Dear ODJ: More Brain Tennis I can imagine a time when consumers will have either a technological and legislative mechanism to regulate what marketing communications they will accept from any media channel. June 1, 2005 -- Putting what may--or may not be--a wrap (for the moment) on the viability of print in the age of the internet, Brad Lena comes back with a final response to Michael Josefowicz's comments last week. Do you have anything to add? The Dialog Continues Michael Josefowicz responds to my comments with insight and clarity. His points are well taken. I'd like to stretch the discussion a little. The notion of "building communities of interested buyers" is made possible by data-driven consumer/community specific marketing. It is something I see almost everyday. Another way of thinking about these communities is to understand them as affinity groups united by a common interest in a product, service, lifestyle, cause, etc., that often transcends divisions based on ethnic, social, economic factors. Understanding the areas of commonality and departure with these communities/affinity groups represents a micro-segmentation opportunity for marketers to refine their messages and branding relevance to consumers. Mr. Josefowicz also has valid concerns about the sustainability of "an industry that can call it a success when 97 to 94 percent of its product goes directly into the waste stream." If I may, I'd like to mention a sustainability issue of my own. Granted, it may seem far-fetched now, but after what we've witnessed in the last ten years who's to say? I can imagine a time when consumers will have either a technological and legislative mechanism to regulate what marketing communications they will accept from any media channel. Those business entities not making the cut for allowed marketing communications will not gain access to the time or consciousness of high-value consumers. Of course, if this occurs, it would not be uniform across all segments of the consuming public--but neither were personal computers, at first. Michael's admonition that, "we all have to do some hard thinking about what print can do better than anything else. And based on those understandings, give people access to the tools that allow them to fit print into an ever changing communications matrix," will be especially true. Brad Lena Director New Business Development, Daniels Marketing Support Services