From the beginning, LEE DataMail has sought new ways to use the mail.
The Dallas-based marketing firm pioneered the concept of mailing tickets and itineraries to customers of Southwest Airlines, an early client.
“One of the things about the mailing industry is the innovation and what people think of to do,” says Ruthie Ewers, who co-founded LEE in 1974 with her husband, Norbert, and Liz Leonard. (The name LEE comes from the first initial of each partners’ last name.)
Ewers recalls LEE’s history in a four‑part video featured in “America’s Mailing Industry,” an online exhibit showcasing the Postal Service’s business partnerships.
In addition to Southwest Airlines, the company has provided direct marketing services for other notable clients, including the Dallas Cowboys, General Motors, Macy’s and former presidential candidate H. Ross Perot.
“We did [Perot’s] mailings and his database work,” Ewer says.
Ewers served as the first national Postal Customer Council chair, a move she credits with helping LEE gain industry recognition.
“Customers want somebody who’s going to be a team player,” Ewers says. “And that’s what the mailing business is. We’re a team.”