tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348588022012-01-31T03:05:56.998-07:00Thoughts, ideas and questions about using content to help people choose.anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.comBlogger3871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-29913921181667051122012-01-31T03:05:00.000-07:002012-01-31T03:05:57.028-07:00

What exists between Marketer and Consumer in the online world? The short answer is the Publisher of content, for that is what people consume and that is where display ads appear.  So, how does a banner actually appear on a particular site?   LUMA Partners publishes a view of the Display LUMAscape or how to get from A to B, replicated below. Thoughts: It is clearly a complex world under the

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-22224077126098545172012-01-27T17:04:00.000-07:002012-01-27T17:04:46.127-07:00

If I send a custom offer in an email, can I also customize the tweet? The idea of running campaigns inside of social media is a natural.  After all, social technology allows for the leveraging of human interactions to improve engagement with contests and events. Companies like Strutta and Wildfire are offering social media marketing products and suites to execute promotions from within social

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-29468596621327705312012-01-23T15:08:00.001-07:002012-01-23T15:25:32.095-07:00

Are we just couch potatoes? Earlier this month Clay Shirky gave a straightforward TED Talk on why SOPA and PIPA weren't such good ideas.  And rather than talk about piracy and foreign web sites he touched on a fundamental question:  Are people simply consumers of content produced and distributed by others, or do we really strive for something else, i.e. to be human? The media industry is often

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-754632953701715012012-01-18T20:21:00.000-07:002012-01-18T20:21:22.072-07:00

Why does marketing struggle? In a recent DMA webcast on "marketing to your customer's brain" Roger Dooley gave an overview of neuromarketing.  In it, two previously unrelated facts collided. First, 95% of most marketing doesn't work.   The argument was that since direct mail, email and other direct-to-consumer campaigns are often measured in single digits they can't be defined as 'successful'.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-77758558100667581812012-01-18T03:33:00.000-07:002012-01-18T03:33:58.240-07:00

Why augment your own data with 3rd party sources? While transaction data is good, often it isn't enough to solve marketing problems.   Say you were a publisher of a number of magazines (in fact, as part of TC Media we are) and wanted to stimulate discussions with advertisers - what would you talk about?   While circulation and subscription figures are good for setting rates, they don't

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-24123846110174781352012-01-17T08:47:00.001-07:002012-01-17T08:48:28.519-07:00

Can marketing be automated? Not really; although the search results of 'marketing automation' suggest it is not only possible but a business objective.  This perception is in part fueled by the research firms - e.g. Gartner, Forrester, et al - that write about the enabling technology as a category.  That's too bad. The implied benefit of 'automation' is often interpreted as efficiency and

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-77959939761187117052012-01-11T03:22:00.000-07:002012-01-11T03:22:53.647-07:00

Why shouldn't we just go ahead and blast coupons, they're cheap? My mailboxes, both online and off, are stuffed to the gills with generic and gratuitously personal offers.  The majority of which don't even get a read.   The low cost approach of throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks might work for direct response products but it dilutes brands.  Consumer insights tell us the

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-20718777081924074192012-01-06T18:41:00.000-07:002012-01-06T18:41:03.018-07:00

How should we approach planning? I had an opportunity to explain a project/program plan recently and was asked 'why does it take so long to get to market?'   So, we had to explain ourselves in four steps. Discovery - who is the audience, what do they want, how do they decide? Objectives - what are we trying to achieve, how do we know we'll be successful? Strategy - why will we be successful?

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-48290053553410118172012-01-05T08:50:00.001-07:002012-01-05T08:51:55.244-07:00

What can we learn from a nursery rhyme? One of my favorite stories to read to my son was about storms. “The storm starts when the drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping.” ― Dr. Seuss In this day and age where deals are chic, a variation comes to mind. People shop when the price starts dropping. When the price stops dropping then people stop

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-84642729389376228172012-01-04T05:07:00.000-07:002012-01-04T05:07:34.823-07:00

What do we do about 'Big Data'? First, understand what we mean and second, not panic.   From my perspective marketing's 'Big Data' is the result of a world where everything is interactive and people are the media. As such it supports the view that transactions, events and comments across channels, locations, and devices are all part of Big Data. On the second point, I read an interesting post

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-69665642007671659962012-01-03T14:49:00.001-07:002012-01-03T14:54:28.978-07:00

How do we fill the void between inquiry and a sale? Often there is a pregnant pause between consumers raising their hand requesting information and actual sales.   In days gone by we looked toward lead treatment as a means of moving people thru the sales funnel.  There are, however, several things in this idea that are at odds with how people want to interact. "Lead" - we don't think of

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-562457517343224472011-12-30T09:01:00.000-07:002011-12-30T09:01:28.276-07:00

What should we focus on in 2012? The collection of New Year's resolutions for marketing are out.  Here' my summary as well as a list that I found interesting to consider. I will think strategically and focus on 'why' we will be successful, not just 'how.' I will know in advance what the objective is and how I'll know that it has been met or not.  I will go on a data diet and abolish vanity

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-25683797456249424352011-12-24T05:16:00.000-07:002011-12-24T05:16:19.827-07:00

Do cowboys celebrate the season? Of course. Had the opportunity to go to the C.M. Russell Museum this week in Great Falls, MT.  The collection of Christmas cards and images included the above.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-57535192553075278612011-12-21T06:15:00.001-07:002011-12-21T06:16:09.562-07:00

Why do consumers act on promotional requests? A lot of promotions are limited in quantity or time; "if you're one of the first 100 customers who call in the next 10 minutes" is a common approach to creating the sense of scarcity.  But what if you're dealing with products that aren't in short supply and are always available.   Some researchers from Santa Clara University asked the question:  Does

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-29930524543259015252011-12-16T09:40:00.000-07:002011-12-16T09:40:25.436-07:00

What do all the 2012 trends add up to? When looking at all the trends coming out they seem to point toward one destination: communal commerce.  I chose 'communal' over 'social' to reflect the notion that there is an objective or goal - to buy or not to buy, that is the question.   Plus, there are a vast array of platforms, technologies, etc. that come to play as people make choices that probably

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-77760795786215173312011-12-15T07:40:00.002-07:002011-12-16T07:59:35.371-07:00

What won't happen next year? There are numerous posts and articles on the marketing trends for next year that provide better insights than I ever could; examples include: A collection of Consumer Trends from trendwatching.    The five digital trends from Mashable's presentation at ThinkLA's Trends Breakfast A compendium of Social Marketing thoughts:  with a good summary by Brian Solis So, I'll

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-17285537910203602452011-12-13T12:58:00.002-07:002011-12-13T12:59:31.300-07:00

What reality do we face as we plan the new year? The trends are out.   They tell us what is happening and where we are going (maybe).   This leaves us the fundamental problem of wrestling some large issues to the ground. Channel Blur:  we have reached the point where media fragmentation is no longer a set of discrete choices; they all interact to support whatever it is the consumer wishes to do.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-4270283771421686152011-12-12T08:28:00.000-07:002011-12-12T08:28:40.207-07:00

What could we do if we could see all that you do? Marketers have budgets and a need to connect solutions with needs via a communication plan.   Consumers have a myriad of options to consume information, transact, and communicate; they don't really care about those plans.   But, what if we could see across content, commercial, and communal sites?  What could we do? A colleague has suggested that

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-64198238233707642622011-12-09T07:26:00.002-07:002011-12-09T07:28:06.701-07:00

How can we leverage our content in search?  This week's presentation by Dan Zarrella of Hubspot on the Science of SEO confirmed that search is just a part of the marketing mix.  A synopsis of the key takeaways from the presentation: Search is not dead, but it is not the only game in town. Before they buy, they Google; so write for humans, not spiders Social takes a back seat to search and the

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-40503296333124746152011-12-06T06:33:00.001-07:002011-12-06T06:34:08.540-07:00

What is a person's content consumption habits? The 'social graph' illustrates the six degrees of separation of a network - or simply who is connected to whom. Facebook and Google among a host of others have APIs that allow us to tap into those connections for a variety of purposes with advertising being a common theme.  Last summer Scott Karp, CEO of Publishing 2.0 wrote a piece on the Content

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-82378997683598839552011-12-06T05:19:00.000-07:002011-12-06T05:19:10.996-07:00

Why do we often see just what we want to see? Two recent posts on the Adobe Industry Insights blog got me thinking - they were on the biases we bring to the table.  Both Congruence Bias and Expectation Bias deal with the tendency to highlight the things we believe, and avoid the things that we don't believe.    We test things we believe are going to work, i.e. they are safe and often based on

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-29899464827019575512011-12-05T15:42:00.000-07:002011-12-05T15:42:22.651-07:00

How can we find birds of a feather? In the science of social networks homophily is the 'love of the same' and often represents the foundation of self-organization.  Shared interests, values and beliefs bring people together.  This leads me to the conclusion that: Common interests are the new demographics.  The rise of accessible social interests and sharing maybe we should be thinking about

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-29024137371086311692011-12-02T04:55:00.001-07:002011-12-02T14:25:01.885-07:00

Why do we suffer from report inflation? Reporting isn't sexy, so we call it 'analysis'.   Analysis isn't worthy of C-level discussions so we call it insights and strategy.  So, let's put some context of how each is used.   Here's how I look at: Reporting: Give me answers to questions I already know I need answers to. Analysis: Tell me why what I expected to happen didn't happen. Insights: Tell

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-4283362261162161402011-12-01T06:31:00.000-07:002011-12-01T06:31:12.437-07:00

How can we help consumers choose? As marketers, our job is to align solutions and needs to everyone's mutual benefit  - that's how I define it to first year business students.   Easy to say, very hard to do.  And we know we're successful when they choose our product over the other guy's.   So, how is a choice actually made?   What elements are required to come to a decision?   The psychology

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-176455586169292192011-12-01T05:44:00.000-07:002011-12-01T05:44:03.858-07:00

What is it about content that people value? It may not be the content itself. Sitting at the hotel bar last night with a journalist (and wine guy) the conversation turned to content - its production, distribution, and protection.  It seems that there may be three things consumers value above and beyond the stories, images and news.  Access Aggregation Accreditation My favorite examples of

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-19351544162293186312011-11-29T07:50:00.000-07:002011-11-29T07:50:38.332-07:00

Why do we segment media by type when consumers don't? We often speak in terms of {blank} media when discussing marketing plans and budgets.   But considering channel blur and fragmentation we're often left wondering just what a given media type is good for.   Here's some thoughts. First, what is 'media' from a business or marketing sense?   Without the qualifying adjective like broadcast or

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-47073145740166383942011-11-28T19:35:00.000-07:002011-11-28T19:35:34.615-07:00

Can we do direct mail without postage? A recent discussion about integrating items promoted in a retail flyer into a direct mail/email piece - "this weeks' special chosen for you"-  gave way to a broader discussion when we realized that we could possibly take this idea one step further and create completely personalized flyers.   Imagine the MUST-HAVES  listed below being selected based on

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-39299421981492941072011-11-23T07:48:00.002-07:002011-11-23T07:52:21.273-07:00

What does an ambassadors do? Buying an ambassadorship in politics is a common theme, albeit illegal, with presidents awarding up to a third of the posts to substantive contributors.  This pattern reflects the absolutely innate rule of reciprocity - we try to pay people back for what they've given us:  Cushy post for cash.  In sales and marketing there is a lot of talk about 'brand ambassadors'

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-73225878008295487652011-11-19T16:50:00.000-07:002011-11-19T16:50:35.896-07:00

Where is search going? Search represents a growth opportunity within the overall marketing spend; and the opportunities aren't just online.  Search and display – the yin and yang of online advertising, they each representing over 40% of online ad spending - $31b in 2011.  It used to be that display ads were the stimulus and search captured the intent when consumers went looking.  A recent

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-82180852351983617952011-11-19T10:49:00.001-07:002011-11-19T10:49:38.552-07:00

What are we doing in our day jobs? This post is about what we do at work - it came about after an integration meeting where we needed to explain what various business units do. First, some background on what business we currently focus on here in Salt Lake. Direct-to-consumer – consider it 'database marketing' if you will, but all our work focuses on the distribution of owned media to

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-48666369823683206622011-11-15T07:55:00.000-07:002011-11-15T07:55:58.197-07:00

How do we manage a process with no end point? Adding to the 'path to purchase' discussion, Yahoo! and McCann released their report:  "The Long and Winding Road".  And rather than a reference to the Beatles tune it relates to the customer path or journey thru various stages using one of three classes of tools:  Discover, Evaluate, and Socialize.  The decidedly non-linear path, if we can even

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-36413066188604803152011-11-11T05:35:00.000-07:002011-11-11T05:35:24.604-07:00

What does 'pay by phone' mean now? Phones are not for talking anymore; we proved that with music.     They will soon be the tool for conducting business and the use case typically offered is making payments by tapping your phone.   The credit card solved the cash problem over 60 years ago when the idea of extending credit and paying at multiple locations were merged.  And yes, this business was

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-78465437599650586662011-11-09T19:23:00.000-07:002011-11-09T19:23:02.081-07:00

How does choice work? We decide emotionally, we defend rationally. Without a need to be satisfied we simply can't make a choice.   But once the inner brain decides the outer brain takes over makes the decision rational.   "The car has 5-star crash test rating" - calling b******t on that, it made me feel cool - but I'm not going to say that, am I?

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-91482867549317288422011-11-05T06:47:00.001-06:002011-11-05T06:56:34.198-06:00

Why do we have two different experiences for the same thing? While trolling around this morning I found this Google Analytics video on the ecommerce check out process on nick burcher's site.  It makes a beautiful point. While focused on the purchase step of the process, I think it relates to all stages of search, discovery, and consideration.   Unfortunately we often act like moths to

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-677177064422399492011-11-04T05:41:00.000-06:002011-11-04T05:41:20.424-06:00

Will barbera go with fish or pork? Like formica, kleenex and duct tape another category of generic brands is under threat.  This time wine. What is common about the following? Cabernet Sauvingon Merlot Pinot Noir Chardonay Reisling Sauvingon Blanc They are a) the original six Noble Grapes - the basis of highest-quality French wine (although the politically correct term is now International

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-70969971238544265452011-11-03T09:46:00.000-06:002011-11-03T09:46:57.784-06:00

How do people buy cars? Just like Frank Sinatra sang:  "I did it my way".   A couple of days ago I posted some thoughts on search behavior and content marketing, this takes it a bit further in one industry.   We recently attended a round-table in the automotive industry where Google presented the following facts on how search has changed consumer behavior:  75% of car buyers are in the market

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-50397073621095147152011-11-01T18:53:00.000-06:002011-11-01T18:53:32.024-06:00

What are consumers doing along the path to purchase? The concept of 'surrounding the consumer with interesting content' originally grew out of the notion that there are infinite paths to purchase and thus marketers need to be everywhere a consumer could turn.  The idea of using Red Laser to check prices, while reading reviews on Yelp! and looking for a coupon in the email is commonplace.  This

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-44580515444372739652011-11-01T18:46:00.000-06:002011-11-01T18:46:13.042-06:00

What is a word? In the late 1800's Thomas Huxley coined the term 'agnostic' to reflect his world view that certain things, e.g. deities,  are not known or even knowable.  The inability to demonstrate a conclusion or premise is the basis of the term which translates to 'without knowledge'.   In marketing and technology the term agnostic has moved closer to 'independent' - like 'platform

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-13060928466453331282011-10-17T08:15:00.000-06:002011-10-17T08:15:02.083-06:00

What is in store next year? The forecasts for advertising spend are coming out – relatively slow for 2011 and slight growth for 2012/13 with developing markets outpacing the developed ones. The relationship of ad spending to financial markets depends on the cause of the market change.  Either excessive advertising from over-valued companies (the 2000 tech bubble) or substantive decline in output

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-79585027957286977252011-10-10T12:44:00.000-06:002011-10-10T12:44:57.091-06:00

Where is all this digital technology taking us? One of the fundamental changes of digital technology is that now everything is interactive.   The ability to either embed or connect to information can be associated with not only digital objects but analog ones as well.   Some examples: For years billboards  have the ability to recognize a car and broadcast a message to you.    Minis and leaky FM

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-33555574682232033862011-09-29T21:18:00.130-06:002011-10-06T07:13:06.438-06:00

What do we do when everything is interactive and people are the media? The view from a CMO's office must look quite hazy given the impact technology has had on the distribution and consumption of messages:  billboards now interact with cars as they drive past, we use a bar code reader to check reviews and prices while standing in front of a shelf, we seek out and trust the recommendations of

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-45489300761287834412011-09-28T12:02:00.000-06:002011-09-28T12:02:52.727-06:00

What can we learn from Doctor Doolittle's trip to Africa? After the good doctor  traveled to Africa to treat a monkey epidemic he was rewarded with a Pushmi-Pullyu - a two headed animal that tried to go in opposite directions whenever it tried to move.  (wiki)   Uncoordinated activities sounds a bit like marketing sometimes - consumers headed in one direction and marketers in another, even

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-40850057385903903972011-09-28T07:54:00.000-06:002011-09-28T07:54:18.999-06:00

What do people share? AOL recently published a report entitled "Content is the Fuel of the Social Web" that provides some interesting figures on what is shared.   It should be no surprise that content is shared, but the one fact that did surprise me was that of the links shared in social posts only 4% were to a brand or corporate website.   Published and embedded content garner the vast majority

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-32532624446789754582011-09-23T07:55:00.000-06:002011-09-23T07:55:04.206-06:00

Why would anyone still use direct mail when email is cheap and plentiful? The following is an outgrowth of a Q&A session about our business where it was suggested by some that ‘we didn’t get it’ because we discussed direct mail.     Our clients chose to use direct mail for one or more of the following reasons: Not everyone has or provided an email address – it is typical to see 30% or less  –

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-69839966348225284052011-09-21T03:13:00.000-06:002011-09-21T03:13:51.074-06:00

Is there a difference between the two? In several marketing disciplines we talk about personalization - email and direct mail uses it to demonstrate relevance in order to improve response rate.  In others we talk about customized experiences and paths to purchase, particularly to drive conversion in e-commerce.  One distinction common in web design is that personalization is inferred, e.g.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-49842158193660108502011-09-20T09:40:00.000-06:002011-09-20T09:40:39.634-06:00

What is happening in CMO's planning room? In this post, the focus is on retail; some recent conclusions, trends and factoids.     Not only does the concept of channel continue to erode as companies focus on satisfying the consumer through out the entire process but the blending of budgets is likely to accelerate.  Shopper Marketing – influence at the time of purchase – gaining exposure and

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-78845999374753886742011-09-15T19:20:00.000-06:002011-09-15T19:20:20.471-06:00

How should we view email? TV advertising is efficient because of its tremendous reach yielding a competitive CPM and it still captures a substantial portion of the overall advertising budget. What it lacks is a high degree of targeting and interaction and thus is accused of being one-way. It often takes tonnage to get thru our personal ozone layer which in turn is often interpreted as shouting.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-77366033615574205962011-09-14T10:32:00.000-06:002011-09-14T10:32:24.419-06:00

Should we publish or facilitate a path? There seems to be a distinction between multichannel and cross-channel, at least in terms of vendor and industry analyst points of view.   There is the Magic Quadrant for CRM Multichannel Campaign Management from Gartner and the Trends in Cross-Channel Campaign Management from Forrester. They both talk about a common set of vendors.  There is another

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-79329504697731488212011-09-14T04:47:00.000-06:002011-09-14T04:47:16.533-06:00

Is attribution across touch points worth pursuing? In several recent conversations the idea of understanding the impact of different channels on consumer behavior has risen to the surface but with no clear solution.   Obviously it is hard to do or it would have been done the week after the first multichannel campaign launched.   And the usual culprit is the lack of integration of data as noted

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-47372029980197497862011-09-11T06:40:00.001-06:002011-09-11T08:55:20.087-06:00

What do I have against 'multichannel' marketing? Nothing really, other than the phrase reinforces old ways of thinking. Multichannel is a corporate term, not a consumer term. It grew out of the need to coordinate across existing organizational functions and/or technology stacks. By definition the term channel implies boundaries, containment; but given our objective of getting people to engage/

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-14292002950181262402011-09-09T08:16:00.000-06:002011-09-09T08:16:13.594-06:00

How long does a link last? It turns out that new links published in social media have a similar life span to the Blue Wing Olive.  Links receive half the clicks they'll ever get within hours. An adult mayfly lives for 30 minutes to a day depending on species; have non-working mouths and a digestive track filled with air.  They have one purpose..... but this is a marketing blog.  Source.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-36656577436568223242011-09-07T13:57:00.000-06:002011-09-07T13:57:28.858-06:00

What opportunities exist in an inter-connected world? A few days ago a colleague asked around if anyone had an approach to segmentation in a world when social media is integrated with mobile and retail transaction data. So, here's the answer I came up with in an attempt to answer the questions: What did they do before buying? what content did they consume before trying?   Customer transaction

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-10412720532363965852011-08-17T09:05:00.000-06:002011-08-17T09:05:45.131-06:00

How do we treat the concept of loyalty? Lately I've been reading a lot on customer experience, CRM maturity models, etc. in the context of analyzing the performance of customer marketing programs.   And while I read a lot about loyalty as part of the strategy I don't see the metric I can map to it.   Somewhere in the reams of stats, metrics, spreadsheets and data dumps there has to a number I

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-10845692522146376352011-07-15T08:05:00.000-06:002011-07-15T08:05:38.229-06:00

How should we approach planning when everything is interactive? We used to talk about multiple channels when separate (and possibly not coordinated) campaigns were executed by the experts in their respective silos.  Then along came Integrated Marketing Communication (ICM) that taught us to think multi-channel and to use a coordinated approach often based on timing, theme and message.    An

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-37840165003960952322011-06-17T08:19:00.000-06:002011-06-17T08:19:12.463-06:00

Can understanding the situation improve our marketing? Yes, but we've got work to do.  The concept of 'Situational Influence' was recently shared by Jeff Wilson on the The Social CMO Blog. Using the analogy of solving the 'getting wet problem' caused by rain with either an umbrella, shelter or ark the article makes a good case for thinking about the decision making process based on the

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-23234289612321777152011-06-17T08:06:00.000-06:002011-06-17T08:06:37.012-06:00

Did CRM miss the point?  CRM is (was) often described as 'delivering the right message, to right person, at the right time'.   But who decides on 'right'?   If the marketer is doing it, then it is probably wrong since we are clearly biased.    Messages do not and can not stay on point in a world where we can all create, edit and publish our own versions. About the only type of content that is

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-12062001832722587352011-06-01T18:58:00.000-06:002011-06-01T18:58:31.173-06:00

What will the digital world look like in 4 years? An excellent piece on the growth of the digital life from Neo Labels shared by my colleague Ian Barkley.  At some point we should probably just drop the adjective 'digital'.   We no longer talk about 'jet planes' or 'digital phones' - to us they're just planes or phones.   And when we drop the adjective we can think about bringing all content

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-48821486892068168472011-05-28T06:17:00.000-06:002011-05-28T06:17:30.084-06:00

Should you tell your customers "thank you"? As part of our planning about how we can better help our clients our strategy guy Jeff put together a list of thoughts on the topic of how should a company say thank you.   Here it is. Sprouter:  Why a Thank You program? It can beat a loyalty program. LinkedIn:  "Marketing and Sales" Group Q&A Customersrock: Thanking makes an impact AML: 18 Ways

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-88254974197965926152011-05-27T07:38:00.000-06:002011-05-27T07:38:10.558-06:00

Does it matter what we call it? Earlier this week I sat on a panel at a Utah AMA event.  One of the questions we fielded was: What's the next big thing in 'social media'?   Now, if any of us on the panel knew the answer, we probably wouldn't have been on the panel - we'd be busy launching it. The point I made was to first throw out the word 'media' and replace it with 'technology'.   The reason

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-69046991773439951362011-05-24T06:18:00.000-06:002011-05-24T06:18:21.983-06:00

What to read on the plane? Just finished Rick Mathieson's books "Branding Unbound" and "On Demand Brand".   Both books cover the world of marketing in a wireless, digital age.   They take the approach of presenting a set of 'rules' of guidelines and then follow them up with interviews with industry players to make the points more personal and interesting.  Fascinated to see the change in the

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-75078380436455311092011-04-05T14:03:00.000-06:002011-04-05T14:03:31.497-06:00

What kind of information do we seek? In order to make a decision we process information from a variety of sources.   Not a terribly earth shattering idea in that statement.  But can we create a framework that helps navigate a world where consumers process a wide variety of information feeds (and I'm being general as opposed to focusing on RSS and the like) in a decidedly non-linear fashion. 

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-15017679060724945332011-03-18T13:21:00.000-06:002011-03-18T13:21:09.849-06:00

Was that red A4 a six speed or an automatic? There are several scenarios where choice is so complicated that we simply can't remember the facts of the options - real estate and buying cars come to mind.   In both scenarios we are usually looking at a collection of things over a period of time while we are out and about.  Since decisions are driven by emotions supported by facts, we need to

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-22702146569612213182011-01-18T14:43:00.000-07:002011-01-18T14:43:34.458-07:00

How fast do customers defect? It is well known in consumer package goods that a repeat rate (or the percent of customers who buy a second time) needs to be in the 40-50% range for a successful product launch.   In other industries the retention rate may be significantly lower - recently saw one where only 1 in 4 customers came back.   The implication is that only a portion of customer

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-64484076950526771082010-09-13T07:44:00.000-06:002010-09-13T07:44:03.547-06:00

Can I change the ads? An interesting by-product of behavioral targeting (BT) is that I get a lot of ads from the same industry.   Over the last couple of years I've worked with clients in the education space - particularly around graduate degrees from for-profit institutions.    The side-effect: I see a tremendous disproportionate number of ads from the likes of GCU, Western Governors, etc.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-51722561760114592492010-08-19T08:11:00.000-06:002010-08-19T08:11:45.231-06:00

Is there a single voice? We often talk about using a single voice and message as a means of conveying a brand to an audience.  This recommendation is based on the argument that we do not want to create dissonance and confuse the market with various and conflicting messages.  But what happens when there are several potential segments, each with their own view of the world and needs?  As an

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-41606445499355843972010-07-14T15:05:00.000-06:002010-07-14T15:05:00.279-06:00

Can we redesign a match-making service for education? In "Fiddler on the Roof" Hodel sings about match-making: Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match, Find me a find, catch me a catch Matchmaker, MatchmakerLook through your book, and make me a perfect match.  In some ways lead generation vendors in the education space think they're a modern day Yenta (the match maker in Fiddler) by offering

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-2552185957525665782010-06-25T10:05:00.000-06:002010-06-25T10:05:45.655-06:00

Why should education institutions hire B2B marketers? I was fortunate to have the opportunity to write two guest posts recently.  The first was for myUsearch and focused on battling the sameness of branding and admissions marketing in the education space.   The second was for Content Marketing Institute that offered a way of segmenting prospects based on their need state using the B2B market as

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-2901249983664380002010-06-21T10:29:00.000-06:002010-06-21T10:29:21.478-06:00

Should we continue to market the vertical stack of degrees? For any given month, they say there are 2 million leads and 100,000 people who will enroll - for a 5% conversion rate.  The historic thinking for growth has been to increase the payout and buy more leads, this in turn funded the tactics used to grow the size of the pool.  The usual focus was on acquisition and taking one's fair share

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-5197779410381314792010-06-16T17:13:00.000-06:002010-06-16T17:13:38.263-06:00

What were we thinking? Walking around the Career College Association convention we had an iPad with a number of short presentations.  They were ways to engage in discussion around some fresh ideas we've been working with and sharing with clients.   Here is a brief summary and links to individual posts where the presentation can be found.   Positioning Programs - a way to look at individual

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-11453364466087936972010-06-16T17:10:00.003-06:002010-06-16T17:14:57.313-06:00

How can we better use the course catalog? Battling Sameness. Once the big three questions are answered (financing, timing, and credit transfer) prospects end up with several schools in their consideration set. And as Seth Godin argues, they all look pretty much the same at this point and it is up to the sales skills of admissions to turn interest into enrollment. Courses and faculty can help

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-16374180964094032502010-06-16T17:10:00.002-06:002010-06-16T17:14:24.470-06:00

How do we use a degree to get a job? Differentiation. We all make the claim that an education leads to a better career. But exactly how does that work? This presentation provides an answer to the question "How Do Prospects Use a Degree?" When a competitive set of programs are plotted according to the specialty of the curriculum and the specialty of the institution four different segments are

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-37342511787398978022010-06-16T17:09:00.001-06:002010-06-16T17:15:55.447-06:00

How do emotional appeals vary by degree level? Fragmentation. All categories splinter into sub-categories, each with its own strategy, audience and market leaders. Eduction is no different. However, all too often the same approach is applied to both the level of degree (Associate, Bachelor, and Master's) and stage of the relationship (inquiry, admissions, and remarketing.) A simple framework

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-63789873703192284122010-06-16T17:08:00.001-06:002010-06-16T17:16:32.296-06:00

What three folders of content do we need? FAQs. Like any high-consideration product, education spawns 1,000+ questions from prospects. To ensure that they are all adequately planned for this presentation introduces a simple way for organizing your content.. All prospect questions can be reduced to three topics: Program - Institutional Placement - Career or job centric People - Social Key

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-87608599380367087112010-06-16T17:07:00.001-06:002010-06-16T17:17:01.741-06:00

How can we use Syllabus-Week as a recruiting tool? They are Different. All the research, both real and anecdotal, suggests that people seeking Master's degrees don't think or behave like other prospects. They tend to be more deliberate in their process and often have a longer time horizon. If Master's Degrees weren't the new black maybe we could get by with traditional marketing. But this

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-11264733553718229672010-06-15T08:12:00.000-06:002010-06-15T08:12:38.724-06:00

How should we tackle new business? Alex Bogusky recently spoke at the Mirren New Business conference.   The two key points from the videos: Cheat by breaking the rules: smart is being different, not the same Make it up 12 hours before the meeting: new is better than a rehash Carrying this forward into the education market; here's my thinking. Don't focus on generating and selling leads to

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-56824684262722137162010-06-14T11:13:00.000-06:002010-06-14T11:13:04.360-06:00

What did we learn walking up and down the aisles? Last week at the "Career College Association" (CCA) conference in Vegas there was a lot of talk about the big three issues: Impending regulations for the inquiry (lead) environment. The risks posed by loan defaults; or the 'new subprime market'. The opportunities created by rising costs and decreasing quality. A decade ago Clay Christensen wrote

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-73320400101193397862010-05-27T10:03:00.000-06:002010-05-27T10:03:02.812-06:00

What happens to intent when one broadcasts loudly? Search and television advertising are often held out as the ends of the communication spectrum - personal and full of intent on one side vs. shouting from the largest platform possible on the other.   But sometimes we get to look at the intersection.   The chart below is for search traffic from Google Trends for "Kaplan University" (a former

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-57586881091475229832010-05-17T08:35:00.000-06:002010-05-17T08:35:17.535-06:00

When was the last time we thought of ourselves as being in the funnel? Joseph Jaffe's "Flip the Funnel" and Seth Godin's "Flipping the Funnel" both make sound arguments for working from the customer outwards - reversing the traditional sales funnel by focusing on customers as fans first. No argument there.  But I for one have never thought about being in a funnel or at some stage of the buying

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-30160226918463356312010-05-09T10:01:00.000-06:002010-05-09T10:01:49.662-06:00

How does a product get on to a prospect's short list? For any given business need a myriad of potential options exist making the potential consideration set too large to manage.  Hyper-choice, or having too many options, creates a kind of paralysis in the decision making process.   So we need to winnow the list down. Since we've moved past the basic need stage of our lives to focus on wants and

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-89752071104537199932010-05-05T07:04:00.003-06:002010-05-05T07:06:38.616-06:00

How does a someone choose a college? The college search and admissions process pretty much ends when a prospect feels like a school is the 'right choice' for them.  While often backed up with facts and figures, this is an emotional decision. Therefore, the institution that builds rapport first usually wins. So how do two common tactics used to start the admissions process differ in terms of

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-43259404045428677922010-04-29T07:27:00.000-06:002010-04-29T07:27:36.109-06:00

How can we improve the marketing of education programs? Seems to me that there is an opportunity to use a course catalog to tell a story to prospective students about what they'll cover and accomplish in a given program.    Too often the really interesting material a college or university has to offer is locked up in a document not really fit for marketing purposes.  A couple of examples: For

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-41491123032161716122010-04-13T10:41:00.000-06:002010-04-13T10:41:41.607-06:00

What do we do with our remarkable content? The success of content marketing programs rests as much on contact strategies as it does on the content itself. In high consideration categories, where the research process is intense and occurs over a period of time, distributing high-value content to high-value contacts requires more than an eblast or a download. In looking around for a framework on

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-30161710172118346862010-04-06T16:14:00.001-06:002010-04-06T16:14:48.792-06:00

Are lead generation and content marketing compatible? Often when discussing 'lead generation' we fall into the trap of thinking that it is about driving traffic to a form.   That is certainly one aspect, but in the grander scheme of things there are other aspects of lead generation.   The following illustrates one way to break down lead generation into various segments based on the business goal

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-60582168660132008482010-03-29T13:12:00.000-06:002010-03-29T13:12:15.281-06:00

How do these industries relate to one another? On one hand we have admissions directors working to help a number of applicants through the process.   On the other we have enterprise technology sales folks trying to help a number of prospects through the process.  While not usually put together in the same sentence, there are some striking common elements from a marketing point of view. Both

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-64055552542876316222010-03-17T16:30:00.000-06:002010-03-17T16:30:31.959-06:00

Note: this is a reprint from an old blog, but a recent conversation brought it back. Two recent projects have allowed us to rethink the notion of ‘demand generation’.   In the usual sense the phrase refers to getting people to take a step toward becoming a customer - become a lead, ask for information or make a purchase.   And in this world people follow the traditional path of awareness,

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-14552369457546338082010-03-15T09:15:00.000-06:002010-03-15T09:15:43.602-06:00

How does it feel to be a marketer these days? Last week I had the opportunity to attend two events - Push Button Summit and #launchup - that showcased some latest things in digital media.   My conclusion - it is impossible to stay abreast of changes and that at my age I'm woefully behind the curve, yet surprisingly tangentially ahead of it in some ways.   The six start-ups that presented at the

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-20806466606493362982010-02-18T17:04:00.002-07:002010-02-24T15:41:20.628-07:00

What's new in chalk art? Here are the results from Flickr for the search 'chalk art'.  This is part of an experiment for showcasing clients' imagery. And using a MediaRSS feed for the photos used on this blog.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-1937885175456169492010-02-05T16:34:00.000-07:002010-02-05T16:34:02.154-07:00

What does it take to get your cake and eat it too? The other day on Seth's Blog a post on "Hunters vs. Farmers" hinted at the dilemma venture capitalists have with companies.  In short: Only hunters can bag the deal + raise money; only farmers can nurture it into a cash crop. For start-ups it isn't hunting and it isn't farming; its both.   Hunting is a short-term, transactional process - I

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-63519107646015238132010-01-28T12:41:00.000-07:002010-01-28T12:41:43.742-07:00

How do these ideas relate? In a recent tweet I made the statement:  The question isn't "What is our social media strategy?" but "How does social media help implement our strategy?" It seems to have touched a nerve with an "amen" and a couple of RTs; so now I have to explain myself.   The above questions apply to any media since the word social is simply a qualifier for a type of media.   Do we

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-33719790218891347472010-01-25T09:37:00.000-07:002010-01-25T09:37:40.590-07:00

Who's the most important member of the team? There has been a lot written about the success or failure of a start-up resting on the shoulders of the CEO.  While the buck stops there, where does it start? For technology companies the marketing function represents the conduit for moving from start-up to business.  As commented on "Cool is not a Strategy"  it is a long way from cool to cash. 

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-87726679370876956922010-01-20T08:54:00.000-07:002010-01-20T08:54:07.251-07:00

Why should cool be banned? Last week I sat through several presentations by start-ups; technical companies working in very different areas.   One phrase in the pitches stuck out like a sore thumb:  'this is cool'.   While cool relates to passion and can sustain a lot of late hours of development, it does not necessarily relate to a sustainable business.  Ok, Apple may have proven that wrong at

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-83610368912431476302010-01-19T09:08:00.000-07:002010-01-19T09:08:18.503-07:00

How do I explain social media? A while ago I wrote a post trying to explain social media using an analogy of bicycles.   Since this concept has found its way into meetings I summarized it in presentation form and posted it on slideshare.   Here it is for those interested in another take: Social Media is a Red Bike View more presentations from Anthony Power.

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-51365804919509589672010-01-17T15:19:00.000-07:002010-01-17T15:19:32.571-07:00

What role does a product fulfill? It's an old saying that customers don't need drills, they need holes.   Simply put, we buy products to increase our personal satisfaction - by either improving the positive or eliminating the negative.   So, we know what we want, but may have difficulty expressing it to

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-4975523364647402162010-01-17T15:17:00.000-07:002010-01-17T15:17:24.121-07:00

What are the biggest challenges for new products? Positioning products, particularly technical ones, requires addressing three key tradeoffs.   1. Omnipotence vs. Versatility:  you can't be all things to all people. 2. Marketing vs. Engineering: you offer features,

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-60871734544088336082010-01-13T16:15:00.006-07:002010-01-13T16:43:44.642-07:00

What should we do next with white papers?The following is excerpted from a position paper I've been nurturing for some time; thought it was about time I shared it. This renewed interest was prompted by a webinar I recently heard on B2B marketing and social media from Tippit.Originating in British Parliament, white papers present an authoritative overview of a particular issue and layout

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-46739085708610194182010-01-13T09:02:00.002-07:002010-01-13T09:23:01.698-07:00

Where is education headed?State-funded education continues to get hammered as budgets are cut. Colleges and universities will be "eating their seed corn" or dipping into the "rainy day" funds. And it's a vicious circle - laying off adjunct professors, which were the solution to the last budget crunch, means limiting enrollment caps, which means people can't get in, they can't take what they

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-13141991570289748202010-01-10T06:54:00.002-07:002010-01-10T07:04:21.919-07:00

What would I tell a CEO?We often talk about social media at the tactical level rather than strategic. So for a recent viewpoint in Utah CEO magazine I tried to relate social media to the business processes where communication was vital: Reputation, Customer Service and Establishing a Brand. But first I had to come up with a definition that was grounded in business rather than technology. And

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-48440644623474386212009-12-28T11:26:00.004-07:002009-12-28T12:06:38.796-07:00

How do we raise the value of a degree?The successful marketing of education relies on understanding the interplay of three different elements.Prospect - the quality(ies) of the applicant pool entering the schoolProgram - the curriculum, both classroom and the intangiblesPlacement - the odds of getting that dream jobThe sweet spot occurs at the intersection of these three Ps. Yet a Catch-22

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-59062405953542209872009-12-16T07:40:00.004-07:002009-12-16T08:07:34.012-07:00

What can we provide each other this season?Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a unique event sponsored by the Community Foundation of Utah - a speed mentoring session. For two hours a variety on non-profits met with entrepreneurs to discuss their needs in a specific area - networking, strategy, fund raising, etc. I was at the marketing table and talked to groups ranging from

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858802.post-12598701966702418052009-12-11T07:25:00.001-07:002009-12-11T07:26:54.302-07:00

What's the difference?strategy: answering why an objective will be mettactic: answering how an objective will met met

anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03842473877753081166noreply@blogger.com0