"It probably comes as no surprise," say Kara Trivunovic and Andrew Osterday in an article at MarketingProfs, "[that] the process of acquiring new customers comes with one of the higher price tags of any of your marketing initiatives." This places a high priority on the cultivation of customer loyalty—and, therefore, ... more

CEOs and CMOs are interested in seeing marketing organizations improve their performance in two key areas: effectiveness (the ability to produce the desired result) and efficiency (reducing waste). The economic environment makes these efforts even more top-of-mind. Often the question that remains is how much do we need to improve? Benchmarking ... more

Last year, Google and MediaVest reported on a brainwave-tracking study about banner ads. According to the ad giants, banner ads rated a 6.3 in effectiveness—which was said to be a "very encouraging score." But combined with overlays, the effectiveness of banner ads increases to 6.6. This is because users find ... more

When your subscribers cut back on spending, you might be tempted to compensate for lost revenue by stepping up your email campaigns. But be forewarned: It's a potentially hazardous strategy. "Instead of being financially rewarded for emailing more," says Barton Schaefer, PhD in an article at MarketingProfs, "you may be punished ... more

While automotive dealers struggle to survive, Mike Miller Hyundai has reached out to customers via voice marketing, at a fraction of the cost of direct mail. Now: service bays are filled, and customer retention is significantly higher. more

If you've made some recent improvements—whether to your product, service or customer experience—now is the time to trumpet those changes!  A new year, with consumers anxious for a new start, is a great time to tell your subscribers what they can expect on their next visit to your site. In a post at the ... more

On the weekend it launched, Apple sold one million iPhone 3Gs—and not just to early adopters and hipsters: stats from ChangeWave suggest iPhone's moving in on the smartphone (read: ENTERPRISE!) market, currently dominated by BlackBerry. Already, iPhone's a fertile ad medium. From MySpace to Stella McCartney to the Associated Press, ... more

"The news regarding investment in marketing is not good, with many firms cutting their marketing budgets left and right," reports Neil Anuskiewicz in an article at MarketingProfs. Before taking such drastic steps, you might want to consider his better option: "Instead of taking an axe to your marketing budget … ... more

Cost-effective, and just plain effective, email communications are quite possibly the one sure thing to cling to in the current downturn. So, are you treating them—and your subscribers—right? In a post at ClickZ, Stefan Pollard says there's no time like the present to improve your email marketing programs. He offers ... more

"Initially, I wanted to be the CEO because I wanted to make the decisions," says John Edwardson, CEO of CDW, in a video on ChicagoBusiness.com. "And one of the lessons I learned a long time ago was that if you make all the decisions, nobody will want to work for ... more

It’s no secret that when the economy goes south, the first cuts companies often make are from marketing. That could mean "bye-bye search budget" if you don’t take steps now to protect it. William Leake of Apogee Search explains in a recent MarketingProfs article how to keep the axe from ... more

Want to really impress your boss, your board, your employees, or your mom? Want to drive your customers to the competition? Then simply fall flat on your face in your attempt to get your business to stand for something in the marketplace in 2009. That will really make an impact—and ... more

"Millennials may have built a house in Indonesia for Habitat Humanity or the like," says Lynne Lancaster in a BNet video posted to the Viaspire blog. "But they know very little about the corporate world, or how it operates." This generation—born between 1980 and 2000—is entering the workforce in ... more

Gems of 2008: Ever sigh to yourself, "There just aren't enough hours in the day!"? You're not alone. Most marketers are overloaded and under-resourced. But it doesn't have to be that way. And managing your time more efficiently isn't the answer. more

A new whitepaper from ExactTarget—cheekily titled No Executive Left Behind—argues in its subtitle that there are 10 things your C-Suite must know about email. "You cannot assume that your C-Suite understands the critical role played by email in facilitating sales and maintaining strong customer relationships," ExactTarget's Jeffrey Rohrs says. "You ... more

"A good opt-in procedure lays the foundation for a strong email program," writes Loren McDonald in an article at MarketingProfs, "but a well-thought-out series of welcome emails will help turn your newcomer into a long-term subscriber." A proper welcome program speeds up engagement, notes McDonald, and reduces list churn "because ... more

To weather the current economic storm, companies must take a step back and assess their core business and brand for continued relevance. Dramatic changes in behavior by cash-strapped consumers have had an impact on respected brands ranging from Starbucks (closing 600 stores) to automotive giants, which have announced cutbacks in North ... more

In a recent post at eMagine's B2B Web Strategy blog, Matt Roche warns about the dangers of outsourcing your PPC campaigns—and then washing your hands of them. Oftentimes, when B2B marketers choose to turn things over to outsiders, he says, "they feel they never need to worry about [PPC] ever ... more

In tough economic times, one company set out to care for its people in a unique way. Toshiba America Medical Systems efforts to align and nurture its sales team means the team is now on track to exceed sales goals. more

When Ann Handley waxed philosophical on the subject practical jokes in a post at Annarchy, her readers filled the comment section with stories of their own favorite stunts. Most were personal in nature, but Mike Volpe of HubSpot noted that some of his best work-related memories center not on business ... more

"Most people are not very good listeners," write Don and Sheryl Grimme in The New Manager's Toolkit. The reason, the say, is that we spend our days juggling personal and professional issues, and find it difficult to focus entirely on those facing our employees and colleagues. When this happens, we ... more

Leading companies do not subscribe to the notion that marketing is a discretionary expense. They know that there is business opportunity during economic downturns, and marketing can lead the way. more

With the Search Engine Marketing industry in North America generating more than $10 billion annually, most marketers know that search needs to be a part of their plan. What they seem less certain about, however, is whether to manage SEM campaigns in-house, or to outsource them. How do you determine ... more

During the 12 years that Christa Carone has been with Xerox, the company has been on quite a roller-coaster ride, having gone through significant challenges back in 1999 through 2001/2002, when the company's brand and reputation really took a hit. Recently she discussed with Roy Young her work to strengthen the ... more

As fallout from the current economic crisis continues to mount, thoughtful people are beginning to ask what we can learn from this experience. In a post at Harvard Business Online, Bill Taylor highlights a Warren Buffett interview on Charlie Rose in which the billionaire investor responds to the question "Should ... more