In Part 1 of this two-part article, the author looked at how MySpace (and the social networking industry in general) has evolved. Here in the second part, Cliff examines how he has applied what he has learned and observed to the MyCityRocks testbed, which he launched in Houston in 2005. more

Why should you create a Voice of the Customer program? And what steps should you take to do so? more

A customer reference program can have a significant impact on all customer-related functions in an enterprise. To maximize and demonstrate the strategic business benefits of a program, an effective RMS needs—at a minimum—the following capabilities.... more

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"User-generated content" is much more than today's most tossed-around-the-tongue buzzword. It's the difference between having a flood of site traffic or just a trickle. Empower your users to create information that their peers want to see, and your site becomes a living, breathing place to be. Profiles, photos, and blogs ... more

A reference management system is an important part of customer relationship management. But if you're waiting for this functionality to get added to your CRM system, don't hold your breath. This is the first part of a two-part article that examines the importance of an RMS and the choices available ... more

Is your commitment to customers real? Or are you merely jockeying for position on the latest customer scoreboard? more

Today's multichannel catalog/online environment is a lot like the summer county fair. In fact, there are some surprisingly apt comparisons. more

To design marketing plans that are effective in attracting and selling to more women, you have to know where you are today. In other words: To get the right answers, you must start with the correct questions. As your company focuses on developing appropriate strategies, here are some questions you ... more

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Remember back in the '90s, when voice of the customer (VOC) was all the rage? It was a process discipline, a way for companies to gather customer insight to drive product and service requirements. But VOC got lost amidst a booming tech sector, abundant resources, and the many, many new markets, ... more

If only clients would stand still. How much easier our lives as marketing professionals would be if client needs were consistent year after year and their marketplaces were never buffeted with changes from the economy or competition. Unfortunately, that's not the case. more

If you want to learn how to develop new revenue generating customer relationships, check out the strategic Nike+ iPod alliance. Would a similar model work for you? more

Customers have more power than ever, requiring marketing to change how it works to better meet customer demands. more

"Marketing to women" has become the new buzz phrase for many companies. Corporations are creating high-level positions with the title of director or VP of the Women's Marketing Initiative; forming Women's Advisory Boards; hiring consultants to help them; and employing and promoting more women. While these moves may be seen by ... more

One of the enduring myths of negotiation is that it is a back-and-forth struggle with your customer that occurs in the final stage of the sale, the "close." Here's how to survive (and maybe avoid) it. more

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At a recent marketing association event about landing big company clients, one of the participants asked the speaker, "How do we find the watering holes where the decision makers meet?" The room burst into discussion. Some people said golf courses. Some said nonprofit boards. But I couldn't help thinking of a ... more

The Web analytics space is hot, customers are engaged, consultants busy, vendors optimistic. There's no question this is a healthy "industry." But intense competition among the top vendors has somewhat killed product innovation. Unfortunately, that's happening at a time when the next generation of the Internet—what some call Web 2.0—needs a ... more

The role of the Chief Marketing Officer, a title almost unheard of 10 years ago, will continue to expand in the next decade. Marketing is evolving from an art into a science—and it's about time. As CMOs begin to embrace their new-found stature, are they tuned into what really makes them ... more

Many organizations have had customer reference programs in place for years, but not until recently have those programs begun to capture the executive attention they deserve. more

Imagine a California wine club modeled after the movie "Sideways"? Sure, it sounds cool. But there are many inherent challenges -- the decay curve on the "Sideways" recall, for example, and the fact that marketing a sensory product online is always a challenge. Read the details in this case study. more

Vendors are in ferocious competition to engage customer C-level executives who can assure prospective peers that "this" purchase decision is the right one. One such way of engaging executives is the Executive Sponsor Program, a standard "sales tool" since companies like IBM and Xerox pioneered relationship-based sales models many moons ... more

MarketingProfs has gotten pretty good at producing a steady digital stream of marketing know-how for our members. But darn it, sometimes it's lonely doing everything through IP packets. Once in a while we've got to see another face, share a plate of nachos, and swap a few stories from the ... more