Great Interesting Read: Drake Morton

By Thom Forbes , March 24, 2008

Recessions Are Great Times To Be In Marketing

Ad Age
Previous recessions have spawned the brand-management system, soap operas, modern cable networks, airline loyalty programs, the IBM personal computer, the iPod, Crest Whitestrips, Axe body spray and–for better or worse–fast-food value menus.

Recessions also have been fertile ground for some retail chains. Home Depot opened its first two stores near Atlanta just before a recession in 1979. But today’s marketers don’t know much about marketing through recessions–or how good they have it when things feel so bad.

Marketers should draw lessons from such examples of charging ahead despite recession, says Ed Rensi, former CEO of McDonald’s USA through the early 1990s recession. Unfortunately, he says, companies usually do just the opposite. They cut staff, which he says leaves those left behind overworked and risk-averse. And they cut marketing, which props up profits short term but erodes market share down the road. (more…)

 More Search Marketing Strategies

For The Next Decade

THE emergence of search-as-research, one of several growing practice areas that will reshape search engine marketing over the coming years. This column, part three of a four part series, examines ways search marketers are getting smarter about measuring success, and the implications this trend has on search marketing strategies in the future.

(more…)

Hulu is the new iTunes, but for TV!

Posted March 20th, 2008 by KellyI’m excited…I’ve talked about in the past how I really like watching my favorite television shows online. I think it’s very convenient (especially for those of us who do not have a DVR) and the commercials are far from obnoxious.

I had a friend of mine tell me about hulu.com and I thought it was really interesting, but it wasn’t until I read an article on the website that reminded me to check it out. Well, needless to say, I love it!

(more…)

Brand Advertising on Game Sites

Performs Best With Women Over 45

According to a recent newsletter from Dynamic Logic, analysis from their MarketNorm database shows that Consumer Product advertisements on Gaming sites tend to perform much better among women ages 45+ compared with younger females. And this is not a small audience, says the report. 8.3 million women ages 45+ say they access the Internet to play online games, according to Focalyst from Millward Brown.
(more…)

Recommended Reading by: Drake Morton

Awareness, Engagement And Sentiment —

The New Measures of Search?

by Chris Copeland , Friday, March 21, 2008

ANYONE WHO HAS DEALT with Google knows that one of the unwavering points of view coming from Mountain View and beyond is that if the system is working for you, there should never be a cap on what you should spend. The rationale goes that if you are able to hit your metrics using Google, then you should constantly have 100% share of voice — and the checkbook should remain open while they hand you the pen to put your signature in place, leaving it to them to fill in the amount. As a direct response vehicle, it is a difficult position to argue. If you need to sell 1 million widgets and do it at a given cost per widget sold, and Google can deliver, that, then why stop the pipe? The company has even developed a new system that spends any leftover budget as the system sees fit to help out advertisers in this cause. (more…)

Excellent Read: Drake Morton

Irrelevant Ads Breed

Turned-Off Consumers

by David Szetela , Thursday, March 20, 2008

In a recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, Esther Dyson described the growing irrelevance of traditional online ads, and the growing importance of advertising on social networks. She contended that Internet users have become inattentive to ads due to their lack of relevance to site visitors (so-called “banner fatigue”). She also predicted that someday (soon?) people will be able to “friend” advertisers and only see their ads — or offers tailored to the information users have chosen to supply — on pages of specific sites they visit. (more…)

Drake Morton recommended read:

More Search Marketing Strategies

For The Next Decade

THE emergence of search-as-research, one of several growing practice areas that will reshape search engine marketing over the coming years. This column, part three of a four part series, examines ways search marketers are getting smarter about measuring success, and the implications this trend has on search marketing strategies in the future.

(more…)

New Media An Important

Place To Be Seen

The most recent BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Survey shows that, while traditional media still rank on top in the influence of purchases, many are declining in influence and some are showing double digit losses over the previous year. At the same time, says the study, many new media options are showing double digit growth. For example, when compared to a year ago, Instant Messaging and Blogging experienced double digit growth for purchase influence of electronics while Broadcast TV and Cable showed a double digit decline.

Not only is influence of new media growing, it is much more influential among minority groups, says the report. Influence of new media is higher for Hispanics and African Americans across all new media forms compared to all adults. Alternatively, influence of new media for Caucasians is lower than the general market for all types.

(more…)

The strategy of e-Mail Content: Excellent Read, Drake Morton

Strategy Behind e-Mail Content

When To Write Long Emails

by Cynthia Edwards , Monday, March 10, 2008

LONG COPY HAS BEEN THE stock-in-trade of advertising writers since Gutenberg first made type move. Like top salespeople, writers know that given a chance to flex their verbal muscles, they can mesmerize their prospects and close many a deal. “The more you tell, the more you sell” was a mantra of the direct marketers of yore.
(more…)

Do You Understand Your Audience?

 According to a report from The Media Audit, adults who are nearing retirement are now one of the fastest growing demographics in the country. 17.9% of all U.S. adults are now retired, a figure that has increased by 6% in the last five years and will rapidly increase as Boomers exit the workforce over the next few decades.

(more…)