Kaizen has been a buzzword in the corporate world for decades. It's a Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement and is engrained in the cultures of top companies like Toyota. Volumes have been written on this subject, but simply taken on its surface it's very powerful and inspiring.

E-mail service providers (ESPs) are getting more and more hands on with their clients. Whether it is CheetahMail focusing on its client services, or e-Dialog detailing its role in strategy for each and every e-mail campaign, it seems like the ESP is becoming more like an ad agency for e-mail. Following this note, this week StrongMail Systems UK has announced a new branch of its company called StrongMail Strategic Services.

In my nearly 20 years as an executive recruiter in direct marketing, this is the third economic downturn that I've experi­enced. Recessions are never pleasant, but the good news is that we have never had a recession that isn't temporary. This one too, shall pass.

It is an indisputable fact that new move cre­ates new needs. From new furnishings to home renovations, new movers spend more than the average consumer — 20 times more by some accounts.

With fleeting pay-per-click ROI, marketers need to look beyond what they have done historically. That could include venturing into traffic diversification.

Coupons are back, but with a twist. Instead of clipping, shoppers are clicking. The tried-and-true staple of discount shopping has reinvented itself as a powerful online advertising tool.

I learned many things about consumer marketing at my first circulation job at CBS Publications many years ago. My then-boss, Bob Krefting, taught me most of what I still practice. I best remember his observation that the most difficult task in publishing is determining how to organize a consumer marketing department in a multititle publishing company. All of my experiences since then have reinforced his comment.

In addition to boosting its digital efforts (as reported in DMNews), the Financial Times has upped its print circulation. DMNews caught up with Greg Zorthian, global circulation director of the Financial Times, to discuss circ increases and the role of the Web in the magazine business.

As the latest in a series of steps that has changed the use of video and long-form footage online, Google opened YouTube up to search ads last week, allowing advertisers to tie their com­mercials to specific words entered into YouTube's search box.

The rough economy and tight budgets may force companies to streamline their marketing efforts — and digital becomes very tempting. Our experts prioritize strategies to maximize effectiveness.