Social Media and Email – More Alike than Different
From a business objectives standpoint, isn’t uni-directional social media more similar to email than it is different? Social network connectivity is becoming the post-modern email newsletter. A way for consumers to stay up-to-date with the brand, hear about special offers, and occasionally advocate to their friends. This puts significant pressure on email to be more […]
11 Steps Toward Social Media and Email Convergence
Email and social media are a lot more similar than they are different. Both are used to drive brand affinity and brand preference. Both are best when rooted in 1:1, relevant communication, rather than one-to-many, megaphone-style shouting. Based on these similarities, I believe the people responsible for social media in your company, should also be […]
Let’s Stop Swooning Over Social Media
Are you overdoing it on social media? Just a little? I’m a proponent of social media. In fact, I’m a proponent that gets paid to convince others that social media is valuable. But, like in the early days of Web design, SEO, PPC, email, and banners before it, there’s too much swooning and not enough […]
Are New Customers Killing Your Company?
(Originally written for MarketingProfs MPdailyfix blog) I’m sure you’ve heard the maxim that it costs a lot more to get a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer. It makes perfect sense, right? So why is it that we spend so much time and money in violation of that credo? At the […]
Disrobing Your Brand One Peanut at a Time
Consumers want to know that there are real people behind your logo. And while the speed and convenience of digital tools make them a natural choice for that type of communication, online isn’t the only available conduit for achieving humanization. I’m sitting on a Southwest Airlines flight, returning from Austin and the exhilarating and exhausting […]
The Death of Newspapers: Poisoned or Suicide?
The evidence of newspapers’ decline as a primary source of information in America is everywhere. My local paper narrowed to a tabloid size yesterday, following USA Today, Arizona Republic, and many, many other papers. Essentially all newspapers have laid off significant portions of their staff. Some (like East Valley Tribune in suburban Phoenix) are printing […]
The Incredible Efficiency of Social Media
(originally written for TalentZoo) The explosion in marketing and message conveyance opportunities is simply breathtaking. We’ve gone from 3 TV stations to 500+. Satellite radio. Hundreds of new magazines. Out-of-home advertising on every available surface. And a little something called online advertising that’s now larger than radio in ad dollars spent. As a result, audiences […]
4 Critical Steps for Marketing in a Recession (video)
Greetings. I’ve put together another video blog post, this time on a subject that’s on everyone’s mind: How to Market in a Recession. Do you believe?
NHL Misses Net in New Campaign – Where’s Social Media?
The National Hockey League has rolled out a series of compelling TV spots featuring some of the game’s biggest stars. And while the new commercials – with a theme of “Is This The Year?” will run nationally on Canadian broadcast and U.S. cable television, like so many campaigns, it’s being forced to go it alone. How […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
How Google Plans to Control TV Advertising and Crush Agencies
AdWeek ran an interesting story a few days ago about Google’s foray into television advertising. As I’ve been saying for years, Google’s ultimate plan is to be the middle-man for all advertising, everywhere. There are clearly inefficiencies in the buying and selling of traditional media. It requires multiple phone calls and emails and spread sheets. […]
Internet Advertising to Grow 20% in 2008
A new report from Bernstein Research says online advertising in the U.S. will grow by 20% in 2008, despite weakness in travel, auto, and financials. Top categories for online advertising spend include: Finance, insurance, real estate – 29.6% of overall spend Media and entertainment – 25.2% Retail – 13.8% Other – 12.9% Auto – 8.6% […]
3 New Features for Google’s Ad Planner
Google announced on Friday via one of their blogs that they have added 3 new features to Ad Planner. (note: for more about Ad Planner, and Google’s long-term plan to totally change the ad agency business, read this post from Convince & Convert’s greatest hits) Impressive that Google has made pretty significant upgrades to Ad […]