• 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
• Want Spam With That Spam?Customer Behavior
  A few years ago, Neil Schwartzman downloaded—but never used—the trial version of an anti-spam software program. "It turned out it was Windows-only," he explains at his blog, "so I never installed it, as I use a Mac. Have done since 1986." Following the download, he received the customary follow-up—one email to ... more
• Newspaper Sites Attract 38% of Internet UsersCustomer Behavior
  Newspaper websites attracted more than 74 million unique visitors in the third quarter of 2009, accounting for 38% of all Internet users, according to a study conducted by Nielsen Online for the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). more
• Enjoy Some Good Holiday CheeseCustomer Behavior
  As the goblins and ghouls out there munch away on their Halloween bounty, fond memories arise of one apparition we saw a lot of this season—the Monster Mash JibJab "sendable." The e-card uses facial-recognition technology to seamlessly attach the faces of your friends or family to the body of a monster. ... more
• Cut the LoopholesCustomer Behavior
  Knowing that Hilton Hotels offers a best-rate guarantee, Hilton HHonors member Randall Gellens booked a room in Rome at the lowest available rate of €168. When he found a better price—€139—for what appeared to be an identical reservation through a third-party travel site, he expected to receive the compensation Hilton ... more
• D0n't Do T.hisCustomer Behavior
  If you visit political blogs, you may have noticed that some bloggers try to outsmart content filters that flag incendiary words by substituting numbers and symbols for letters (e.g., pr0p@ganda), or by inserting periods or spaces where they don't belong within words (e.g., m.orons). Unfortunately, says Karl Foxley, he has begun to ... more
• Don't Leave Me This WayCustomer Behavior
  It's the bane of every retailer with an online store—somewhere between adding products to shopping carts and finalizing their purchases, some customers vanish into thin air. According to Brendan Regan at the FutureNow blog, they abandon their carts for various reasons. Here are a few: They thought ... more
• Mind the Big Three Be'sCustomer Behavior
  Fun fact: Only 13% of the mobile market has an iPhone. That sounds like plenty when you consider how long the phone's been available, but it merits remembering that the vast majority of users—and possibly many in your demo—still don't have one. So how to wiggle into the pockets of non-iPhoners ... more
• Kanye, Jon & Kate: Tops for HalloweenCustomer Behavior
  Kanye West and Jon & Kate Gosselin topped the list in a survey of likely Halloween costume choices this year based on a celebrity mistake. Jon & Kate also swept the top spots in a question about which reality TV stars should have their own costumers. more
• Teaching an Old Brand New TricksCustomer Behavior
  Good news: You don't have to lose sight of your brand's tried-and-true persona to participate in the quest for deeper engagement at the new social sites. Just think of the social-media generation as a silver-dish serving of people who already want to talk to you; you just need to make ... more
• 36MM Germans Viewed 6.4B Videos in AugustCustomer Behavior
  Germany’s 36 million online video viewers watched 6.4 billion videos in August 2009, an average of 178 videos per viewer. About 43% of those 6.4 billion videos were viewed on YouTube. more
• It's All in the PresentationCustomer Behavior
  At this time of year, food merchants—from purveyors of gourmet treats to large-scale grocers—are focused on one goal: getting customers to add more items to their shopping carts. 'Tis the season of the impulse buy! Marketers who want to encourage unplanned purchases this holiday season may find the following bit of ... more
• Here Today, Bored TomorrowCustomer Behavior
  You've done a great job of cultivating your email list—and your subscribers have rewarded your efforts with extraordinary loyalty. So far, so good. But Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports says such best-case scenarios come with their own unique set of pitfalls: Becoming complacent. When you don't have to ... more
• Digital Marketing Factbook: A Glimpse InsideCustomer Behavior
  This article presents a small sampling of the vital research data about today's email, search, and social media marketing that's contained in the MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Factbook, designed to be a comprehensive resource for every online marketer. more
• Consumer Confidence Down, Present Situation Index PlungesCustomer Behavior
  The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in September, deteriorated further in October, as did the Present Situation Index, which plunged to its lowest reading in 26 years. more
• Good Design Doesn't Just HappenCustomer Behavior
  Ever wonder how great search results end up that way? Well, in a recent post at the User Interface Engineering blog, Jared Spool says there are no shortcuts to search-result success. According to Spool, "There is no way you can produce a great search-results page [on your website] without spending ... more
• What Would We Do Without You?Customer Behavior
  You've probably heard a lot that the days of "push" messaging—a mythical golden age when marketers could feed passive viewers whatever rigmarole the ad department pleased—are dead. So true. But for you, it's not a bad thing; it's a chance to develop long-term, even downright codependent relationships with users. And there ... more
• Does This Look Like Spam to You?Customer Behavior
  "We all have opinions about what constitutes spam," begins a post at the Marketance blog. Indeed, while some would argue that meeting the letter of the CAN-SPAM law puts you in the clear, others insist such legislation is merely the jumping-off point for best practices. In the end, spam is ... more
• Lessons Learned From a BackpackCustomer Behavior
  "Let's imagine it's this afternoon, and I suddenly have cause to fly to West Virginia," writes Peter Hartlaub in a post at The Poop blog. "Airline X has a non-stop flight that will get me there three and a half hours after takeoff. Southwest Airlines also has a flight, but ... more
• Cheer-in the Holidays!Customer Behavior
  "The pumpkins come out, the days grow shorter, the weather cools, and there's no mistaking that the holiday season is upon us," says Karen Talavera in an article at MarketingProfs. And though marketers face the challenge of lingering recession worries, you can still add holiday sparkle to a subscriber's inbox, ... more
• Cable TV Tops List of Moms' Must-HavesCustomer Behavior
  Cable TV, new clothes and accessories, and restaurant/bar outings are the three things that moms are most reluctant to give up in the name of saving money in this recession. But Gen Y, Gen X, and Boomer moms placed different values on each. more
• You Don't Drive Me Nuts Anymore!Customer Behavior
  What makes Twitter so useful is also what makes it difficult to navigate: everyone is spewing what they think, all the time, about anything imaginable. This is good for tracking brand buzz, because when you run a search on Twitter it's like being clairvoyant: the opinions are there, raw and ... more
• Till Death Do Us PartCustomer Behavior
  If you were to visit the subscription page at The Atlantic magazine's website, you'd find an important note beneath the form for payment information. It reads: "By paying with a credit or debit card, you authorize The Atlantic to charge your account now at the price above and then before ... more
• Low Prices Will Rule 2009 Holiday SeasonCustomer Behavior
  US consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 during the upcoming holiday season, a 3.2% drop from last year. More than half say sales and low prices will determine where they shop, although convenience will draw many of them online. more
• Prepare to Face a Brave New WorldCustomer Behavior
  When dealing with the fallout from an economic downturn, we may try to find comfort in the idea that everything will go back to normal come the upturn. But what if we get there and realize "normal" isn't what it used to be? That may indeed be the case for brand ... more

Customer Behavior: See all 366 items

Customer Behavior articles by the best and brightest in the field

• 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
• Think and Act Like a Nonprofit to Deepen Connections and Build Relationships by Roger Sametz
  For decades, the prevailing wisdom was that nonprofits should learn from for-profit enterprises how to become "more businesslike." Many nonprofits thus embraced best practices in branding, marketing, service delivery, money management, and leadership. They have also learned how to keep different business models running simultaneously. To be successful in all these ... more
• 25 Ways to Build Trust (and Sales!) with Customer Success Stories by Casey Hibbard
  Capturing the experiences of your most successful customers not only boosts your credibility but also educates buyers and shows them the payoff of your solutions. Here are 25 ways to use customer success stories in your sales and marketing to increase buyers' trust. more

See all Marketing Articles

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