Tom Corry began his career in direct marketing in 1983 with Stephen Winchell & Associates, one of the most successful direct mail fundraising agencies in the United States. As an account supervisor he was responsible for direct mail fundraising for clients such as the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, The Heritage Foundation and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Corry left Stephen Winchell in 1986 to work at Time-Life Books where he began as direct mail manager and was promoted to product manager. During his five years at Time-Life, Tom launched many of the new product lines and won numerous awards. He won the first ever Diamond Echo award for his development of the marketing strategy and campaign for Mysteries of the Unknown. This book series is the largest selling book series Time-Life has ever produced.

After nearly five years at Time-Life, in 1990 Tom was recruited to Reader's Digest to develop new media outlets for all book, music and video product lines. He was also responsible for all new customer acquisition and the customer contact strategy for the Books & Home Entertainment Division. Tom was involved with the development of the RDA prospecting database, as well as new business development. While at Reader's Digest, Tom won the first ever Clio award for direct response television advertising.

In 1994, Tom formed his own direct marketing consultancy and works with some of the top companies in many different business sectors. He works within many industries, such as publishing, travel & leisure, utilities, healthcare, education and interactive. He has worked with well-established clients to identify revenue opportunities, and with start-up companies to develop direct marketing businesses.

Tom has been a frequent speaker at direct marketing industry conferences and has been active in the Direct Marketing Association for over twenty years. Tom serves on the Direct Marketing Association's Commmittee on Ethical Business Practice.

Providing direct marketing consulting in:

Database Management

• Created a unified marketing database for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to consolidate their catalog buyers, ticket purchasers, fundraising donors and educational clients.
• Developed a marketing database with overlay enhancements for Conectiv energy, a large east coast utility.
• Introduced regression analysis for use on outside lists for a number of publishing companies and clients.
• Created marketing databases for a number of magazine publishers, and healthcare company that integrates new-to-file customer streaming, as well as ancillary product development.
• Works with Prudential Insurance to better segment and select names from their data warehouse for their B-to-B marketing.

New Business/Product Development

• Worked with a world-recognized publisher to review the interactive marketplace and determine the potential of direct marketing CD-ROM products.
• Working with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, developed a successful publishing program that is targeted to people interested in public policy initiatives.
• Created new products for Reader's Digest to acquire 200,000 new customers annually through direct mail.
• Worked closely with Harris Publishing, a White Plains based directory publisher, to create new marketing concepts to expand their publishing market.
• Developed a Preview book-marketing program and continuity product lines with Cowles Creative Publishing Books to broaden their product and marketing base.

Creative & Media Development

• Review creative drafts from most clients for direct mail, print and television scripts.
• Developed an RFP to choose a direct response TV agency to launch TV for National Geographic magazine.
• Work with clients to create and implement marketing planning including creative, media, schedules, and customer service to achieve clients' objectives.

New Customer Acquisition & Conversion/Name Value Development

• Initiated syndication programs targeting promotions to other large publisher's files.
• Work with many clients to develop conversion stream of products and offers to resuscitate inactive customers and to increase conversion of new-to-file customers.
• Spearheaded name-value system development at Reader's Digest to determine corporate investment policy for new-to-file and house file names.
• Develop customer retention strategies and tactics for many clients that use direct response marketing and marketing databases.

Research

• Initiate and direct both quantitative and qualitative research for most clients.
• Directed market research using quantitative and qualitative methods to revive and convert 400,000 inactive and non-product line customers for nationally known publisher.
• Developed animatic research concepts and methodology for several customers' television commercials.
• Initiated and implemented new customer strategic planning based on testing and research for each book, music and video product line at Reader's Digest and for consulting clients.
• Developed market penetration studies for continuity and one-shot clients to determine what new continuity series or books should begin development.

Credit & Billing

• Have worked with many clients to review their credit and billing policies and recommend customized dunning letter streams and copy approaches.
• Developed outside systems for several clients to handle credit card payments and tax issues allowing the successful introduction of music and video products on TV.
• Work with statisticians for a number of clients to develop credit-screening modeling.

Fulfillment

• Helped to change the illustrated book and music series sequencing and fulfillment at nationally known music and book publisher.
• Work with many clients to create and implement marketing planning including schedules, fulfillment procedures, inventory, and customer service.

EXPERIENCE

Corry Direct Marketing, LLC 1994 -

READER'S DIGEST ASSOCIATION, Pleasantville, NY 1990 - 1994
Marketing Director - Books & Home Entertainment Division

TIME-LIFE BOOKS - Alexandria, VA 1987 - 1990
Senior Product Manager

TIME-LIFE BOOKS 1986-1987
Director of Direct Mail

STEPHEN WINCHELL & ASSOCIATES - Washington, D.C. 1982-1986
A direct mail agency specializing in political and non-profit fundraising. Account Supervisor

DIRECT MARKETING AWARDS

1988 DMA Diamond Echo - MYSTERIES OF THE UNKNOWN, Time-Life Books
1988 Gold Medal - International Film & TV Festival, Time-Life Books
1990 Clio Award - TV spot for TODAY'S BEST NON-FICTION, Reader's Digest

AFFILIATIONS

Direct Marketing Association Member
Member of the Committee on Ethical Business Practice
Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development