Jan 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Ray Schultz

It may seem a little strange to see a new face on this page.

But it's not so new. I've been bouncing around the ad business for years, mostly covering direct marketing.

And while I don't intend to intrude on this space often, my colleagues thought it was time for an update on some changes at PROMO.

PROMO is one of several marketing titles published by Prism Business Media. And in May, this group was put under the leadership of Senior Vice President Warren Bimblick, a veteran publishing executive who also oversees Prism's financial services pubs, including Registered Rep.

Warren promptly appointed Leslie Bacon, who had for years been in charge of DIRECT and Multichannel Merchant, as group publisher of all the titles. Working with Leslie is the PROMO sales team, consisting of Bryan Benjamin and Barbara Paul. I'm the editorial director of the group.

So what do we have up our sleeves? We've found out from research and one-on-one talks that readers love PROMO, and are loyal to the brand.

At the same time, readers have offered many helpful suggestions about how the magazine can better serve them. They seem to want more of everything — more ideas, case histories, best practices and advice on how to determine ROI. And, they want input on media and original statistical research. We plan to deliver all that, while reflecting the sheer fun and spirit of the promotions field. And that's just the start.

But please give us your feedback. And don't forget to comment on our Web site, promomagazine.com, our e-mail newsletters, PROMO Xtra and PROMO P&I, and our conference, PROMO Live.

As for our other products, you might want to check out Chief Marketer. CM ties all of the marketing disciplines into a bow. It serves articles on branding, ROI and other topics. And you can read it on the Web site, or in several e-mail newsletters.

The PROMO staff consists of managing editor Patty Odell with whom I worked on DIRECT for several years. She is a real pro. Then there's Betsy Spethmann, the most authoritative writer in the promotions field. Finally, we have Amy Johannes, our ace reporter who knows how to dig out a story. We hope you enjoy PROMO. And Happy New Year.

Ray Schultz can be reached at ray.schultz@penton.com.

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