In America, seven universities offer programs in direct marketing. The US Direct Marketing Association offers educational programs on a regular basis too. Telemarketers find that by enrolling their young employees in such courses, they are able to inspire new respect and commitment to a career in this field. And they are able to benefit from the new skills acquired through course participation.
Japan's first certificate course in direct marketing is scheduled to open in January in affiliation with West Chester University of the United States. I would urge each of you here today to read the flyer which we have distributed and to get in touch with the newly established Academy of Direct Marketing. Find out how you and your staff can benefit from this unique training opportunity. Education is one of the best ways we can challenge and motivate young people to join and remain in Japan's telemarketing industry.
Lastly, as a third trend, I would like to introduce a new word to the vocabulary of Japan, one which has recently become a part of the telemarketing terminology of America. That word is "Tele-Media."
By definition, Tele-Media is the use of telephone services to market, advertise, promote, entertain and inform. It means thinking about the telephone in a totally new way, not just as an appliance or a communications device, but as the very heart of promotions and marketing campaigns. It means using the telephone as an integral part of the sophisticated advertiser's media mix, to turn traditional print and broadcast advertising into talking ads and interactive ads that invite reader and receiver response.
Last week in New York, a three-day conference was held at the Hilton Hotel entitled "Tele-Media '90." Participants were encouraged to use telephone technology not only for direct sales and lead generation but also for building brand recognition, for conducting sales promotions, and for increasing brand loyalty. These are not the traditional functions of telemarketing.
Some of the case studies cited at this Tele-Media event were Pepsi Cola's use of 900 numbers for sweepstakes, Chrysler Motors' customer service systems based on an automated interactive toll-free 800 number, and Tri-Star Pictures introduction of an interactive response game to promote the release of the new Arnold Swartzenegger movie entitled "Total Recall." Soft drinks, automobiles and movies are not the kind of products we would normally associate with telemarketing. But they are exactly the types of products that can benefit from Tele-Media.
You will be hearing more of this new word Tele-Media in the months ahead. Why not start using it yourself. Let's start thinking today of ways to introduce Tele-Media to the established advertising and marketing mix of Japan.
Today, I have covered a wide variety of differences between telemarketing in American and Japan. I thank you for the opportunity to share my views with you, and I hope my remarks have been instructive and useful. If there are any specific questions you would like me to answer, I would be very happy to do so in the time remaining.