Anthrax scare derails Economist campaign

HONG KONG: The Economist has pulled a direct mail campaign in Asia after the promotional material became enveloped in the anthrax scare gripping the world. A statement by the magazine said the DM piece was withdrawn after it caused "alarm to some recipients, fearing it was connected to terrorist activity". It stressed that the "assumption is wildly untrue", but added: "Given the current world situation, we will discontinue this marketing campaign to avoid further alarm among our potential subscribers." At the centre of the controversy was the specific design of the outer packaging, which featured the names of some of the world's most prominent political and business leaders - Richard Branson, Lee Kwan Yew, George W. Bush, Nelson Mandela and Bill Gates - crossed out in red ink. The Economist Asia-Pacific advertising director, Rupert Harrow, described the incident as unfortunate. "Some people saw these recognisable names on the packaging and, unfortunately in the current climate, many put two and two together and got six," he said. Peter Bakker, regional marketing director of The Economist, said the campaign was rolled out on September 20, just over a week after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, but weeks before the anthrax scare erupted. "We had no way of recognising the potential negative response to these mail ads," he said. The scare has been exacerbated by events linked to The Economist in Europe, when issues of the magazine were withdrawn from the market after white powder was discovered in the mailing envelopes. "This was traced to the print production firm in Holland which had used the powder as a drying agent, designed to combat print dampness and, following laboratory testing, revealed as non-toxic," said Bakker. The Economist has started developing a new marketing package, likely to be published and distributed by early 2002. The design is expected to follow a number of new guidelines that have been established, primarily by the US Direct Marketing Association, to promote the security and integrity of the business. These include avoiding plain envelopes, using a clear and identifiable return address, including a phone number and/or website URL on envelopes and using an email/telecommunication campaign in conjunction with a letter drop. It is understood the anthrax scare has led other direct marketers to reconsider distribution channels, focusing more on email campaigns instead of the regular mail service. The shift, said McCann Relationship Marketing managing director Henrik Monefeldt, has also been driven by advertisers looking to reduce costs.

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