My SOS to the USPS
While it seems that mail delivery on Saturdays is going the way of Like Cola, cassette tapes, and Sport magazine, let me make a last plea to Postmaster General John Potter. Are you absolutely sure you...
View ArticleAA drives differentiation and competitive advantage
I’d suggest that we look at how Advanced Analytics, or AA, benefits and supports those organizations that use “it.” So, rather than define AA simply as optimization, predictive modeling, forecasting,...
View ArticleCommentary: WSJ Article About Mobile Phone Makers
I sent this WSJ article (link here:http://goo.gl/esPmA) around to my teammates Tuesday morning and wanted to share with you, our blog reader. As a user, I’m not sure that I’d welcome intrusive ads...
View ArticleReports of direct mail’s death are grossly exaggerated.
One of our retail clients had become so committed to digital marketing, they are just now re-gaining sight of the real challenge, that consumer behavior is really fragmented right now. Here is a topic...
View ArticleTelematics: Finding the balance of safety and convenience
Last month, within the span of 30 minutes, I was able to purchase tickets for a San Diego Chargers game, buy my mom a Kindle for Christmas, set my fantasy football lineup, make reservations at my...
View ArticleThe Year Ahead in Social Media
In recent days, I’ve been increasingly asked what the 2011 trends will be in social media as various experts offer up their perspectives. Rather than talk about specific channels or the social...
View Article2011 Trend – Letting Consumers Take the Wheel
At a recent marketing conference, legendary marketer Bob Thacker jokingly stated when he arrived at OfficeMax the marketing budget was so low, he concluded the only way they could afford to get their...
View ArticleWill 2011 be the year of real conversations?
The common water cooler talk these days seems to be “what do you think will happen this year” or as I call it the “what bright shinny object will you chase?” Over the years I’ve learned that I don’t...
View ArticleEmail and Social. Social and Email.
The debate raged in 2010 about the relevancy of email in an increasingly social world. You saw popular brands like Ben and Jerry’s supposedly declare an end to their email programs. If email has...
View ArticleBreaking Insight: WSJ Tackles Social Influence
Today’s WSJ examines one of the core foundations of word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing (article here: goo.gl/uz6iG) – identify and engage those people who exert the most influence on other consumers to...
View ArticleThe Death of Email?!
When I was asked (by email I might point out) to write this post in response to a recent report that web-based email use was “declining” (http://goo.gl/abj8S), I joked that I wasn’t sure how to respond...
View ArticleSo you think you’re ready for an email newsletter?
A common refrain during the last two years has been “we need to stay in touch with our (fill in the blank).” This is often immediately followed by another frequent euphemism, “let’s repurpose...
View ArticleAre You Relevant?
In these times, it doesn’t take much to delete a message, toss it in the garbage, unsubscribe, etc… Triage is happening from multiple places, 24×7. As a marketer, you only have a few precious moments...
View ArticleSocial Media: Top Free Tools
Late last week I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion about the ROI of social media with senior marketers from Discover, Alberto Culver, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network, Action for...
View ArticleWhy WOM Matters to Businesses
We’re excited about the progress we’ve been making in introducing new strategies, approaches and capabilities to Aspen’s social marketing function in recent months. I’m often asked what makes Aspen...
View ArticleWe’re Expanding!
Aspen is expanding it’s North American headquarters outside Chicago to house around 600 employees. The official groundbreaking began this morning as our CEO, Pat O’Rahilly, spoke before gathered...
View ArticleThe Case Against Klout. Usually.
Last week’s announcement that Facebook pages could now have VIP-only sections (article here: goo.gl/Mnuar) accessible to those only with a certain Klout score has already caused some of our clients to...
View ArticleDoes “above the fold” still apply for email?
Over the last 10+ years of email marketing , there were several rules you could always count on: - Subject lines are the key - Make sure you blend text and images - Keep your key content above...
View ArticleFirst Read: Facebook Video Calls
This afternoon’s announcement about video calls on Facebook will likely produce a wave of positive news as some social media experts will focus only on the likely jump in the amount of time people will...
View ArticleEmail That’s Smart
Email is the juggernaut of the digital messaging systems…period. Recently, a lot has been published about email’s decline, aging user base, and more. Social media and texting have their place for...
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