Archive for the ‘Electronic Retailer’ Category

The Risks of Cardholder Data

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Ken MusanteOne of the reasons hackers breach direct marketing merchant sites is that’s where the card numbers are stored. Cardholder data is kept for a variety of reasons including: 1) providing customer service, 2) processing re-occurring transactions and 3) responding to chargebacks (representments). Fortunately, Visa recently clarified its Rules and advised merchants that they no longer need the entire 16-digit card number to cure a chargeback. Instead, merchants may use other clarifying information in addition to a truncated card number, in responding.

Visa has also mandated that issuers accept these truncated numbers. This is welcomed news for merchants and unless card numbers are absolutely needed, they simply should not be stored—helping to lessen the burden of PCI compliance. PCI compliance requires card numbers to be encrypted (if they are stored).

This does not eliminate an e-tailer’s responsibility to comply with PCI, as they are still processing card data; it merely makes the job easier. Further, direct marketers how are processing re-occurring transactions should consider utilizing a gateway that stores the data for them in an encrypted fashion.

Many gateways have re-occurring payment modules, which allow you to input the card data and to bill that same card on a regular basis, yet encrypts and stores that data in a PCI-compliant format. Since most e-tailers utilize a payment gateway, it behooves you to inquire if your gateway can perform this service for you. Doing so further allows you to concentrate on selling and eliminates enormous enterprise risk. Risk that could lead to substantial fines, the loss of your merchant account and a listing of your data on the MATCH file; further curtailing your ability to process transactions.

Think about the reasons you are storing card data. Do you really need to?

Ken Musante is president of Direct Response Payments in Eureka, Calif. Contact Musante at (877) 476-0570 or at kenm@eurekapayments.com.

Top 5 Reasons to Join ERA Today!

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

There has never been a better time than right now to join the Electronic Retailing Association. Below are the top five reasons why you need to be a part of the only non-profit trade association that represents the dynamic direct response marketing industry.

  1. One free registration to ANY of our domestic conferences (including September’s ERA D2C Convention) – a $1,600 value!;
  2. Networking opportunities with our 450+ member companies;
  3. Significant discounts to all of our industry events;
  4. Free admittance to our monthly educational webinars and subscription to Electronic Retailer magazine;
  5. Representation and influence on Capitol Hill.

So what are you waiting for? Contact Robin Greenspan today at rgreenspan@retailing.org or 703-908-1306 for more information about joining ERA.

Online Strategies February Issue Now Available!

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

os0210_250Online Strategies’ February 2010 issue is now available.

Forbes Riley to Enter National Fitness Hall of Fame

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Acclaimed celebrity host and industry veteran Forbes Riley will be inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame on March 14 in Chicago. She follows in the footsteps of fellow Hall-of-Famers and fitness icons Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack LaLanne, Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda—just a few of the more-than-50 inductees.

According to a Hall of Fame spokesman, Forbes is joining a prestigious inductee class of six for her work as a celebrity spokesperson and for using her passion and dynamic personality to bring others to fitness across multiple mediums.

ERA and Electronic Retailer magazine are proud of Forbes and congratulate her on this incredible achievement!

January 2010 Issue Now Available Online!

Friday, January 15th, 2010

January 2010 ERElectronic Retailer’s January 2010 issue featuring Jeff Taylor (founder of Monster.com and CEO of Eons.com) is now available online. For more information on Jeff’s upcoming keynote address at the ERA Great Ideas Summit, click here.

Got Your Halloween Outfit Ready?

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

The spookiest of American holidays is just days away. If you’re like me, you’re still scrambling for a unique and easy-to-throw-together-last-minute costume. The thought entering an over-stimulating and smelly party store just days before Halloween is out of the question for me, but will be my outfit be as cool as others?

Apparently the days of your dad throwing a sheet over your body and calling you a ghost are over. The costumes these days are more and more intricate and creative. From Kate Gosselin wigs to the late Michael Jackson and DRTV’s very own Billy Mays outfits, the best-selling costumes this Halloween season are personal and fierce!

Think dressing up as the legendary Billy Mays is tasteless and offensive? Well, Billy’s son, Billy Mays III, gives these outfits the Mays’ signature two thumbs up seal of approval! He’s even throwing a contest for his fans to see who has the best Billy Mays outfit on his website www.wheresbillymays.com. So go ahead, bust out your blue shirt and represent Billy’s positive spirit this season - you won’t be alone!

Jamie Hill is ERA’s marketing manager.

Buzzing ERA Crowd at Stingaree in San Diego

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

It’s not a far stretch to say that everyone that attended the ERA Networking Reception in San Diego on Monday, October 19, had a FABULOUS time. With 200+ direct response pros in attendance on the rooftop of Stingaree, the vibe and overall buzz of the evening was upbeat and optimistic. The drinks were flowing, the atmosphere was perfect and the conversations were flowing! Many people said they were making more connections during the two hour reception than they had made all day on the conference in town!

Having Andi Barness and Ben Freedman from PrimeImage Media at the reception also created a lot of buzz, they managed to get more than a dozen interviews with attendees asking why they were planning on coming to The Great Ideas Summit 2010 in New Orleans. Check out the video they produced below and the pictures that Kim Lewis with ERA snapped. www.ERAGreatIdeas.org

For all of you that attended, we hope it was a worthwhile and successful networking event for you!

ERA’s Tomi Turner on the FTC’s Revised Guides

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

picture-150x150Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission released its revised Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. The Guides are more than 80 pages long, so we’re still analyzing the changes. However, there is no question that our extensive advocacy efforts have had an effect on the final iteration of the Guides. The commentary included with the changes explains that advertisements using consumer testimonials should be evaluated by the net impression of the advertisement. A footnote in the revised Guides also suggests that in some cases a disclaimer could be sufficient. A more comprehensive legal document will be circulated shortly, but it is clear from a preliminary review that our efforts have not been made in vain. The 35 advocacy meetings on the Hill, 40 constituent meetings at the Fly-In, the testimony before the Senate, two sets of detailed comments and our suggested language were all helpful in presenting our case to the FTC.

However, the new Guides certainly do present some challenges, both to traditional TV marketers and those in social media. ERA is already planning educational opportunities that will provide suggestions for compliance with these changes. We hope the FTC will seize the opportunity to improve the marketplace by presenting to these changes to ERA members at one of our conferences.

Members who attended the Fly-In, supported the Leadership Reception, participated in the Government Affairs Committee, helped to author and review our comments to the FTC, and of course, testified before the Senate, were all instrumental in mitigating some of the more harmful changes. We thank you.

Tomi Turner is ERA’s legislative manager.

To read ERA’s official statement, click here.

To read more about ERA’s government affairs efforts and what you can do to help, click here.

To read Electronic Retailer magazine’s June cover story on Endorsements & Testimonials, click here.

September ‘09 Issue Now Available Online!

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

er09091 Electronic Retailer’s September ‘09 issue featuring Montel Williams is now available online! For more information about Motel’s upcoming keynote presentation at the ERA D2C Convention on Monday, Sept. 14, click here.

All Aboard! Your Upcoming ERA Travel Itinerary

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

pic2In addition to its upcoming D2C Convention in Las Vegas Sept. 13-15, ERA has also announced an October 19th networking reception in San Diego!

Before booking your travel to Las Vegas or San Diego, you may first want to get a few tips from “Saturday Night Live” travel expert Judy Grimes.

Did you miss out on the recent networking receptions in NYC and L.A.? Click here to view pictures from various events at Electronic Retailer’s Buzz page!

Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia Editor.

ERA’s 2009 D2C Convention Education Tracks

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Here’s a sneak peek at what attendees can expect from the education lineup at ERA’s upcoming D2C Convention September 13-15, in Las Vegas. 

Track One: Direct Response Success

 

Track Two: Digital Marketing Intelligence 

Track Three: Operations and Profitability

ERA’s Women in Business Symposium

Online Strategies Magazine Launches New Site

Monday, July 6th, 2009

os09s Electronic Retailer magazine’s sister publication, Online Strategies, has launched its own homepage. Check it out here!

Past Billy Mays Coverage

Monday, June 29th, 2009

er0509The following two blog posts humorously show why we as an industry loved this larger than life personality.

Obama, Billy Mays, ERA and a Chia Pet??

Billy Mays Visits Livemercial’s Office

To read Electronic Retailer’s May cover feature on “Pitchmen,” click here.