• Gen-Y Women Viewed by Gen-X as Trendsetters Customer Behavior
  Gen-Y women have emerged as a distinct and influential consumer demographic, and they wield significant brand influence over older Gen-X women, according to a study conducted by Radar Research for Sugar Inc. more
• Moms Sacrifice Own Purchases for Family's SakeCustomer Behavior
  As mothers carefully budget for their families, they are sacrificing purchases that are for their own use in order to ensure their families get what they need, according to a study by the Marketing to Moms Coalition. more
• Somebody's Watching MeCustomer Behavior
  In March 2008, Amber Duick began receiving email messages from a criminal fugitive who identified himself as Sebastian Fowler. "Amber, mate!" read one missive. "Coming 2 Los Angeles. Gonna lay low at your place for a bit till it all blows over." Over the course of five days, he advised ... more
• US Consumers Unprepared for Rainy DayCustomer Behavior
  Half of all US consumers would struggle if they had to meet an unexpected expense, and many lack the resources to meet an unexpected financial crisis, like sudden car or home repairs, or minor health-related expenses, according to a TNS Global survey more
• Weaker Online Holiday Spending ExpectedCustomer Behavior
  Despite a gradually improving economy, consumers plan to spend less and save more this holiday season, according to Nielsen's annual holiday retail survey. Some 42% of consumers plan to spend less this year on holiday gifts than last year; only 4% say they will spend more. more
• Half of Americans to Buy Toys During HolidaysCustomer Behavior
  This holiday season, 54% of Americans say they will buy toys as gifts, compared with 47% who said so last year, according to a Harris Poll. Among consumers who intend to purchase toys, 41% say they will spend the same amount as last year and 39% say they will spend ... more
• Readers Willing to Pay for Online NewsCustomer Behavior
  Consumers are willing to spend small monthly sums to receive news on their personal computer and mobile devices, according to a study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). more
• Newspapers Still Reach the Affluent, EducatedCustomer Behavior
  Newspapers are read by a critical mass of adults in the US on a daily and weekly basis, according to the latest Integrated Newspaper Audience (INA)* study from Scarborough Research. more
• I Love How I Hate YouCustomer Behavior
  It strikes fear in the hearts of marketers worldwide: the dreaded online consumer complaint that goes viral. What's a good company to do when one angry customer threatens to destroy its image? Is there any way to win her back once she's decided she hates you? Some interesting new research looks ... more
• Free Shipping!Customer Behavior
  Free shipping offers can cost your company a bundle, but they may produce ROI that makes them worth the expenditure. As you explore your options, you will probably be interested in a whitepaper from Experian CheetahMail that examines questions like these: Are more companies deploying free-shipping emails? ... more
• Social Media, Mobile to Guide Holiday ShoppingCustomer Behavior
  Nearly one in five holiday shoppers will rely on digital advancements such as social media and mobile phones for help with holiday shopping this year, according to Deloitte’s 24th Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends. more
• Fee-Fi-Fo-FumCustomer Behavior
  Baggage fees have become nearly ubiquitous in the airline industry, and Southwest has capitalized on passenger hostility to the dreaded surcharge with its playful Bags Fly Free campaign. "Some airlines charge your bag up to $20 to ride in the bottom of the plane," says the narrator of one commercial. "In ... more
• Mobile Marketing Not for EveryoneCustomer Behavior
  Mobile marketing is on track to grow 27% to a $2.1 billion market in 2010, according to the Mobile Marketing Association. The total mobile audience is still relatively small, however, and is confined to a limited market segment; moreover, marketers who reach out to the wrong mobile audience risk turning ... more
• [Your Name Here]Customer Behavior
  Marketing messages with personalized subject lines usually fail to impress DJ Waldow. "[Most] of those emails use my first name as the 'hook' to get me to open," he writes in a recent post at the Email Experience Council blog. "This never works for me. Never. I know it's fake. ... more
• Smartphones to Overtake Other Mobile by 2012Customer Behavior
  Smartphone units sold worldwide in 2009 will grow 14.5% from 2008 levels, according to a forecast by Infonetics. more
• Wonder-Twin Powers, Activate!Customer Behavior
  Inactive subscribers are a conundrum for email marketers. Although they treat your messages with apparent indifference, they never opt out; as a result, you continue to send messages that they continue to ignore. You naturally want to reactivate these recipients so you can revive relationships and make future sales.  Now here's ... more
• Come Tweet With MeCustomer Behavior
  Hoping to position Lufthansa as bigger than just a German airline, digital agency Profero has helped it create MySkyStatus—a tool that has brought Lufthansa's branding catch-phrase, "passion for precision," to life in a hands-on way. "Communications needs to have a use," explains Profero's Wayne Arnold in a recent article at Adweek. "Saying ... more
• Don't Hate the PlayaCustomer Behavior
  Companies in the high-end service industry often do much more than turn a blind eye to the extramarital escapades of their guests. "[T]he owners and managers of the world's most exclusive restaurants and hotels pull out all the stops to make sure their best customers can conduct their affairs there ... more
• Glamp It UpCustomer Behavior
  Warren Katz uses a post at the Elephant Bites blog to discuss the recession-driven microtrend of "glamping"—a freshly coined portmanteau for glamorous camping. In essence, its proponents want the low-budget benefit of a holiday in the great outdoors, but don't care to leave all the luxuries of home behind. "So, who ... more
• Fly a Mile in Their ShoesCustomer Behavior
  In a recent post at the Church of the Customer Blog, Jackie Huba offers a few quick stats about airline revenues in September '09. First, a couple of positives: Southwest reported an 8.8% increase in revenue passenger miles and JetBlue recorded 9.8% jump in passenger miles. Then come the negatives:  ... more
• Who Invited You?Customer Behavior
  Last summer, Morgan Stewart of ExactTarget quizzed 2,400 people on their attitudes toward marketing and made an interesting discovery. "70% of consumers who visit Facebook at least once a month and are a 'fan' of at least one company or brand, don't believe they have given those companies permission to ... more
• Americans Altering Attitudes About MoneyCustomer Behavior
  As a result of the financial crisis, Americans have permanently changed their attitudes toward saving money and are more focused on paying down debt and controlling finances, according to a recent study by Synovate. more
• Outside the Box, Inside the PocketCustomer Behavior
  Mobile marketing isn't the unicorn it used to be. Most folks in your demo probably have a real, live phone within immediate reach for most of their waking days. And the rising popularity of iPhone and Google's Android platform and other Internet-ready smartphones are making it simple these days to ... more
• Reports of Email's Death ExaggeratedCustomer Behavior
  While some believe that the rise of Twitter and Facebook has sounded email's death knell, Jordan Cohen, writing at the Pivotal Veracity blog, disagrees. He takes issue with statements like this one from the Wall Street Journal: "Email has had a good run as [the] king of communications. But its ... more
• Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest WordCustomer Behavior
  "AT&T customers have been complaining for months about dropped calls, spotty service, delayed text and voice messages and slow download speeds for the iPhone," says Jackie Huba in a post at the Church of the Customer Blog. In response, AT&T produced a three-minute YouTube video in which it appears that ... more

Customer Behavior: See all 390 items

Customer Behavior articles by the best and brightest in the field

• Why 70% of Facebook 'Fans' Don't Want Marketing, and What You Can Do About It by Morgan Stewart
  Most consumers who use Facebook and are a "fan" of a company or brand don't believe they have given those companies permission to market to them; many don't believe marketers are welcome in social networks at all. But here's how companies can connect with fans without turning them off. more
• 22 Cheap or Free Web Usability Tools, Part 2 by Craig Tomlin
  In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the value of usability testing and talked about some testing tools. Here are more reviews of low-cost or no-cost usability tools. more
• Making Your Email 'Social-able'  by Kara Trivunovic
  Take a minute and think about the folks with whom you socialize. You may have a professional network (LinkedIn) and a personal network (Facebook). You may tweet for fun or business, or for both—or maybe you just follow some sports figures on Twitter to keep up to date on the ... more
• Marketing to the New Gen X by Dave Sohigian
  Most businesses are well aware of how to market to Generation Xers (those born 1961-1981) mainly because so many people in business today are part of Generation X. But as Gen Xers move into midlife (the oldest are 48, and youngest are 28), we are seeing a dramatic shift in ... more
• 22 Cheap or Free Web Usability Tools, Part 1: An Introduction by Craig Tomlin
  Usability testing can increase your website's conversion rates and improve sales. Here are some cool tools to help you do just that. more
• Three Strategies for Inspired Holiday Email in Tough Times by Karen Talavera
  The pumpkins come out, the days grow shorter, the weather cools, and there's no mistaking that the holiday season is upon us, even though we're barely past the back-to-school rush. Already, it's holiday marketing time. Yet, in recessionary periods, what is normally a festive season is not all sweetness and light—for consumers ... more
• Advertising Is the Price You Pay for Not Being Creative by John Rooks
  We are at a unique place and time. The crossroads of environmental and economic crises provide agile companies with the ability to capture market share in a down market by cutting their media buys and engaging their fan base in new ways. more
• Are Your Marketing Dollars Buying Customers—or Just Renting Them? by Debra Ellis
  How many marketing dollars did you waste last year contacting customers who didn't buy from you? It's easy to look back to see where your investment was ineffective... if you know precisely where to look. more
• Marketing to Youth: No Longer a Dark Art by Paul Metz
  It takes a lot more than Harry Potter's brand of wizardry for marketers to understand the spending habits of what is commonly referred to as the youth market—those between age 6 to 18. In fact, it requires a flexible understanding of the subcategories within this vast network of youth. And success ... more
• The Five Levels of Online Privacy and Tracking by Jim Sterne
  Marketers must improve the transparency of their data-collection practices if they are to help calm their customers' fears. Giving website visitors control is always the right move. You acknowledge that they have the control anyway and accept the responsibility of offering sufficiently significant value to entice the customer to exchange ... more
• Growing Subscription Revenue With Triggered Emails and Online Renewals: How Three Companies Did It by Winston Bowden
  Publishers, membership-based organizations, and anyone who manages subscriptions can benefit from triggered emails by using date-based triggers to remind customers to renew. Automating this process saves time and money. Even more important, using triggered emails can significantly boost your response rates on renewals. The following case studies illustrate how three organizations ... more
• Emerging Consumer Values: Why Brands Must Adjust by Claire Ratushny
  Consumer trends come and go. What else is new? Plenty. We're living in an unprecedented era when several critical elements—consumers' rising debt, higher costs for basic necessities, low savings rates, shrinking assets, and a growing awareness of environmental issues—have gradually come together in a perfect storm. How can marketers respond? more
• Segment Email and Social Networks for a Vitamin-Power Boost by Stephanie Miller
  Here's how Nature Made is combining email and social networking to build stronger email connections with customers and prospects. more
• Brand-Building: The Limits of Engagement by Joel Rubinson
  Suppose you learned that most of your brand's buyers are switchers: that only 15% of your customers are highly loyal to your brand and account for maybe half of sales. The harsh reality is that that's a typical pattern for many grocery brands. So how do you build a marketing ... more
• Green Marketing Claims: Whom Do You Trust? by Jacquelyn A. Ottman
  Deservedly or not, industry these days is accused incessantly of greenwashing. It's not surprising, for several reasons, that industry isn't trusted to make truthful green marketing claims and provide information that is credible, straightforward, and useful. So how do we restore trust in industry's green marketing claims and eco-labels? Can industry get ... more
• The Tao of Green Marketing by Irv Weinberg, Carolyn Parrs
  Consumers have begun to suffer from "green fatigue." It's not hard to understand why when you can buy organic gummy bears and free-range beef jerky nestled between the six-packs and the rolling paper in a convenience store. For your green message to be heard and translated into sales, you have to ... more
• Eight Tips for Hunting for Revenue Where No Budget Exists—Get to Executives by Steve Lightstone
  It's tough out there. Budgets are being cut. Markets are shrinking. Prospects aren't buying the way they used to. But you can still sell effectively. You just have to think differently. The message is important, but it's effective only if the right people read it. The process that you use to ... more
• Put Your Site Search to Work, Part 2: Add Rich Content to the Search Experience by Shaun Ryan
  In Part 1 of this series, we discussed leveraging site-search data about the terms your customers use on your site and the items they click on most in your search engine optimization and paid-search efforts, email marketing, and other promotional campaigns. Here, in Part 2, we'll talk about how to put ... more
• Three Ways Healthcare Brands Can Leverage Social Media by Maryann Kuzel
  Marketing professional in the healthcare industry may be missing a golden opportunity to meet the sometimes-desperate needs of patients, to become more relevant and supportive in the long arc of their journey to better health. If they do, they will win their respect and loyalty, their adherence and behaviors will ... more
• Why Gen Y Is Passing You By by Kimberly Smith
  What works in enticing a new generation of buyers? Here's why some of your efforts to reach this demographic might be going amiss. more
• Retail Survival Tips in a New Economic and Customer Environment by Adam Boyden
  Retailers did everything possible to attract buyers over the holidays. From educational sessions to discounts and coupons, and special offers, retailers used their ingenuity and marketing smarts to make the best of a dismal season. Nonetheless, numbers were down and every indicator pointed toward an even gloomier 2009. Perhaps the very ... more
• Put Your Site Search to Work and Improve Your Targeted Marketing, Part 1 by Shaun Ryan
  If you're like most online marketers, you may not realize that some of the technologies that power your website can be critical tools for improving the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. For example, did you know that you can use data from your site-search solution to create emails with lists of ... more
• Leapfrogging for Success: Change the Game via Innovation by Evan Gerber
  Marketers these days find themselves increasingly squeezed between a big rock and a very hard place: Their mandate is to demonstrably improve ROI, with reduced budgets, while communicating with skittish audiences that are less inclined to make purchases. Not surprisingly, people are looking for ways to change the game altogether. more
• Anatomy of a Novel-Sized Landing Page, Part 2 by Kim MacPherson
  In Part 1 of this article, the author talked a little bit about the necessary components to a successful landing page: You need "bones" to hold it all together; you need to keep the message on track and motivating by maintaining a consistent theme throughout; and you need to stir ... more
• Why You Are Unpopular Online: Six Ways to Doom Your Community-Building Efforts by Mack Collier
  Companies are increasingly looking to create vibrant and healthy online communities for their businesses. But many companies are seeing their efforts fail or produce flat results. Here are six reasons why many online communities never materialize, and what you can do to improve your own efforts to build online communities. more

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Customer Behavior case studies, deconstructing real life examples and illustrating lessons learned

• How AAA Went to Where Its Members Needed Help: Social Media SitesAmerican Automobile Association (AAA)
  CASE STUDY: With an increasing number of its members talking about the American Automobile Association via social media, the company decided it needed to monitor and respond. more
• How Getting Personal Helped Spur Renewals for the Golden State WarriorsGolden State Warriors
  CASE STUDY: So maybe your organization hasn't had a stellar year. (Really, how many have?) But you still have fans. How can you reach out, in a more personal way, to keep the customers you have? more
• How to Spark Fanatical Engagement and Advocacy by Heroically Tapping Into User InterestsCisco Systems
  CASE STUDY: Forget the norms. For Cisco Systems, reinvigorating its security line and authenticating its leadership spot meant something truly heroic. more
• Generating Serious B2B Buzz With Dead Bugs... and VideoGrasshopper.com
  CASE STUDY: Entrepreneurs, by definition, don't play it too safe. So for a company that serves startups and small businesses, what better way to launch a rebranding campaign and generate buzz than doing something novel and risky—but being wicked smart about it. Which is where the bugs come in. more
• Tips From Microsoft on Cultivating Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty on a Global ScaleMicrosoft Corporation
  CASE STUDY: With millions of customers in more than 90 countries, Microsoft has its hands full keeping customers satisfied and loyal. But it has found a way to do so—by using Web-monitoring tools, social-media analytics, and the energy of influencers. Read on for valuable insights. more
• How a Single Modification to a Web Site's Functionality Significantly Upped Natural Search Traffic, SalesDiapers.com
  CASE STUDY: Customer reviews are powerful, held in high regard by consumers—and search engines, which love keyword-rich content. But the technology that serves up reviews on a product page makes them all but invisible to those engines. By getting around that conundrum, Diapers.com scored big. more
• How Kodak Generated Marvelous Results by Turning Users Into SuperheroesKodak Imaging Network
  CASE STUDY: Kodak knew that in all of us there's a superhero yearning to come out. It launched a viral-video campaign that reached two million customers and prospects who unleashed their inner superhero (along with howls of laughter), generating traffic to—and sales for—KodakGallery.com. more
• How a Facebook Game Attracted 10 Times the Traffic, New Fans, Real SalesAdobe Systems, Inc.
  CASE STUDY: Here's how a single Facebook game application attracted more than 11,500 plays, 10 times the usual traffic, 5,500 new fans, and more.... more
• How a CEO Uses Twitter to Convey the 'Sole' of His CompanyZappos
  CASE STUDY: While others are still hashing out whether their CEO should be Twittering, blogging, or Plurking, Zappos Tony Hsieh has been using Twitter for over a year. Here, he reveals what he gets out of micro-blogging, and why he thinks it's important for his company and others to embrace social media tools. more
• A Niche E-tailer Sizes Up Glamour... One Customer at a Time, Boosting Sales with a Personalized Web Site ExperienceSydney's Closet
  Five years ago, Sydney's Closet sold only plus-size prom dresses. Since then, however, the company has significantly expanded its lines, and it sought to segment its customers to help deliver content and offers that would be specific to their interests and needs. Here's its approach. more
• How a Consumer Electronics Company Leveraged the Power of Community to Uncover Market Preferences and Build Excitement for a New Product LineEastman Kodak Company
  When it chose to enter the saturated inkjet market 20 years late, Eastman Kodak had a few surprises up its sleeve. Still, the company found it also needed a little marketing ingenuity if it was to gain market share. more
• How a University Embraced Social Media and Scored Millions in YouTube ViewsCarnegie Mellon University
  How does a university up its visibility with an increasingly wired target market of both students of alumni? By orchestrating a Web 2.0-focused Web site redesign that set the foundation for an ongoing social media campaign. more
• How a Web-based Company Increased Leads 90%—and Sales 23%—via PPC-Visitor Profiling, Landing Page PersonalizationCompany: Continental Warranty
  Continental Warranty used pay-per-click ads to generate leads by providing free quotes for extended-warranty coverage. But lead volume had plateaued. So it began to profile its web visitors, then direct them to microsites matching their profiles—and nearly doubled leads. more
• How MyFax Upped Customer Engagement, Achieved a 79% NetPromoter ScoreMyFax
  Internt fax service provider MyFax wanted to tap into the power of word-of-mouth referrals by improving the customer experience and maintaining highly personalized customer interactions. But as an online company, it faced the issue of how to individually engage customers to ensure long-term relationships. Here's what it did. more
• How a Finance Director Left Her Day Job and Launched an 'Engaging Brand' Online via a Podcast and BlogThe Engaging Brand
  A finance director, feeling stifled by the corporate world, launches her own business based in branding and egagement... with only $1,000 to spend. Two years later, she's a blog and podcast star with a successful business. more
• How a Small-Business Consultant Leveraged a High-Profile TV Commercial to Generate New Traffic and Win New BusinessLocalZing
  As a tiny Florida player in the field of advertising for small businesses, Karl Long knew he should consider unconventional ways to promote his company. Taking a cue from a competitor, Long launched a campaign that upped traffic to his blog 500%, raised his Google profile, and led to new business. more
• How an Online Software Biz Doubled Its Sales Leads, Increased Site Traffic 75%Makana Solutions
  Makana Solutions needed an inexpensive way to reach the elusive small business market. Rather than chase small businesses, it hired an online "inbound marketing system" to help small businesses find Makana. The results: Web site traffic climbed 75%, and sales leads have doubled. more
• How a Retail Company Increased Web Sales Order Value 60% via Automated PersonalizationPersonal Creations
  For personalized gifts retailer Personal Solutions, matching up complementary items for a monthly catalog was one thing. Manually serving up suitable recommendations and keeping up with seasonal inventories for real time online sales without an automated process was another. more
• How a Rental Car Firm Upped New York Revenue 24%, Improved Customer ServiceDollar Thrifty Automotive Group
  In late 2006, Dollar's business was slowing at New York's LaGuardia airport. With some outside help, the local marketing manager developed an email survey, then used the answers to pinpoint Dollar's weaknesses. The resulting efficiencies helped Dollar grow its parking-related business by 24%. more
• How Goodwill Attracted Hip Customers via Social Networking, a Virtual Fashion ShowGoodwill of Greater Washington
  Goodwill Industries receives generous donations of clothing, many in good shape and by popular brands, but is perceived as a purveyor of low-quality, outdated merchandise. With a social-media marketing campaign, the nonprofit was able to change that perception and connect with young professional women who buy vintage clothing. more

Customer Behavior: See all 47 case studies

Customer Behavior online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• How to Create Advertising Campaigns that Make Men Do What You WantAttendee rating:  - May 28, 2009
   
• Using e-Metrics to Optimize Your All-Around Marketing StrategyAttendee rating:  - Apr 3, 2008
   
• Buyer Personas: A Smart Way to Align B2B Sales and MarketingAttendee rating:  - Jan 17, 2008
   
• Strategy First on Facebook: Opportunities of a Ready-Made Marketing PlatformAttendee rating:  - Jan 10, 2008
   
• Personas 2: Using Mental Images of Customers for Better Product Planning, Branding and MessagingAttendee rating:  - Mar 8, 2007
   
• Personas 1: Breakthrough Customer Insight for Product, Website Design and MoreAttendee rating:  - Mar 7, 2007
   
• Hispanic Marketing EssentialsAttendee rating:  - Nov 16, 2006
   
• Boosting E-Commerce Conversion Rates with Persuasion ScenariosAttendee rating:  - Nov 9, 2006
   
• BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer — The Baby Boomer WomanAttendee rating:  - Oct 26, 2006
   
• Demystifying Website Usability: Rapid Research for MarketersAttendee rating:  - Jul 25, 2006
   
• How to Build Your Customer Experience Framework in Five Steps, with Columbia Business School Professor Bernd SchmittAttendee rating:  - May 18, 2006
   
• Reach the Big Spenders: How to Market to Women from 50 to 75Attendee rating:  - Dec 1, 2005
   
• The Anatomy of Buzz: Lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing, with Emanuel RosenAttendee rating:  - May 26, 2005
   

Customer Behavior: See all 13 seminars

Customer Behavior marketing downloads for the busy professional

• Customer-Centric Innovation: How Companies Engage Customers in Product Development and Radical Innovation
  Engaging your customers can help increase satisfaction, loyalty, and brand awareness. This research report will help you understand the role of customers in product development.
• Benchmark Research: Marketing in the Economic Crisis
  These economic times have everyone concerned and asking, "How does this effect marketing?". Well we surveyed our very own members to help give marketers a sense of how others are dealing and adapting to these tough times.
• B2B Sales Lead Generation: Integration of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 Media
  Research on how Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 can be used in effective Lead Generation campaigns
• E-Newsletter How-To Guide
  The e-newsletter has become ubiquitous. Almost a dime a dozen. How do you make yours not only stand out in the inbox, but make a positive impact on your bottom line? This guide will show you how.
• Online Research How-To Guide
  Set clear objectives and a realistic scope to online research projects. These are just two of the steps that this comprehensive, step-by-step planning guide will help you to accomplish to insure your online research results in the most relevant and useful information possible.
• Lead Generation How-To Guide
  Great product, great sales team, great marketing collateral - now what? People to sell to, of course. Put your lead generation tactics under the microscope with this enlightening how-to guide. Get more and better qualified leads, faster today.
• B2B Direct Marketing How-To Guide
  Direct marketing is one of the fastest changing disciplines within marketing today. What worked 10 years ago, isn't working today. Heck, what worked last week sometimes doesn't even work today, so keep your skills sharp with his How-To guide, focusing on the B2B market.
• Benchmark Survey: Voice of the Customer
  Link directly to the raw (aggregate) data in this 2006 survey of the ways companies are incorporating the voice of the customer into their marketing, their product development, and their management. With access to the raw data, you can view the results, and even filter them to see how a subset of companies in your country or industry answered. In this way, you can interpret the data in the most meaningful way for your business.

Customer Behavior: See all 8 downloads