The Danger of Generic

With technology evolving it should be easy for you to create different campaigns for different clients....

Here's an example why from MarketingProfs.com:

Don't Introduce Yourself to a Customer You've Already Met

How is an existing customer supposed to feel when you send a form letter inviting her to sample your product or service and become a new customer? According to Allison DeFord, mistakes like this unnecessarily alienate otherwise happy customers—and might even send them into the arms of competitor who can remember their name.

Your best defense is a two-pronged offense that combines meticulous database management with a solid content strategy. Writing at the FELT blog, DeFord recommends components like these:

• Random letters of appreciation. Send a note of thanks—perhaps once each year—to let customers know you value their loyalty.
• Acknowledgement of milestones. When you celebrate a customer's birthday, or the anniversary of his first purchase, it reminds him that he matters to you.
• Handwritten notes of congratulation. Supply everyone in your company with high-quality note cards, advises DeFord, and encourage them to send handwritten notes that laud customers' accomplishments and promotions.
• Exclusive customer-only offers and news. Giving customers a special discount or a pre-launch sneak-peak is a great way to make them feel special.
• User forums and online communities. A private space for discussion and interaction is beneficial to customers—and enables you to take notes on their concerns and interests.

The Po!nt: Treating an existing customer like a potential customer might turn her into a former customer. So make sure she knows you know exactly who she is.

Source: FELT.

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A Few Secrets

This article from Mediapost is talking about teens, but I think most of it applies to all of us:

Unite To Ignite

Teens want to unite to ignite. They want to change the world. Teens want brands they support to be a part of the solution to solving the world's problems. They want corporations to do more than give money to a cause; they want them to make 'doing good' a part of their daily business.

Teens will not support a cause-marketing program that is a wolf (marketing) in sheep's clothing (cause marketing).

How do you build your brand and change the world? Here's what teens told us they want -- the top 9 list. Why 9? Because top 10 lists are getting boring (see #5 below).

1. Be authentic. Repeat: Be authentic. No gimmicks.

2. Engage them with more than 'stuff' and self-interest.

3. Be transparent. They want to know what charity you are supporting and the impact they and you are making. They don't want percentages (i.e., 2% of profits); they want real numbers.

4. Do not use cause marketing to fix a bad or broken product. This strategy will backfire.

5. Don't bore them. Contest fatigue is setting in. They love to vote, but too many lame voting campaigns are out there. This goes back to being transparent; they want to know that their votes count.

6. Keep it simple.

7. Be relevant. Ignite a movement around an issue that is important to them. Some of their hot buttons: Gender equality, clean water, combating child sex trade, ensuring environmental sustainability, ending poverty and hunger, universal education, attacking HIV/AIDS and other diseases, violence and bullying, health and fitness, animal welfare, and saving children.

8. Understand them and what motivates them. Here's just one example that will show that you need to do more than kitchen research to really understand what motivates them: Lulu Cerone, the teen founder of LemonAID Warriors, tells us: "I was motivated by the effectiveness of President Obama's grassroots movement during his 2008 election. At nine years old, I was a campaign volunteer. After the election, his online campaign continued to reach out to us volunteers and encourage community service. I took that seriously. When the earthquake in Haiti hit, I used what I learned about grassroots motivation to reach out to my friends and family and watched my little classroom lemonade stand spread across the country to raise $4,000 in two weeks. I decided to keep motivating my community and look for issues that could benefit from our work." Would you have learned this by asking your daughter or niece?

9. Educate people and move them to action (emotion).

Who does it right? One of my favorites that keeps getting better and hits all the points listed above:

From TOMS website -- it's on every page: "With every pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One."

• It's a movement that is about people making everyday choices that improve the lives of children.

• TOMS makes shoes. Shoes are needed to protect children's health. TOMS gives children shoes. It's simple, it's their core business and it changes the world.

• Their story creates conversations. One Day without Shoes (I love this video) -- on April 5, 2011, TOMS encouraged people to go without (shoes). It was the #1 Twitter trending topic and the #4 most-searched term on Google. They walk the walk and people walk with them.

Do you have a cause-marketing campaign? Is there a campaign that you like or don't like? Rate them; take the nine points listed above and see how the campaign scores. Can you check all the boxes above? More than five? Fewer? Please share your scores/thoughts via comments below.

Denise Restauri is founder and CEO of the tween-teen girl media company, AllyKatzz.

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Trade Show Tips for 2012

Now is the time to prep for next year.

Three Tips for Tradeshow Success

"Many have pronounced tradeshow marketing dead," writes Bob Hebeisen at MarketingProfs. "But with the right strategy, hard work, and flawless execution, tradeshows can still be a productive part of your marketing plan." To make the most of your lead-generating budget, he suggests a twelve-step process that takes you from pre-show planning to post-show analysis. Here's a sampling of his advice:

Make sure the audience will want your product or service. Most tradeshows have a "who should attend" page at their website, and that's a good place to start. Go one better, though, and ask to see a complete list of the previous year's attendees—you can check for relevant job titles and company names—and confirm actual attendance numbers. "Don't expect every registrant to be from your target audience," advises Hebeisen, "but determine whether the ratio is acceptable."

Get on the presentation agenda. "Tradeshow attendees in North America are so jaded about walking the exhibit floor, especially at the executive level, that exhibitor presence alone might not be worthwhile," he notes. When you're on the presentation agenda, it validates your relevance to the audience, and gives you an opportunity to mention your booth for follow-up discussions.

Demand professional and aggressive performance from booth staff. Hebeisen recommends a strong elevator pitch, uniform attire, a ban on distracting smartphone usage and engagement with everyone who walks past the booth. It's not for nothing—an active approach can make the difference between 50 and 500 leads.

The Po!nt: Tradeshows can still generate solid leads, but you have to plan and work for them.

Source: MarketingProfs.

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Monday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

Click & read:

Automotive

Existence Precedes Essence In Toyota Yaris Campaign

by Karl Greenberg

The effort for Toyota Yaris focuses on the vehicle's essence. "Yaris," says the campaign frontispiece, "It's a car." The campaign features a Web site, appropriately called itsaCar.com. The site stars actor, comedian and NYU faculty member Michael Showalter in a series of videos that border on performance art. ...Read the whole story >>

Food

Lunch Behaviors Can Vary Significantly By Generation

by Karlene Lukovitz

Millennials are the heaviest users of restaurants/foodservice options at lunch, but they're also the most likely age group to rely on "value" items for luncheon meals, according to a new Lunch Consumer Trend Report from foodservice industry consultancy/research firm Technomic, Inc. ...Read the whole story >>

Retail

Study: Make Way For Winter Holiday Markdowns

by Sarah Mahoney

While retail executives are looking for modest growth this holiday season, they're also bracing themselves for more last-minute markdowns, as consumers fret about the economy. "Compared to all the headlines about gloom and doom, you have to take some solace in this prediction of 3%," Doug Hart, partner in the retail and consumer product practice at BDO, tells Marketing Daily. ...Read the whole story >>

Automotive

Audi A6 Takes Over Jersey City In FX Original TV Series

by Karl Greenberg

Audi, which launched its campaign for the A6 this month with creative that shows the roads as they really are, is now focusing on fantasy with the show, "Untitled Jersey City Project."vStayed tuned for eight, two-minute episodes airing during FX's Sunday prime-time movies and at www.untitledjerseycityproject.com. ...Read the whole story >>

Hospitality

Crowne Plaza Hotels Tees Off With Nike Golf Pro

by Tanya Irwin

Guests at IHG's Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts can earn Nike golf equipment and a chance to perfect their swing with PGA golfer Stewart Cink via the "Get a Better Game" stay-and-earn promotion. In addition, the first registered guest who stays 50 nights during the promotional period will play in the Pro Am at the 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas with Cink. ...Read the whole story >>

App Offers Alternative To Reading Food Labels

Nissan Taps Deperez For Marketing

eBay Motors Launches Web-Based Show

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Ready to Win?

from the Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo:


No one cares how many hours you work.

No one cares if you are working 2 hours or 16 hours a day.

What they care about is if you are available (working) when the decision is being made.

Do you have the answers?

Do you have the solution?

Do you have it when they need it?

This is part of the beauty of the Internet.

It is why Google beat Microsoft, Yahoo and all the others as a search engine.

Google connects people to answers.

Do you have a website that provides answers?

Does Google connect people who are looking for answers to your website?

Is your website designed to move people from the visitor stage to the customer stage?

Are you sure?

Every day someone is looking for what you have to offer.

They are spending money, every day.

Once they buy from someone other than you, they are no longer going to buy from you.

You lost that one.

You can win more than you are right now.

This year I joined Cirrus ABS, the regions largest website development company that impressed me with their focus on net-centered marketing.

I can help, we can help.

Contact me at 260-255-4357 or SHoward@CirrusABS.com

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo

:)

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Marketing/Sales = Water/Oil?

from Pat McGraw:

Are Marketing and Sales Working Together

The director of marketing was proudly displaying the new design for a 68-page 4-color brochure that was about to go to the printers. The project had taken her and her team almost 6 months of work because it was viewed as a ‘major deal’ and that meant that everyone and their spouse was involved in the process.

At the quantity they were going to print, the cost was slightly more than $1 per brochure and the total bill was in the low 6-figures. That included manpower (staff), outsourced services (writing, photography), printing and shipping.

The brochure was (and always had been) beautiful. And it offered a complete overview of the business and the many products and services offered.

At the end of a 45 minute meeting, one of the C-level executives asked me what I thought and I responded that I was impressed with the final product – but I did have one question.

“How are you going to use all those brochures?”

Now, you can probably imagine the reaction that brought. Laughter. Head shaking. Shifting in chairs. Whispers.

Finally, the marketing director spoke for the group and replied.

“We need to have this when people ask what we do – so we give them on these.”

So I asked another question.

“Do you qualify those people and make sure they are able to buy what you sell before handing them the brochure?”

More nervous laughter, whispering and shifting chairs ensued before the marketing director replied.

“I don’t know. That’s up to sales.”

Now, that’s a dangerous answer. The marketing team is spending a substantial amount of their resources (human, financial, technology) on something that looks wonderful – but it’s something they have no understanding of how it is used to achieve the goals and objectives of the business.

So I went over the sales department and asked the team how they used the 68-page, 4-color brochure. And, surprise – most weren’t. They thought it was too much information and it confused the prospect. (Most hadn’t gone past the first 30-pages before they lost interest and put the brochure down for good.)

Then I asked what they thought they needed and, together, we created a list of what they felt they needed to help certain buyer types at certain stages of the buying/selling process. I took this back to the marketing team and explained the rationale behind each one – and two important things happened.

First, the print run for the 68-page, 4-color brochure was significantly reduced – saving the company a solid 5-figures. (And that was before fulfillment costs that included postage.)

Second, within the next two months, the marketing team produced the collateral for the sales team at a cost far less than the 5-figure saving that came from the smaller print run for the brochure.

I went over to sales and asked how the new collateral was working for them. Moral went up. Conversion rates went up. Average order size was up.

Imagine what we could accomplish for your business if you took advantage of my free coaching session.

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Dealing With Shorter Attention Spans

Mediapost featured a story from a 20-something year old, (Gen Y), that gives some tips on how to deal with shorter attention spans.

Don't think it's just Gen Y.

I know 60 year olds who have this same condition.

As a matter of fact, it's not just a generational thing, it's a lifestyle thing. So, everyone ought to pay attention to this:

How To Break Through Gen Y's ADD

My generation -- Gen Y -- is the most over-stimulated group of people there will likely ever be. We came into a rapidly evolving world of technology, with TVs in every room of our childhood houses and our phones buzzing every five minutes with a text from a friend.

The good thing is that this is an evolution and some brands -- such as Mint.com and Hipmunk -- are snagging Gen Yers by breaking through that mass of confusion-inducing, Flash-saturated websites to put together a model of working with Gen Y consumers.

Perfect Your User Interface Take a look at Orbitz.com and then check out Hipmunk.com. It's pretty easy to guess which one has venture capitalists falling over themselves to back.

Hipmunk is revolutionizing travel search by stripping its website to a uber-functional search engine and removing all of the distractions. The search results let you sort by a number of criteria and make it easy to see which flights have WiFi.

Hipmunk makes it easy to focus because it's streamlined and functional. There is very little chance I will click on a banner and break away from my path to booking.

Remind to Retain One of the top iPhone apps in a survey from L2 ThinkTank of Gen Y affluents is Mint.com. The financial management website with bank-level security pulls in your checking, savings, investment, and credit card accounts to make budgeting a cinch.

It's free, it has the simplest interface of any of the popular financial websites and it has a brilliant system of reminders about everything from upcoming bills and low checking account balances to notices that I'm paying more than the average Mint.com user for car insurance.

Mint.com becomes somewhat indispensable for Gen Y users who are risk averse when it comes to investing, according to a recent survey from MFS Investment Management. The worry of managing your money is at least relieved a little by this amazing system of notices and reminders.

Take that one step further, how awesome would it be to have my local J. Crew send me a notification that the pants I wanted are now in stock in my size?

Set it and forget it.

Hire Amazing Copywriters Know what you want to say and get people who can convey that in a simple, clever, straightforward manner.

Cut out the clutter of your product descriptions and sales messages to grab a Gen Y user's attention, hold on to it and convert a sale. From a website to a brochure or flyer, copywriting should be a priority.

The multi-screen, multi-tab Gen Y consumer is unlikely to become any more focused in the near future, so design well, follow-up often and write the best copy you possibly can.

Patrick Evans is a Gen Y member marketing to Gen Y consumers as marketing and communications manager at STA Travel, the youth travel expert enabling students and young adults to explore the world by creating experiences filled with adventure, discovery and personal growth. Chat with him on Twitter at @statravelUS or @thatpatrick.

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Mixing New & Old

I had a conversation last week with an old friend who just started a new consulting firm.

We were discussing the division between those that are pro new media and those that are against it.

It's sort of a silly argument.

Last weeks post on the Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo touched on this subject:

Old Fashioned & New Tech

When I first entered the media world I was a 16 year old high school student who was paid to babysit a radio transmitter and take meter readings every two hours.

The Federal Communications Commission required a properly licensed individual to be on site at all times when a radio station was on the air.

This was 1976.

35 years later, due to a combination of rule changes working hand in hand with tech changes, this type of job no longer exists.

Radio stations still exist, however.

The best ones still use human beings talking and sharing local events and information, just like they have for decades.

Now, think about your business.

What are the old fashioned elements that will be required to keep you successful for decades into the future, even with new tech popping up every few years?

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo

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The Ineffective Email

The slow decline of print advertising has been accompanied by the growth of digital marketing.

Print advertising includes newspapers, magazines, phone books and junk mail.

I have seen some of my friends in the print business evolve into the digital world, but there are a few tips and "tricks" to keep in mind as outlines by MarketingProfs.com:

Five Email Design Must-Haves

The average email subscriber faces an inbox filled with clutter. Once she sorts through a variety of personal, professional and marketing messages, she won't look kindly on messy or incoherent email offers. "Without a well-crafted, clear and consistent design for your brand, your email is going nowhere in a hurry," says John Murphy in an article at MarketingProfs.

Here's how to avoid such a pitfall:

Use a good balance of text and images. Many spam filters consider an email's text-to-image ratio when deciding if it will reach a recipient's inbox. If there's too much text or too many images, it risks banishment to the spam folder.

Assume that images will be blocked. There's a good chance your subscribers will only see embedded images if they actively click on a link to display them. Because of this, the text in your message has to make sense even if its images don't show up.

Provide a back-up option for image-rich backgrounds. A number of clients—Gmail and Microsoft Outlook, for example—don't support background images. But Murphy says there's a workaround. "HTML allows both an image and a color to be coded in the same tag," he writes, "which means that if a mail client supports background images, the images will be displayed; if it doesn't, then the chosen color will appear as the email background instead."

Include a table of contents for lengthier messages. When an email has several sections, ease its navigation with a simple table of contents that links within the message to the topics a subscriber wants to read.

Remember a call to action. You've sent the message because you want your recipient to do something—so make sure he can.

The Po!nt: How it works matters as much as how it reads. Don't sabotage your strong content with weak email design.

Source: MarketingProfs.

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Social Media, not Just for Kids

My oldest daughter celebrated her 28th birthday this week.

I recall when I was 28 and wonder where the past 23 years went. But I don't wonder who is using social media.

Baby Boomers like myself are using it and with our buying power, smart companies are the ones that figure out how to use social media to interact with us.

From Mediapost:

Don't Think Gray, Think Green

I signed up for Facebook five years ago and today spend more than 20 hours a week there and on Twitter and LinkedIn interacting with friends, professional contacts, other moms and 20 of my favorite brands. I read and write blog posts. I have a smartphone. And -- surprise, surprise! -- I'm a Baby Boomer.

While many advertisers have caught on, many still believe Boomers -- adults aged 45 to 54 -- are digital laggards who lack high-speed internet access, online shopping savvy, digital cameras, DVRs and cars with GPS systems. In fact, according to Forrester Research's annual benchmark tech study, adults my age now spend more money on technology than any other age group. We lead the pack when it comes to purchasing e-readers. The iPad? We love it. Don't dare call us old and set in our ways.

So should advertisers try and reach us on social sites? You bet. Baby Boomers control more than 50% of the discretionary spending power and pay for 80% of all leisure travel. We also like to play games and product deals online. We strive to look and feel our best. And, according to Social Code, Facebook users over the age of 50 are 28.2% more likely to click an advertisement than 18 to 29 year-old users.

We are a generation that likes to get things done. Social sites give us a forum for voicing political views and for supporting causes that are dear to us. And Boomers who are empty-nesters now have the time to support them. Meanwhile, social dating sites have given widowed and divorced Boomers a whole new way to build meaningful relationships.

So, what ad content is best for Boomers? It needs to be intuitive and easy to navigate. And above all, advertisers should focus on a quality product and customer service. Here are four great examples of marketers who understand what Boomers want:

• NBC Digital is doing a terrific job of reaching Boomers through their Life Goes Strong channels, an online destination for the active over-50 crowd. Its verticals represent the audience's passion points, from health to technology to style. The age perspective is downplayed, as the site is focused on generating content that Boomers are genuinely interested in, and delivering this content in an entertaining way (some good examples are "The Ugliest Houses in America" or "Being Addicted to Words with Friends"). Every article is shareable and can be commented on.

• Harley-Davidson is another brand that has been doing an excellent job reaching Boomers through social media. Its target demographic of riders over 50 cherishes two things: community and adventure. This company puts mobile social at the heart of its marketing efforts. Riders carrying around mobile phones can connect with other riders, learn about special events, and share their adventures on social sites. Rather than phasing out its older consumers, Harley- Davidson provides them with a voice they can use to build the brand with their stories and opinions.

• Socially savvy Boomers are transforming the healthcare industry, and pharmaceutical pioneer Johnson & Johnson is taking note. Its extensive social network includes a number of blogs, a robust YouTube channel, an active Facebook page, and a Twitter feed. The diversity of this company's content runs the gamut from interesting historical tidbits about the company, to touching videos about its efforts in developing countries, to multiple platforms where J&J representatives can quickly respond to comments and questions about their products -- from a generation that is becoming more and more acclimated to seeking customer service through social media.

• The Dove Movement for Self-Esteem campaign won us over with its portrayal of women with all their flaws, and it continues to choose topics that are ageless with its "Who Inspired You" initiative.

The brands that continue to deny the influence of Boomers on social media will lose out on a marketing opportunity that continues to grow. Instead of seeing gray, brands should green.

Holly Pavlika is managing director at Big Fuel.

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Q R Coding

There was a little debate earlier this year among some friends of mine about QR codes.

Will they catch on?

Will businesses use them?

Will people scan them?

Will they be a fad or trend?

and my favorite quote from an advertising agency, "QR Codes are Stupid."

Since I am in the early adopter category when it comes to certain tech and marketing ideas, I need to remind myself to be patient and help others when they are ready to dip their toe and plunge into these worlds.

Here's an update on QR code usage from Mediapost:

QR Codes Best in Magazines, Newspapers & Packaging

A new comScore study on mobile QR (Quick Response) code scanning readable by smartphones, found that 14 million mobile users in the U.S., representing 6.2% of the total mobile audience, scanned a QR code on their mobile device. A mobile user that scanned a QR code was more likely to be male (60.5% of code scanning audience), skew toward ages 18-34 (53.4%) and have a household income of $100k or above (36.1%).

Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile "QR codes demonstrate just one of the ways in which mobile marketing can effectively be integrated into existing media and marketing campaigns... "

A demographic analysis of those who scanned a QR code with their mobile phone in June revealed an audience that was more likely to be male, young to middle-age and upper income. More than half of all QR code scanners were between the ages of 18-34. Those between the age of 25-34 were twice as likely as the average mobile user to engage in this behavior, while 18-24 year olds were 36% more likely than average to scan. More than 1 of every 3 QR code scanners had a household income of at least $100,000, representing both the largest and most over-represented income segment among the scanning audience.

Demographic Profile QR Code Scanning Audience (Total Mobile Audience U.S. Age 13+)
Audience	QR Code Audience (000)	% of QR Code Audience	Index (Code Scanners)
Total Audience: Age 13+	14,452	100.0%	100
Gender:
Male	8,743	60.5%	125
Female	5,709	39.5%	76
Age:
13-17	1,076	7.4%	108
18-24	2,402	16.6%	136
25-34	5,317	36.8%	211
35-44	2,827	19.6%	117
45-54	1,798	12.4%	68
55-64	594	4.1%	28
65+	437	3.0%	22
Income:
<$25k	1,193	8.3%	54
$25k to <$50k	2,597	18.0%	79
$50k to <$75k	2,756	19.1%	96
$75k to <$100k	2,689	18.6%	125
$100k+	5,217	36.1%	13
Source: comScore MobiLens, June 2011

The most popular source of a scanned QR code was a printed magazine or newspaper, with nearly half scanning QR codes from this source. Product packaging was the source of QR code scanning for 35.3% of the audience, while 27.4% scanned a code from a website on a PC and 23.5% scanned codes from a poster/flyer/kiosk.

Source of Scanned QR Code (Total Mobile Audience U.S. Age 13+)
	QR Code Audience (000)	% of QR Code Audience (Mult. Sources)
Total Audience: Scanned QR code with mobile phone	14,452	100.0%
Printed magazine or newspaper	7,138	49.4%
Product packaging	5,101	35.3%
Website on PC	3,957	27.4%
Poster or flyer or kiosk	3,393	23.5%
Business card or brochure	1,940	13.4%
Storefront	1,850	12.8%
TV	1,693	11.7%
Source: comScore MobiLens, June 2011

Among mobile users who scanned a QR code on their mobile devices in June, 58.0% did so from their home, while 39.4% did so from a retail store and 24.5% did so from a grocery store.

Location When Scanning QR Code (Total Mobile Audience U.S. Age 13+)
	QR Code Audience (000)	% of QR Code Audience (Mult. Sources)
Total Audience: Scanned QR code with mobile phone	14,452	100.0%
At home	8,382	58.0%
Retail store	5,688	39.4%
Grocery store	3,546	24.5%
At work	2,844	19.7%
Outside or on public transit	1,827	12.6%
Restaurant	1,095	7.6%
Source: comScore MobiLens, June 2011

For additional information from comScore, please visit here, or for additional insights into QR Code usage in Europe, please visit the comScore Data Mine here.

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9/11/11

A look at how some businesses are handling tomorrow:

Marketers Searching for Ways to Observe September 11 Anniversary

As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, marketers like The Home Depot, General Motors and American Express are struggling with the best way to connect with the tens of millions of consumers who will observe the day, without appearing to be either exploitive or insensitive.

The Home Depot is the latest, just announcing that its foundation is working with The Mission Continues and rock band 3 Doors Down to introduce a "Celebration of Service" campaign, an effort to enhance the lives of U.S. military veterans. The campaign kicks off on Sept. 11, and is scheduled to run through Veterans Day Nov. 11, addressing some 200 service projects that it says are directly aimed at "improving homes, facilities and community centers where veterans live and receive services."

Last month, the General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet donated $250,000 to the Travis Manion Foundation, to help increase participation around the country in the 9/11 Heroes Run. And companies like American Express, Chase and Best Buy are key supporters of the 9/11 Day of Service. That group, founded by families of 9/11 victims, reports that nearly 70% of Americans say they are interested in paying tribute somehow on the 10th anniversary.

"I haven't seen many active efforts yet, but I think a lot of companies are really grappling with this question," Sarah Kerkian, an insights supervisor at Cone, Inc., a cause-related marketing agency in Boston, told Marketing Daily, adding that she anticipates more efforts from major brands in the coming days. "These will likely center around employee service, but I'm sure we will see a few consumer-facing efforts, too."

The Home Depot effort, for example, in addition to awarding $9 million in grants, invites customers to contribute by purchasing a Celebration of Service-themed gift card from the retailer between Sept. 11 and Veterans Day. It says 5% of the value placed on these cards is to be donated to The Home Depot Foundation to support nonprofit organizations serving the housing needs of veterans. Kerkian says that effort is likely to click with core customers because of the Atlanta-based company's long association with veterans' causes. (Back in April, it also pledged a three-year, $30 million initiative to address veterans' housing needs.)

But appearing overly promotional, she points out, can backfire: New York Sports Clubs recently touted a $20-a-month-for-life offer for First Responders that got spanked in some local media. "However, as the fine print notes, the offer is only good till September 11th and only applicable to police, soldiers, and EMTs who are currently employed," notes blogger Bucky Turco, on Animalnewyork.com. "Anyone who worked in the rubble but has since retired is ineligible."

"I don't think it's necessarily taboo anymore to link events to 9/11, particularly on this significant anniversary," Kerkian adds. "But I do think there's an incredibly high level of sensitivity and care being paid to make sure efforts are in good taste."

(Source: Marketing Daily, 08/25/11)

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4 Ways to Improve Your Email Campaigns

One of the services we provide our clients at Cirrus ABS is email marketing campaigns.

Here are some tips from MaketingProfs.com:

Four Ways to Remove Attention Barriers From Email Campaigns

"People have limited attention to spare," writes Mark Brownlow at Email Marketing Reports. "They focus on those messages perceived as deserving that attention: messages that are clearly important, personal or something they want and expect." There are, however, a number of barriers that stand between your email campaigns and your subscribers' all-important attention.

To help you remove attention barriers from your email campaigns, Brownlow offers advice like this:

Create an immediate impression of value. Avoid a standard "You've been subscribed" message on your confirmation page. Instead, fuel anticipation by touting an exclusive, email-only discount that will arrive shortly. You might even include a sample screenshot of the offer so subscribers will know what to look for.

Don't allow long periods to lapse between messages. If you send less than one email per month, you risk greater problems than losing a subscriber's rapt attention. "Once the gap between emails grows to a few months, people will start forgetting they even signed up," he notes. "Your problem moves beyond one of recognition to permission issues."

Send email when your customers are most likely to read it. While there isn't a hard-and-fast rule for sending an email, notes Brownlow, there might very well be a right day and time to send your email. Continual testing will reveal when that is.

Avoid trust-destroying tricks. Misleading subject lines may boost open rates in the short term. But in the long term, you teach your subscribers to delete your messages without reading them—or even to unsubscribe.

The Po!nt: Don't defeat yourself. Holding your subscriber's interest takes more than strong content; it takes an ongoing focus on removing attention barriers from your campaigns.

Source: Email Marketing Reports.

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Mobile, Mobile, & More Mobile

I want a tablet.

Yes, an iPad would be dandy, but I may consider a different brand.

And I'm not the only one: Mobile as an E-Commerce Supplement The buzz around mobile applications, mobile design and mobile advertising can distract Internet retailers from their core mission, which is to sell products.

Today's most successful e-commerce merchants, however, understand how to best use these technologies and platforms to increase revenue and deepen engagement.

The most effective way to do that is by using mobile as a supplement to an existing website's promotional efforts. Below we will explore several strategies for excelling in what has become a challenging and competitive environment.

For several years now, online retailers have anticipated and prepared for a dramatic rise in mobile commerce. Many have gone so far as to invest in elaborate applications or optimized their websites specifically for smartphone and tablet users. What the Internet retailing community has learned in the past year, however, is that consumers are still unsure about making actual purchases from their mobile devices.

Smaller screens, unfamiliar interfaces and slower load times are but a few of the obstacles facing both users and merchants. One humorous survey from Tealeaf Technology reported that most users consider mobile transactions more frustrating than going to their Department of Motor Vehicles. The same study revealed that 23 percent of mobile users have cursed at their devices while making a purchase; 11 percent have screamed at their devices and 4 percent of mobile shoppers have actually thrown their devices when things didn't go as planned.

As a result, today's retailers must remain relatively cautious with their mobile strategies. The "all-in" approach is no longer advisable, as evidenced by the fact that most merchants receive only about 2 percent of their overall revenues through sales made directly from mobile devices, according to a recent report from Forrester Research.

That percentage is sure to increase over time, making mobile a vital component to the success of every e-commerce enterprise in the future. The key is in knowing how to supplement a company's existing online presence through the implementation of a well-conceived mobile strategy.

"It's been a transition that's taken the past three to four years, and it is still very much going on," says Tom Nawara, vice president of digital marketing firm The Acquity Group. "No business should shut down its website and jump into mobile 100 percent. It is about providing customers with multichannel engagement -- testing the waters to find ways of augmenting sales through mobile."

Augmenting sales through the mobile channel -- rather than relying on sales directly from mobile shoppers -- is the best approach for merchants to take in the current environment.

Most of today's smartphone and tablet users rely on their devices for searching, browsing and gathering information, and not necessarily making purchases. Mobile consumerism is still very much a work in progress, but the convenience of finding a business' Web pages while stuck in traffic or in line at the bank is a significant draw for users.

Before investing in mobile applications that only a handful of users may utilize, business owners should ensure that their companies are readily available through mobile searches. At the very least, that will require a noticeable presence on Google and Bing -- most fundamentally creating a Google Places page that includes all of the information that a user might need. To take it a step further, business owners will want to enlist the services of comparison shopping engines, making their products and prices available to mobile shoppers in real time.

Mobile customers may not intend to make purchases directly from their smartphones, but they will very likely want to research products, compare prices or simply find a brick-and-mortar establishment. Make the process easy for them, or they will move on to the next option without hesitation.

Most retailers think of mobile as a vehicle for customers to find them, but too few consider the flip side. The mobile channel is also ideal for merchants who want to increase their visibility, and SMS or text-message marketing is an effective tactic for doing just that.

Incorporating the mobile channel into a marketing plan requires significant effort. E-commerce websites should require that an option to include mobile telephone numbers is available on each registration form, and the most successful companies know how to use that information advantageously.

The idea is not to be intrusive but accommodating. Ways of doing that may include sending out discounted deals via SMS, or conducting contests exclusive to mobile subscribers. Any tactic that invites engagement through the mobile channel is a viable strategy -- but they should not be limited to building applications or optimizing websites.

"A proper SMS program should be viewed not just as a potential way to communicate and cultivate a relationship but also as a relevant connector to other aspects of your brand experience for a customer," says Dave Lawson, director of mobile engagement at Web marketing firm Knotice. "It can include alerts, branding messages, discounts, exclusive content, etc., but it works best when it is combined with a mobile website and is relevant to the message, works in conjunction with push notifications in apps or contests, and sweepstakes to activate sponsorships or a social media presence."

If you're considering getting involved with SMS marketing, vendors to evaluate include Mobile Storm, Trumpia, SumoText and CallFire.

The mobile landscape is constantly changing, which makes strategizing all the more difficult for merchants. The best course of action is to gain an intimate knowledge of your audience before considering a mobile application or optimizing your company's website.

Both options may require a significant investment, and might not be completely necessary depending on your company’s vertical. A flashy application for the iPad can be an alluring prospect but makes little sense for a business whose core users are not yet tablet-savvy.

Customer research is an essential element in the process, the goal being to gauge your visitors' needs based on their habits. Surveys provide the best insight into user behavior, as do simple analytics and even A/B or multivariate testing.

"Try taking a look at the way your customers are interacting with your website on mobile devices and optimize for that," says Lawson. "Look at referrals from search, opens and clicks from emails, affiliate and social media paths to your site -- even QR codes. All are things that you can first quantify, then determine how valuable that type of mobile user is. You can optimize the most important pieces first with the long-tail customer types becoming fast followers."

A company's most effective mobile strategy will depend on what is determined through this research. Whether it be an app for tablet or smartphone users, a mobile-optimized upgrade to an existing website, a brand new microsite or some variation of them all, the one thing we know for sure where mobile is concerned is to proceed with a certain amount of caution and a lot of optimism.

Local.com announced recently the launch of its first integrated solution resulting from the recent Krillion and Rovion acquisitions. The dynamic, geo-targeted rich media ad units from Rovion provide real-time data from Krillion on products that are geographically local to each user, including information on current discounts, pricing, product details, store locations and in-stock availability. Local.com plans to distribute these dynamic ads across its network of 1,400 regional media publishers’ websites, as well as third-party partner networks, which will create additional reach.

(Source: Website Magazine, August, 2011)

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Mama is busy

Long before I entered the web world for earning a living, I knew from my previous marketing background the power of women and money.

More specifically Moms and money.

Check out this recent story from Mediapost:

Selling To The Working Mom Online

Marketers tell us moms make the healthcare decisions at home, and this is true at my house. I make our doctor appointments, visit the pharmacy, and shape our diet because I buy the groceries. I am the consumer health marketers want to reach, so marketers listen up: I'm going to tell you exactly how to reach me, the modern working mom.

I brainstormed this while pushing my son to day care: he gets a stroller ride and I get a workout. Then I talked through it with my mom on speakerphone while driving to work. You've heard it before, but it's true: working moms are master multitaskers.

My husband and I regularly compete while watching commercial-free TV shows that we download or stream from iTunes, Netflix, or Hulu: when we recognize an actor, we call out where we last saw them, and when our answers don't match, one of us inevitably challenges: "Googulate!" So I pull out my smart phone, ask Dr. Google, and it's rare that my answer isn't on the first page of results. I am an expert Googulator.

More importantly, this is how my online experiences begin: with a search. My husband may have high cholesterol, but you're not going to distract me with ads for cholesterol treatments while I'm proving that Jared Leto was indeed Jordan Catalano in "My So-Called Life" AND Angel Face in "Fight Club." You want to catch me when I'm searching for statistics (a/k/a scare tactics) that persuade my husband to eat less red meat and more oatmeal.

From Mindshare to Market Share

As technology enables us to define who sees an ad and where, the winners will be those who put products in front of the people who actually buy them. Health care is a perfect example of where the online ad market is going. Precise targeting is critical, because the market is fragmented into thousands of micro-markets with disparate needs. Health care consumers almost always bring information -- right and wrong -- from family, friends, care providers, and media, both online and off. They're motivated to buy because they are resolving issues that directly impact their quality of life. Name recognition is good, but only buy-decisions really matter.

When and Where to Reach Me

I believe that patients' online behavior breaks into two distinct phases. Initial Diagnosis is research-intensive -- researching symptoms to see if there is a problem, identifying doctors who treat it best, and vetting the treatment -- and produces a trusted network of online resources that a patient returns to throughout an illness. Ongoing Treatment is mostly vetting progress against projections and others' experience, frequently on sites devoted to the community characterized by the symptoms. These forums enable patients and their families to build relationships that frequently outlast the symptoms, and survivors often stay engaged to support new patients.

Case Studies: My Pregnancy, My Husband's Car Obsession

When I found out I was pregnant (initial diagnosis), I spent the weekend online because I didn't know what I didn't know. I spent the most time on a few sites that offered two things: 1) relevant, accurate information, and 2) a community with people like me. During my pregnancy (ongoing treatment) I often returned to those sites to research new questions because I trusted their content. I subscribed to an e-newsletter I still receive as my son turns two, and I buy gifts for friends' babies from ads or testimony on that site. More importantly, I send all my mom-to-be friends there.

And this model transcends markets. In my husband's obsession with cars, initial diagnosis would be the process of shopping for a new project (in our case, a vintage BMW). As he rebuilds it (ongoing treatment), he shops online, and starts at www.BMW2002FAQ.com. He found this site while shopping, and bought a car through a link to a partner site. Most products that significantly impact a consumer's budget or quality of life follow the same online pattern of identifying resources and revisiting them over time.

Content Remains King, but Context is Crucial

Mindshare and market share require different online strategies. Banner ads on lifestyle sites are the Goodyear Blimps of online ads: instantly recognized, but rarely affect actual tire-buying decisions. Building visibility has become more a function of budget vs. creative problem solving. Using the web to grow market share is trickier. Buying search words can reach a consumer who wants your product, but has limited retention. This is the online equivalent of putting cough drops next to the cash register. Targeted campaigns and creative ad products in credible online communities can capture customers for life. This is the online equivalent of the nurse-neighbor recommending a cold medicine when she sees your mom bring you chicken soup. And she'll likely point you to a website with good information and people like you. I'm hoping she'll tell me how to cure my husband's car obsession next, but it's a long shot.

Angie Teates is Vice President, Advertising Operations at HealthCentral.

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Insane Email Marketing

from Pat Mcgraw:

Minor League Email Lessons

Posted: 05 Aug 2011 07:05 AM PDT

About 5-years ago, I purchased two baseball caps online. Both were minor league team caps and I purchased them from the each team’s website.

Both teams are located thousands of miles from where I live. The caps costs about $25 each, plus shipping, and they represent the one and only purchase I have ever made from either team.

Within a year, one team stopped sending me emails.

But today, I received yet another email from the other team. I get about 2-4 per month, depending on the time of year. And the content is typically pushing me to buy tickets to a game or merchandise from the store.

I haven’t unsubscribed because it’s easier to just delete the emails as they come in. I only occasionally scan them because I am hoping they might be sending me something that interests me versus pushing ticket sales and merchandise.

Anyway, here’s my point. When was the last time you cleaned your email list? Do you try to engage your readers in a conversation or do you just prefer to push your message on them over and over and over again? And, finally, what’s the definition of insanity?

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Bring Home The Bacon

Ok, not really bacon.

But how about using the power of satisfied customers to bring in more?

Check out these ideas from MarketingProfs.com:

What Can Your Referral Program Learn From Roku?

"Plenty of companies have referral programs," writes Kimberly Smith, "but how many can say theirs converts at about three times the rate of other online marketing campaigns and brings in over 500 new product sales each month?" In a case study at MarketingProfs, Smith explains how Roku—which makes devices that stream Internet content to televisions—achieved these results:

Testing incentives. The company experimented with rewards that ranged from cash and gift cards to charitable contributions. But a free month of Netflix became the sole incentive when surveys revealed that 80% of Roku customers were also enthusiastic Netflix subscribers. After this switch in the referral program, registration rates skyrocketed (from 1,000 per month to 8,000), referrals doubled and product sales increased by five-fold.

Simplifying the registration process. They use a simple form that doesn't scare customers off by asking for more information than they actually need.

Offering a variety of sharing options—including email. "Social media may be the hot channel everyone's looking to for customer recommendations," notes Smith, "but Roku found that more than 70% of its program registrants chose email for referring their friends."

Using a reliable system to track referrals. This might seem too obvious to mention, but if you don't know when a referred lead makes a purchase, you can't follow through with the promised reward for the referrer.

The Po!nt: Even if you're happy with your referral program, there might be room for substantial improvement. Over a six-month period, Roku's retooled approach directly generated $230,000 in revenue.

Source: MarketingProfs.

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Tuesday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

Click & read:

Automotive

Ford's Futurist, Sheryl Connelly, Talks Trends

by Karl Greenberg

"Instead of a person saying they love the roar of the engine and horsepower, today people are saying give me the most fuel-efficient engine that does the job, but what else can it do for me than just transport me from A to B?" ...Read the whole story >>

Retail

Best Buy, Sears, Target Lead In Cross-Channel

by Sarah Mahoney

"Two years ago, when we did this study, only a small percentage of retailers allowed customers to purchase an item online and return it instore," says Mark Fodor, CEO of CrossView, "and while it was 100% of companies this time, it illustrates how slow retailers can be in moving to deal with crosschannel capabilities." ...Read the whole story >>

Technology

SiriusXM Tries To Lure Back Listeners

by Tanya Irwin

In a mailing that went out late last week, the New York-based satellite radio company is offering two free weeks (Aug. 30 - Sept. 12) of access to 60 channels. The promotion, with the theme: "Bringing Your Radio Back To Life," includes a laminated card featuring the free stations. ...Read the whole story >>

Research

Study: Lottery Winners Would Continue To Clip

by Nina Lentini

"Overwhelmingly, 96% of the more than 23,300 respondents said that they would still use coupons if they struck it big in the lottery," said Redplum. "This reflects the value-oriented mindset that took root at the onset of the recession. ...Read the whole story >>

Beverages

Tecate Gets Double Mileage From September

by Karl Greenberg

The good news for fans and for Tecate is that the sponsorship involves both fights under Golden Boy Promotion's' "Star Power" event on HBO Pay-Per-View, meaning fans at the two arenas will see both fights, as will those who watch it on PPV and at movie theaters around the country. And they will also see Tecate branding. ...Read the whole story >>

Sports

NASCAR Pushes College Marketing Efforts

by David Goetzl

NASCAR is going on campus to recruit a new generation of potentially up-market fans. The racing circuit will look to a pair of "brand ambassadors" on 12 college campuses to host events and use other tactics in an attempt to encourage attendance at nearby tracks. ...Read the whole story >>

Perkins To CMO AT New U.S. Tourism Company

N.Y. Giants Bring Twitter To Games, Broadcasts

Chick-fil-A Pushes Breakfast

Mercury Insurance Backs Home Teams

Grey Goose Sponsors U.S. Open

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