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Where Douglas Sacks comments upon U.S. and international financial, cultural, demographic, social and political events that affect marketing, media, data, trends and consumer behavior.

It draws upon research from his monthly column in DMI (www.dmionline.net) but will have many additional features and observations.

It's written from a global perspective to offer hands-on, practical information for all those involved in or considering taking their business international.

Focus Worldwide's Doug Sacks is a regular contributing columnist to the UK DMI magazine.

October 2010 column - Painful path to the polls
Doug reports on the run-up to the American elections...and fears for the future.
August/September 2010 column - Postcard from the edge
Doug reports on feelings of negativity which are rife Stateside.
June/July 2010 column - New jewels in the crown
Doug brings clear insight into emerging markets which he says are now ripe for small and medium-sized businesses to explore
April/May 2010 column - Truth: stranger than fiction
Doug explores a world where no-one tells lies.
March 2010 column - Spoilt for Choice
On a visit to his local supermarket,Doug Sacks, becomes a victim of marketers' Shelf Space Wars
January/February 2010 column - Prince....or pauper?
Doug is on a personal crusade to clean up the face of direct marketing.

Archives 2009

November 2009 column - East or west, plain is best

Doug is flying the flag for a return to the use of clear language and less direct marketing-ese.

October 2009 column - Circle The Wagons

Doug is concerned by the global trend towards protectionism and some bad behavior being served up in society.

August 2009 column - Taking a global perspective

Doug takes a wry look at recent headlines around the world.

July 2009 column - Recession Indicators

When will the financial gloom lift? DOUG SACKS has been gazing into his crystal ball for clues.

June 2009 column - Jerks and spammers, swines and scammers

Summing up the headlines that have been rigorously discussed across various media, Stateside.

May 2009 column - Do ‘Twits’ care about privacy?

Wondering how much social networkers value their personal data.

April 2009 column - Pale rider, at a gallop

As the global economy hurtles downwards, there can be resurrection for direct marketers with vision and awillingness to change.

March 2009 column - Cost-cutting and coupon-clipping

A look at how consumers are stretching their finances

February 2009 column - The best of time.....the worst of times.

Musing over the recent issues in the USA

Archives 2008

December 2008 column - Obama 2.0 - How the West was won

The recent US Presidential election represents both a social and technological revolution

November 2008 column - The dominoes are falling

The effects of the credit crunch on the DM Industry

October 2008 column - Farewell, age of excess!

Good times will come for direct marketers as accountability catches on

September 2008 column - Hang on a minute!

Examining how modern media consumption keeps everyone busy

August 2008 column - Oil and troubled waters

High gas prices have made staying home the new going out

July 2008 column - All quite on the western front

Reports on last month's annual DMDays in New York

June 2008 column - The Presidential Brand

Comparing current electioneering in the USA with a direct marketing campaign

May 2008 column - An American in London

A call for a truly international event

March 2008 column - An eye on the micro trends

How trends in America affect marketing

February 2008 column - Mind the (gender) gap

Creative companies are at last recognising that it’s women who make the majority of buying decisions

January 2008 column - A glut-full of noise, catalogues and credit

Turn down the volume

Archives 2007

December 2007 column - ’ Tis the season of receiving

Commercialism has swamped the joy of giving as the spectre of ‘Christmas Presents’ surfaces once more.

November 2007 column - All aboard The Enterprise

Venture into the future of direct marketing via education

October 2007 column - Slicing up the American pie

Doug discusses the changes which are taking place in US demographic groups and how they affect marketing and political trends.

Interesting Global Business News

Investors in Developing Markets See Optimism

(source: New York Times - 6/3/09)

MUMBAI, India — If investors in New York and London are seeing the first delicate signs of a recovery, their counterparts in developing countries say they are witnessing a full-on spring. After a crushing fall in the last year and a half, stock markets in developing countries are riding a wave of optimism that the recovery of the global economy is at hand and being led by the developing world, especially China. Though emerging markets remain far below the lofty highs they attained more than a year ago, investors are again viewing their chances of growth as better than those of the United States or Europe.

As a result, the Indian Nifty stock index has jumped by 64 percent in the last three months. China’s CSI 300 index of shares in Shanghai and Shenzhen has risen 37 percent and Brazil’s Bovespa increased 41 percent over the same period. By comparison, the Standard & Poor’s 500’s gain of 28 percent looks modest.

(Read entire article)

International Articles

Focus Worldwide article recently featured in the April 2008 edition of UK DMI Magazine.

Finding Gold In Data

Can working with data be exciting? Creative? Why not? In fact, in this age of greater targeting and marketing accountability, creative approaches are now mandated. But being creative with data has little value unless one uses it to be creative in finding data solutions. With this kind of creativity, you naturally will consider many data solutions in advance of meeting with both data owners and data end-users, but many ideas will come during meetings while listening to their issues and concerns. You have to know data….love data….to be creative like this. And this type of extemporaneous problem solving is almost a daily occurrence in emerging markets where data sourcing alone can be an adventure.

(Read entire article)