initiatives served to strengthen our relationships and expand our customer base this year: --The first competitive Direct Marketing Seminar for Graduate Students --A Professors Institute promoted nationally and to Ph.D. candidates for the first time --Donation of basic direct marketing library collections to 34 Historically and Predominantly Black Colleges and Universities. --A new Collegiate Institute Scholarship Fund that will enable one additional student to attend every national Collegiate Institute. But it's not only "firsts" that matter. The ongoing roster of quality programs, a steady stream of communication, and reliable and timely service all contribute to the customer relationship. Each year, the Foundation responds to hundreds of calls... requests for teaching materials, sample course outlines, student resumes, fellowship and program applications, inquiries about courses, degree and certificate programs, career opportunities, etc.