wider, deeper and profound contribution to the development of the direct marketing sector over many years, and his role in the creation of the IDM. Along with Derek Holder, Robin has in so many ways helped bring professionalism to a sector of marketing that for many years was much derided by consumers, and often treated by many marketing managers as ' second class ' -the split into ' above ' and ' below ' (where direct marketing lies) the line commonly attributed to different channels implying

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... hat perception. I am writing this Editorial in my role as a member of the JDDDMP Executive Board, but as you will read, there is more to it than that from a personal perspective. So here are some of the highlights from Robin ' s long career in the direct marketing sector, and why we all owe him a big debt of gratitude. Robin ' s career path also provides a picture of a world where specialist skills were acquired in a very different way than today, and where fl exibility was of paramount importance in seizing the opportunities in a new sector built on the application of emerging technologies.