Blogs
Posts posted in September 2011
Websites: Best for Lead Generation, But Optimization Lacking
Keith Dawson   9/30/2011   (28) comments
Taking action based on Website analytics remains a challenge, according to a survey of 100 executives.
Where Klout Fits in a Marketer's Toolbox
Anne Weiskopf   9/29/2011   (20) comments
Klout is a good starting point for quantifying online influence, but don't stop there.
What Marketers Should Know About the Kindle Fire
Keith Dawson   9/29/2011   (24) comments
Amazon just upended the tablet universe, and there are benefits in store for consumers as well as marketers.
Companies Still Struggle to Get Social Media Policies Right
Keith Dawson   9/28/2011   (10) comments
Finding the balance among transparency, security, and the law is still proving difficult for some companies.
The Growth of Custom Content
Ellis Booker   9/28/2011   (17) comments
CMOs are increasingly receptive to custom content and find it valuable as a marketing tactic.
Survey: CMOs Expect to Ramp Up Social Spending
Keith Dawson   9/27/2011   (13) comments
Executives are confident about increasing budgets, especially for social media, in a worrisome economy.
C-Level Executives Taking Up Social Media
Karl Hakkarainen   9/27/2011   (5) comments
More frequently, CEOs are using social media in marketing, customer support, and even product development.
Using Data Management Platforms to Boost Market Segmentation
Keith Dawson   9/26/2011   (6) comments
DMP can unify online and offline data sources and segment audiences for multiple online channels.
Facebook's New Algorithms May Be a Big Deal for Advertisers
Mitch Wagner   9/26/2011   (10) comments
Facebook's big new upgrade has the potential to deliver highly targeted ads to consumers – unless it blows up.
What's New for Marketers on Facebook
Mitch Wagner   9/23/2011   (26) comments
The Open Graph, new application privacy settings, and the death and rebirth of the "Like" button present new challenges and opportunities.
African-American Consumers Present Growth Opportunity
Keith Dawson   9/23/2011   (15) comments
A growing population and rising educational and income levels translate to increasing market clout.
Pitney Bowes: Thinking Like Customer on Web
Mitch Wagner   9/22/2011   (12) comments
Using fictional user "personas" helps the office machinery company stay customer-centric.
Google+ Opens to the Public
Keith Dawson   9/22/2011   (22) comments
Google's social layer emerges from beta in record time with features marketers will love.
How PG&E Can Rebuild Its Image After a Disaster
Tony Kontzer   9/22/2011   (5) comments
It all starts with accountability and responsibility.
E-Commerce Executives Resist Shiny, Unnecessary Features
Mitch Wagner   9/21/2011   (13) comments
Sexy but unproductive features are a temptation for managers who don't understand the need to stay focused on business value.
Google, PayPal Hit Mobile Payment Milestones
Keith Dawson   9/21/2011   (16) comments
PayPal could be ready earlier, but Google Wallet is gathering momentum.
The ROI of Humble Pie
Ariella Brown   9/21/2011   (24) comments
Making a full apology when you have messed up can pay big dividends. We'll see if Netflix's apology was good enough.
How Freshpair Uses Sales Automation to Keep Shopping Carts Moving
Mitch Wagner   9/20/2011   (6) comments
The online retailer uses sales automation to lure back shoppers who've abandoned their shopping carts, and personalization to improve consumer engagement.
Marketing Lessons From Netflix and Birth of Qwikster
Keith Dawson   9/20/2011   (30) comments
Don't wait until it's nearly too late to communicate.
Why It Makes Sense to Host Your Videos on Vimeo
Robin Miller   9/20/2011   (10) comments
The service recently opened its doors to commercial video, which is good news for marketers looking for an alternative to YouTube.
Psion Looks to Social Media for Company Turnaround
Mitch Wagner   9/19/2011   (11) comments
The B2B electronics manufacturer uses a customer and reseller community for marketing, support, and product feedback.
Walmart Looks to Get Its Tech Mojo Back
Keith Dawson   9/19/2011   (13) comments
Walmart is looking to technology to reverse a decline. It needs to convince Americans who've lost faith that the chain really has the lowest prices.
The CMO Site Wins WebAward for Marketing Excellence
Mitch Wagner   9/16/2011   (13) comments
Our sister sites, Internet Evolution and Enterprise Efficiency, also won in their categories. Go, us!
How to Market to Affluent Consumers
Keith Dawson   9/16/2011   (23) comments
They're less likely to own smartphones, large-screen TVs, and tablets than their less affluent counterparts, and more receptive to old media.
Facebook Adds Sharing Features, Challenging Twitter & Google+
Mitch Wagner   9/15/2011   (12) comments
Facebook now lets people subscribe to profiles without a two-way friendship.
Little Elves Build Marketing Buzz
Ariella Brown   9/15/2011   (44) comments
Macy's gets 10,000 artists to work for free.
A Conversation With the Postal Service's Top Marketer
Mitch Wagner   9/14/2011   (11) comments
The US Postal Service is looking to new services to make mail more attractive to marketers.
Putting Big Data to Work
Keith Dawson   9/14/2011   (5) comments
Exploiting big data is getting less expensive.
Viral Marketing Gone Bad: Woman Suing Toyota Over Cyberstalking
Jude Chao   9/14/2011   (21) comments
The plaintiff says she received email from a dangerous stranger who seemed to have access to her personal information. She alleges it was all part of a prank by Toyota.
Online Tracking Self-Regulation 'Inadequate,' Say Consumer Groups
Keith Dawson   9/13/2011   (10) comments
Transatlantic Consumer Dialog claims self-regulation does not protect consumers.
CMOs Spending More on Social Media (& Other Useful Stats)
Mitch Wagner   9/13/2011   (21) comments
Despite the downturn, social media spending will likely increase. Also: a look at the importance of timing to social media marketing, and good news and bad news about Groupon.
9/11 Marketing Hazards
Joe Stanganelli   9/13/2011   (19) comments
Base your marketing on corporate responsibility rather than cheap edginess.
Failure Is Not an Option: Why You Must Transform to a Social Organization
Keith Dawson   9/12/2011   (19) comments
Forbes makes a strong case for the need to embrace transparency, honesty, and social media.
San Diego Blackout Tests Marketing Communications
Mitch Wagner   9/12/2011   (9) comments
During a civil emergency, marketing communications can help preserve order and even save lives.
Twitter Is Maturing as a Marketing Platform
Mitch Wagner   9/9/2011   (6) comments
Twitter says it's raking in the bucks with ads and will find ways to do more for marketers.
IAB Proposes Standard for Rich-Media Ads in Mobile Apps
Keith Dawson   9/9/2011   (7) comments
The Interactive Advertising Bureau is developing technical standards designed to make ads faster to develop for multiple mobile platforms.
Postal Service Needs to Solve Brand Problem
Mitch Wagner   9/8/2011   (28) comments
"Going postal" and "snail mail" shouldn't come to mind when consumers think of the US Postal Service.
It's Déjà Vu All Over Again at Yahoo
Keith Dawson   9/8/2011   (23) comments
Turmoil once more clouds the picture for advertising revenue.
What’s a Media Company? Hard to Tell
Paul Gillin   9/8/2011   (17) comments
Companies like Intel and Cisco are hiring ex-journalists to help their voices stand out in a crowded media environment.
Companies More Fearful of Social Media
Keith Dawson   9/7/2011   (11) comments
Even though companies acknowledge the importance of social media, many are blocking and restricting its use.
Google Badly Mis-Places Some Brands
Mitch Wagner   9/7/2011   (6) comments
The latest: erroneous reports that businesses are closed.
Why You Shouldn't Discount Twitter
Constance Aguilar   9/7/2011   (9) comments
Facebook and Google+ are more fashionable, but Twitter gets a lot done.
How CMOs Are Engaging With Twitter
Karl Hakkarainen   9/6/2011   (6) comments
A quick study shows that CMOs are doing well at reaching their followers.
Seven Months at a Standing Desk
Mitch Wagner   9/6/2011   (24) comments
Sitting all day is unhealthy; get a standing desk. You'll thank yourself when you're old.
Amazon's Tablet Will Be Huge
Keith Dawson   9/6/2011   (17) comments
The iPad could have a very serious competitor very soon.
Social Ads Coming Soon to a Stream Near You
Keith Dawson   9/2/2011   (16) comments
Both Facebook and Twitter are inching up on placing ads in your stream.
What Marketers Need to Know About the Google+ of Tomorrow
Mike Elgan   9/1/2011   (10) comments
It will be big, versatile, and everywhere you want to be.
Opportunities for Marketers in the End of Books
Keith Dawson   9/1/2011   (29) comments
Why not look to the model that has supported free and near-free media for over a century?
quick poll
CMO videos
GM's Customer Focus
How GM uses customer metrics and analytics.
2:34
(4) comments
Del Mar Races to Win
How the racetrack uses social and mobile marketing
1:54
(4) comments
Social Media Resolutions
Ideas for social media marketing in 2012.
4:25
(35) comments
My Viral Tweet
What marketers can learn from a tweet.
2:54
(7) comments
Trikkes & Marketing
Retailers face three options in 2012.
3:41
(3) comments
Mobile Marketing Is Hard
Meet Amazon.com's Price Check app.
3:01
(1) comment
Neither Snow Nor Rain
The USPS plans to curtail mail delivery.
02:18
(5) comments
Careful With Foursquare
Mitch Wagner trips over his own feet.
04:26
(3) comments
Community Is 'Where It's At'
If brands want their names to stick they need to ...
2:27
(11) comments
Twitter Upgrades
Twitter is now more useful for brands.
2:42
(1) comment
Fonts Mean Brands
Mess with your font at your peril.
3:12
(5) comments
CMOs Need More Customer Time
CMOs are missing the opportunity to get info ...
2:21
(0) comments
Behavioral Ads
Marketers are losing on behavioral advertising.
2:54
(8) comments
'Moneyball' Marketing
"Moneyball," the new Brad Pitt baseball movie, is ...
3:00
(1) comment
leadership reports
Getting the Most from Mobile Marketing
The CMO Site, The CMO Site
The proliferation of smartphones and tablet devices presents new opportunities and challenges for marketers to reach customers where they are and when they’re ready to buy. Apps, the mobile Web, social check-ins, geofencing, and mobile ad standards are among the tools marketers need to master in this new world. Learn how to use new mobile technology effectively and avoid its hazards.
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Charlotte Blank
General Motors: Keeping the Customer at the Center
2|29|12   |   2:34   |   (4) comments

How the carmaker uses metrics and analytics to track all the proliferating information streams it has on customers, from social media, real life, and more.
Craig Dado
Del Mar Races to Win at Social, Mobile Marketing
2|15|12   |   1:54   |   (4) comments

Craig Dado, senior vice president of marketing for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, describes how the racetrack uses social and mobile marketing to attract a younger, female demographic.
Mitch Wagner
Social Media Marketing Resolutions
1|25|12   |   4:25   |   (35) comments

Ideas for boosting B2B social media marketing in 2012.
Mitch Wagner
My Viral Tweet
1|18|12   |   2:54   |   (7) comments

What marketers can learn from a tweet that went viral.
Mitch Wagner
Trikkes & the Future of Retail Marketing
1|9|12   |   3:41   |   (3) comments

Retailers face three options in 2012: Go low on price, go high on service, or go out of business.
Mitch Wagner
Looking 5 Years Ahead in Marketing
12|21|11   |   3:51   |   (3) comments

IBM made five predictions for the future in its annual 5 in 5 projection, and three of them are relevant to marketing.
Mitch Wagner
Mobile Makes Retail Marketing Harder
12|19|11   |   3:01   |   (1) comment

Amazon.com's recent Price Check app heralds the beginning of a new era of creative destruction for brick-and-mortar retailers.
Keith Dawson
Neither Snow Nor Rain
12|13|11   |   02:18   |   (5) comments

As the US Postal Service prepares to curtail mail delivery, marketers relying on first class will have to plan more carefully and, over time, move into other channels.
Mitch Wagner
Don’t Embarrass Yourself on Foursquare
12|12|11   |   04:26   |   (3) comments

Editor-in-chief Mitch Wagner trips over his own feet trying to use a Foursquare discount, in a tale with a lesson for brands.
CMO Video
Community Is 'Where It's At'
11|15|11   |   2:27   |   (11) comments

Is a massive, three-day industry event featuring A-list speakers like Bill Clinton and Malcolm Gladwell the right approach for a company seeking to generate awareness of its brand? Steve thinks that goes part of the way, but if brands want their names to stick they need to build communities.
Mitch Wagner
Twitter Upgrades Activity Streams
11|9|11   |   2:42   |   (1) comment

Twitter improved its home page to make it more useful for brands looking to find influencers to engage with.
Keith Dawson
Fonts Mean Brands
10|31|11   |   3:12   |   (5) comments

Once you associate a font with your brand, you mess with it at your peril.
Mitch Wagner
IBM Study: CMOs Need More One-on-One Customer Time
10|20|11   |   2:21   |   (0) comments

CMOs rely on aggregate data for customer preferences and are missing the opportunity to get one-on-one information through social media and other resources, according to a study of 1,734 CMOs conducted by IBM. Watch a Webinar presenting the findings, and get a copy of the report for yourself.
Keith Dawson
Behavioral Ads: Getting Back in the Conversation
10|18|11   |   2:54   |   (8) comments

Surveys show that marketers are losing the mindshare battle on the benefits of behavioral advertising – and they need to rejoin that conversation.
Mitch Wagner
'Moneyball' Marketing
10|14|11   |   3:00   |   (1) comment

"Moneyball," the new Brad Pitt baseball movie, is one every marketer should see. It's not just about relying on metrics and analytics over gut feelings, it's also about relying on the right metrics and analytics.