In the heart of the upper Midwest, where Garrison Keillor has been teaching people to speak "Minnesotan" for years, Minneapolis-based Digital Marketing has evolved from a printer who provided direct mailing services to an end-to-end database marketing company. Digital Marketing provides "concept to consumer" services from strategic planning, Web-based campaign management, data/list services, creative, production programming, e-mail, full-color variable digital printing, and intelligent mailroom services.

Refreshingly candid, Mike is the author of the soon-to-be-released "Gorillas in the Boardroom", a book of his thoughts on how companies manage technology from the top down and move ever further from the customer in the process. And how we tend to create technology solutions in search of a problem.

WTT: There are a number of phrases thrown around that seem to refer to highly personalized printed or electronic customer communication. Perhaps we should start with some definitions.

MN: To many, “personalization” means putting people’s names on a printed piece, irrespective of the content or the messaging. We stopped doing that a long time ago. Dropping names on form letters doesn’t have a lot of relevance. I have suspected for some time, and research is starting to validate, that it actually has a negative effect.