When you think of “The Ten Commandments,” what image springs to mind? For me, it’s always Charlton Heston, the classic Hollywood Moses. I can picture him now in those flowing robes, with that booming voice and more hair than any metal band. The man definitely had an intimidating presence.

“Creative Court is back in session. All rise.”

If you’re involved in direct marketing, your judgment day will come.

In Part 1 of the Direct Marketing Dictionary, we explored the hidden meanings behind some unique marketing terms, including “test cell” and “lift.”

You can tell a great deal about a person’s occupation by glancing at their resource shelf.

I love foreign films, but I’m not a big fan of subtitles. They’re sort of the necessary evil that accompanies an evening of Kurosawa, Fellini or Bergman.

Keeping tabs on most marketing trends is like an episode of CSI. Clues are subtle and often hidden from plain sight. No one is sure where the twisted trail is leading. And in the end, it takes an expert eye to decipher it all and take action.

On the flip side, there’s mobile marketing. This isn’t CSI, it’s reality TV. Big, loud and inescapable.

The writer meant well and undoubtedly spent many hours carefully crafting the copy. The designers did their best to make certain the layout look great. And the marketing manager came up with a pretty compelling offer. But despite all that, the direct mail package was a disaster.

Author’s note: Jacobs & Clevenger doesn't have a flag. But if we did, the motto on it would probably read, “No Easy Projects.” We live for the toughest marketing challenges. That's why the following story inspires me. I hope it will do the same for you.

A few short years ago, I remember celebrating with my direct marketing agency co-workers. It was the night of a major marketing awards dinner, and the judges had been very good to Jacobs & Clevenger. We brought home shiny, new trophies for interactive, viral games, marketing strategy and something called “direct marketing.”