5 Reasons Why Digital Marketing Will Thrive in the Recession
From Dot Bomb to Dot Boom Let’s face it. The economy is taking on the distinctive, sickly pallor of a post Mardi Gras Keith Richards. Generally, recessions hit the advertising business with the ferocity of a rabid wolverine, and the last one trimmed overall ad spending by 9% according to market researchers Veronis Suhler Stevenson. […]
The Social Networking Friendship Development Scale
It used to be that you actually met someone in person first, and then developed and nurtured that relationship into its natural culmination – helping them move. The Web and social networking has changed that, and now friendships are developed in a variety of digital forums, eventually moving offline and becoming three dimensional. Below are […]
A Conversation, Not a Monologue – Digital Marketing for Colleges
I just finished giving a speech at the western region meeting of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations in Sedona, Arizona. NCMPR is the association of community and technical college marketers. A really interesting group that needs to harness social media and work with prospective students on an individual, relevant, highly personal basis. […]
The Future of Email Marketing – Think Holistically, Send Individually
The demise of email has been greatly exaggerated. While Jupiter says that overall email volume has dropped from 41 messages per day per U.S. user to 24, the email marketing universe is very much alive and well. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) projects that $600 million will be spent on email in 2008, driving an […]
3 Reasons David Lee Roth is a Bad Internet Marketer
I am of a vintage that was shaped by Van Halen’s album (actually a cassette for me) 1984. With Jump, Panama, and Hot for Teacher (a video that joins “Hungry Like the Wolf” in my early teen pantheon), this was a truly epic record – highlighted by David Lee Roth’s bad boy caterwauling. And […]
Digital Agency Toolkit – Use CrazyEgg to Test Web Layouts
Do you need to know whether people on a Web page are clicking on the navigation, the logo, photos, or links in the text? Of course you do. And ideally, you should be tweaking your pages and testing often to maximize results. (that’s why we’re on version 3.2 of the Convince & Convert Web site […]
McAfee Hires Tribal DDB: The Tip of the Digital Agency Iceberg
AdWeek announced today that security software maker McAfee has hired Tribal DDB as their agency of record. In addition to digital marketing, the assignment includes TV, print, and outdoor. Note that Tribal DDB is the excellent digital marketing sister of DDB. These guys know their stuff. I’ve met a few Tribal DDB folks via my […]
The 10 Strengths of the Agency of the Future
Web services giant Sapient recently fielded a national online digital marketing survey of more than 200 chief marketing officers (CMOs) and senior marketers responsible for managing digital budgets (among other things). Survey respondents were asked about the top qualities they sought in their advertising and marketing agencies in the coming year. Sapient’s Top 10 Wish […]
The 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media
As part of my panel on social media at the Worldcom PR conference in Montreal recently (see post below), I created these “7 Deadly Sins of Social Media.” Are you willing to admit your sins in the comments? 1. Deafness Actively listening to what’s being said about your brand is at the core of social […]
The Social Media Train: Catch It While You Can
Why, What, When & How to Implement Social Media Campaigns Just finished moderating a rousing panel discussion in Montreal at the Worldcom Americas conference. (Worldcom is the world’s largest collective of independent PR firms) Joined by Mike Corak from Off Madison Ave, Stefan Pollack from the Pollack PR Marketing Group, and Diego Biasi from Business […]
Customized Internet Marketing Training for Agencies
Convince & Convert launches new training program series to help agencies improve their digital capabilities Addressing the needs of ad agencies and PR firms to improve their digital marketing competency, Convince & Convert is now providing a series of customizable, in-person training programs. We are offering 5 intensive, all-day sessions to train ad agencies and […]
The Alarming Truth About Digital Marketing’s Imperfections
A One Legged Stool There’s no question the Internet has been good to me. The last two jobs I had before getting involved in Internet marketing in 1994 were spokesman for the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (prison tours), and marketing director for Waste Management (landfill tours). I prefer this gig as it is smell […]
5 Memorable Lessons from my Sarah Palin PPC Campaign
Thanks to everyone for participating in my “Are you man enough to write a PPC ad about a woman VP” contest. Many excellent entries. Here are the results: McCain is 72 years old Avg US life expectancy is 78 years Is Palin qualified? Read This DailyKos.com 1.31% Click-through rate Sarah Palin’s Secrets What the GOP doesn’t […]
The Official Toothpaste of Social Media
Will the Crest Weekly Toothpaste Launch Work? In a sign that the guys who control ad budgets are getting the value of interactive advertising faster than the agencies that place it, P&G announced recently that they are introducing their new Crest Weekly toothpaste almost entirely through the blogosphere. Samples of Crest Weekly were sent to […]
Wake Up Agencies – Digital Shops = Trojan Horse
It was bound to happen, and now it has. A big-time digital agency (R/GA) has opened up a full-fledged brand development arm. And whom do you think they will be competing against with this new branding department? Other digital agencies? Nope. They are aiming for traditional agencies and the branding, media placement, and creative budgets […]
And They’re Off…Palin PPC Finalists Selected…Ads Live on Google
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Palin PPC contest (see post below). It was difficult to select 4 ads to test live on Google, but ultimately I choose these: Sarah Palin’s Secrets What the GOP doesn’t want you to know about McCain’s running mate from James Archer (@jamesarcher) I like this one because it’s […]