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 CRM/database

Social marketers: May the salesforce be with you

November 30, 2011

At the CloudForce customer event today in New York City, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said his company was "born cloud and reborn social." But clever-speak aside, the Social Marketing Cloud unveiled at CloudForce is pretty darned cool.
 

Oracle agrees to acquire Endeca

October 19, 2011

Database company Oracle entered into an agreement on Oct. 18 to acquire data management and Web commerce company Endeca Technologies.
 

Alterian cofounders resign due to 'recent failures'

October 14, 2011

Michael Talbot, president and cofounder of marketing technology company Alterian, resigned effective Oct. 14. Research and development director and cofounder Timothy McCarthy also resigned and non-executive directors Hugh McCartney and Iain Johnston have stepped down from the board.
 

Q&A: Ragini Bhalla, director of marketing and communications at Fantasy Interactive

September 28, 2011

Ragini Bhalla, director of marketing and communications at digital agency Fantasy Interactive, discusses her new role and how building loyalty online differs from offline channels.
 

Looking outside your industry to keep customers inside your organization

Linda Armstrong, EVP and practice leader, DMW Direct September 28, 2011

Look to competitors and companies outside of your industry to develop enhanced customer experiences.
 

Infogroup sues Gupta's new firm over trade secrets

September 20, 2011

Infogroup has accused founder and former CEO and Chairman Vinod Gupta of stealing confidential company information and using it to develop a client base for his competitive startup Database101. Infogroup also claims Gupta is marketing this venture in a way that makes it appear associated with Infogroup.
 

Kellogg picks Epsilon for CRM, database work

August 23, 2011

Kellogg Co. has selected Alliance Data Systems subsidiary Epsilon to build a real-time customer-preference management system and a classic database and to execute email deployment.
 

Q&A: Andrew Marcus, Media One CEO

August 10, 2011

Andrew Marcus, CEO of Media One, a direct marketing company with a focus on email and postal lists, discusses campaign marketing and why he thinks lists prices won't return to 2007 levels.
 

Merkle taps Beckwith as Dell team lead

August 08, 2011

CRM agency Merkle has named Cyndie Beckwith VP and client team lead for its Dell Americas account. In the new position, she will report to Scott Cone, SVP and GM of Merkle's client leadership group, and lead a team of 15 to 20 marketers.
 

Q&A: Jason Mittelstaedt, CMO of RightNow

July 20, 2011

Jason Mittelstaedt, CMO of RightNow, a customer experience management (CEM) technology company, explains the distinction between CRM and CEM and why social media may never be a platform for direct marketing.
 

MRM Americas combined with McCann Salt Lake City

July 07, 2011

McCann Worldgroup subsidiary MRM Worldwide has combined its Americas operation with McCann Erickson Salt Lake City (McCann SLC). The move will result in a single operating unit with more than 1,200 North American employees across disciplines including digital, creative, marketing and CRM.
 

Tasti D-Lite selects Engage121 as its social CRM platform provider

June 29, 2011

Frozen dessert company Tasti D-Lite has selected Engage121 as its social CRM platform provider as the company expands globally.
 

Citigroup targeted in latest customer data breach

June 09, 2011

Citigroup said June 9 that it recently discovered an unauthorized person hacked the files of about 1% of its Citi North America bank card accounts.
 

Q&A: Liz Deutch, EVP and global director of customer engagement, Draftfcb

June 08, 2011

Liz Deutch, EVP and global director of customer engagement at Draftfcb, discusses her new position at the agency and the difference between customer engagement and CRM with Direct Marketing News. Deutch's career has spanned more than two decades, including roles with Ogilvy & Mather Direct, Ammirati and Puris, Enfatico and Young & Rubicam Brands (Y&R Brands).
 

Hearst, DMA launch second analytics challenge

Michael Corso May 31, 2011

Hearst Magazines and the Direct Marketing Association will launch the second annual "Hearst Challenge" on June 1. The media company will give a $25,000 prize to the entrant who can best build a model to predict whether a consumer will open or click through an email promotion.
 

Switch in list strategy reduces Eloqua's bouncebacks, improves response

May 25, 2011

It's rare that a b-to-b company sees fewer email bouncebacks and higher conversion rates without implementing a new product and/or service provider. But that's exactly what happened when Eloqua, a Vienna, VA.-based revenue performance management technology provider, decided to supplement its old marketing models with a newer, more original technique.
 

Salesforce.com revenue, marketing expenses, up in fiscal Q1

May 19, 2011

Salesforce.com reported $504.3 million in revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, a 34% year-over-year increase. The company saw $254 million in sales and marketing expenses in the period, a 46% increase compared with fiscal Q1 2011.
 

Consumer word-of-mouth activity down since start of recession: Colloquy

Michael Corso May 19, 2011

Consumers have cut back significantly on sharing opinions about companies, as well as their products and services, since the beginning of the "Great Recession," according to research from Colloquy. Fifty-eight percent of consumers said they have discussions with family members, friends and colleagues about the brands they use, down from 73% in 2008, according to the loyalty marketing consultancy.
 

Harte-Hanks DM revenue grows in Q1, but overall earnings flat

April 28, 2011

Harte-Hanks' first-quarter direct marketing revenue increased 4.9% to $141.1 million, compared with Q1 2010, while direct marketing operating income declined 5.2% year-over-year to $16 million. The San Antonio, Texas-based company reported flat overall revenue in the quarter, growing 0.1% to $200.3 million compared with Q1 2010, on April 28.
 

Slow recovery doesn't hurt analytics growth: Gartner

April 20, 2011

Technology service providers earned $1.65 billion in revenue from analytics applications last year, a 17.7% increase compared with 2009, according to a Gartner report. Analytics revenue will increase 10.5% in the next five years, according to the research firm.
 

Don't neglect the R in CRM

Neil Rosen, founder and CEO, eWayDirect April 13, 2011

The advent of group discount sites, search engines, auction sites and product review sites have eroded brand loyalty and made it more difficult for marketers to maintain strong customer relationships.
 

Alterian CEO Eldridge resigns

April 04, 2011

Alterian CEO David Eldridge resigned April 4 as the company warned investors that revenue will fall 10% below market expectations for the year ending March 31. Iain Johnston, who has served as non-executive director since 1997, will become deputy chairman and run the firm's day-to-day operations.
 

Salesforce.com to acquire Radian6

March 30, 2011

Salesforce.com has agreed to acquire social media monitoring platform provider Radian6 for $276 million in cash and $50 million in stock, the company said March 30. Radian6's technology will allow Salesforce.com to monitor, analyze and track conversations for its clients across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and online communities.
 

Gartner CRM lead management report predicts an improving business landscape, rates top companies

March 29, 2011

The lead management industry appears to be accelerating, according to a recent Gartner study. Find out which lead management companies are the most and least promising.
 

Merkle buys search marketing firm Impaqt

March 29, 2011

Merkle, a customer relationship marketing agency, has acquired search marketing firm Impaqt. The acquisition, completed March 25, will allow Merkle to incorporate Impaqt's search marketing capabilities into its database and digital offerings.
 

Q&A: Martha Bush, SVP of strategy and marketing, Sigma Marketing Group

March 23, 2011

Martha Bush, SVP of strategy and marketing at Sigma Marketing Group, a direct and digital services firm, discusses the importance of platform integration and why enhanced customer data will hurt direct mail. Bush has worked in the direct marketing industry for nearly three decades, including more than 18 years at Sigma.
 

Integrate marketing automation, sales force automation and e-mail marketing

Kristin Hambelton, VP of marketing, Neolane March 23, 2011

In a world inundated with communication, everything we do creates a data point. But, the reality is, your company probably doesn't use information as effectively as it could.
 

Salesforce.com CEO says databases should be cloud-based, allow for social interactions

March 03, 2011

Databases and CRM platforms must harness the same social interactions that consumers have on Facebook and Twitter, said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com, in his keynote address at the company's March 3 Cloudforce 2011 event.
 

IAB launches data collection council

February 28, 2011

The Interactive Advertising Bureau expanded its data use and control task force into a permanent "data council" on February 28. The group will address the collection and use of consumer data and related issues. IAB will launch initiatives through the group to educate marketers and agencies about data gathering, and to clarify what kinds of data can be collected through media buying.
 

VC firms not deterred by Do Not Track speculation: report

February 25, 2011

The very real possibility of federal Do Not Track regulation may have many marketers worried, but venture capitalists are still investing in online tracking and targeted advertising, according to a report in 'The Wall Street Journal.'