Social networking sites accounted for more than 25% of all UK display ad impressions in August. Although younger social networkers were delivered the highest percentage of ads, a sizable percentage of impressions reached every age group. more

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

Let's say a travel company sends out a series of email messages with a variety of offers. Campaigns 1 and 3 produce average clickthrough rates of just over 4 percent; campaigns 2 and 4, however, generate rates of 6.68 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. "Clearly, emails 2 and 4 resonated ... more

"Something that we preach at eROI is to TEST TEST TEST," says Ryan Buchanan in a post at the company's blog. "We believe that testing should be an integral part of every email marketing campaign." If you're not sure how to get started, eROI comes to the rescue with a ... more

We've seen Sarah Haskins critique advertising that patronizes women, and now it's time for Bryan Safi's take on commercials that handle gay topics with varying degrees of respect. In this occasionally off-color video from Current TV, he begins with a few ads that use gay men as the punchline for ... more

Comedian Sarah Haskins is back with another Target Women video at Current TV that skewers gender-based advertising clichés—this time it's the Doofy Husband. "Being a woman isn't easy," she says in a mock serious tone. "We work, we take care of the house, we raise children, and we do it ... more

In a move to shove Yahoo off its display-ad perch, Google last Thursday launched its DoubleClick Ad Exchange, which the company promised would streamline and improve how display ads are targeted at and delivered to a desired audience. more

In Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, Thomas Davenport and Jeanne Harris explain how Best Buy used data collected on 60 million U.S. households to create eight customer segments. And with the insights it gained, the company devised new formats that cater to specific segments in a few ... more

Online dating sites figure prominently in the list of top 15 lifestyle-related websites, in addition to blogging, children's, and miscellaneous other sites catering to niche audiences. more

"It's high time email marketers assess campaign performance in terms of the business and marketing goals, objectives, and contribution expectations that matter," says Karen Talavera in an article at MarketingProfs. She recommends placing data into two broad categories to drill down to what really counts: Process Metrics—which are diagnostic in ... more

As environmental awareness continues to rise, the average consumer has become more conscious of the need to make greener choices. A post at the Osocio blog highlights a satirical cartoon from Lunchbreath that skewers marketers who respond to the trend with disingenuous, "greenwashed" packaging that relies on elements like this:  ... more

"The Hispanic market seems to be the only one still flourishing these days in the face of economic doom and gloom," says Blaire Borthayre in an article at MarketingProfs. And there are, she argues, a number of reasons why the buying power of these savvy consumers will likely grow to ... more

"Refer-A-Friend campaigns can be tricky territory," says Kristen Gregory in a post at the Bronto blog. "Let's be very clear: just because someone gives you the email address of their friend does not mean you have permission to email [that friend] whenever you want, as often as you like." For ... more

You might have mixed emotions—perhaps a blend of envy and awe—when you hear teenage CEOs discuss how they plan to secure venture capital for their second or third startup. But once you get past the novelty of their age, tales of their youthful success can provide you with an entirely ... more

Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports says he learned a thing or two while working in a cardboard-box factory as a teenager. "The first was the importance of proofreading," he says. "There are not a lot of alternative uses for 200,000 boxes advertising ‘Premium banannas.’ " Another lesson was the ... more

"Lately," says Ken Magill in a post at DIRECT, "I regularly get messages from frustrated email managers whose bosses are trying to prod them into doing something self-destructive." It seems they're dealing with upper management who believe that doubling frequency will double profits, and that anything is fine as long ... more

"Hey!" says comedian Sarah Haskins, as she dumps an array of Yoplait, Activia and Dannon onto a table at the beginning of a viral video. "Why am I holding all this yogurt? Because I'm a woman. And yogurt is the official food of women." Marisa Meltzer uses a post ... more

Good news for those marketers who seek to advertise aggressively and creatively to Baby Boomers: You are right on track! New research is finding that for many Boomers "aging is not about the inevitable end, but rather about the evolving self." It seems this age group is redefining retirement as ... more

"Building your own opt-in email marketing list is an accomplishment," says Steve Adams in an article at MarketingProfs, "but don't stop there. Once you start reaching out to your list with great content, you can then improve the targeting and relevance of your email marketing campaigns by using segmentation." The ... more

"Predictive analysis has a long and profitable history with direct mail," says Arthur Middleton Hughes in a Pro article at MarketingProfs. "Millions of dollars have been saved by focusing on those customers most likely to buy—and not mailing to those who are unlikely to be interested." Only recently, though, have ... more

In a post at the Marketing Analytics blog, Lynne Harrold describes the quandary faced by an important Bostonian cultural institution. As its established member base dies off, it needs to attract younger members. But there's a problem: the young don't care for the repertoire favored by their elders. In general ... more

In a post at the Deliverability.com blog, Dennis Dayman presents a short series of off-the-cuff emails that his wife wrote in response to his question about video in email marketing campaigns. Dayman wanted to know whether she—a stay-at-home mom—found the concept appealing. In her first email, she explains that the ... more

Good news for retailers! There is one consumer segment that apparently remains ready and willing to buy: Hispanic shoppers. "According to a new study conducted by Experian Simmons for Univision Communications, Hispanics are less affected by the recession, tend to be more positive about it, [and] shop more often," says ... more

In cooperation with Ball State University and the Email Marketers Club, ExactTarget studied 18 methods used by marketers to build an email list. Among the results published in its 2009 Email List Growth Study are these conclusions: The best method for email list growth is onsite registration; ... more

"Very few executives give a hoot about opens and clicks," says Stephanie Miller in a post at the Daily Fix blog. "In fact, very few marketers even look at their email system reports (I can't make this stuff up!)." The problem, she argues, is that these types of data cannot ... more