Some prognosticators see green shoots of growth beginning to emerge from the long economic winter. Others say the lean times will linger. Most agree, however, that businesses are facing a fundamental 'reset' - markets with profoundly different customer behaviors and internal business models that have been ravaged by quick cost-cutting measures.

When we think of customer advocacy, we often think of what we can do to be an advocate for our customers: How do we find ways to assist them? But what's on my mind here is: What can we do to make our customers become advocates for us?

One positive aspect of challenging times is that it makes us more open to change, to new ways of doing things. As marketers look to fight this economy by maximizing ROI, online retailers, in particular, have an opportunity to tap into potentially lucrative customer segments they may have overlooked. Instead of just spending their efforts and budget to reach customers with the most recent transactions, they can also focus on when customers are most likely to buy next.

Arrests were made last week in the largest data breach case ever - 130 million credit card numbers were stolen earlier this year from five corporate entities. The good news is that the US Department of Justice is on the case. But this was only the latest in a long line of data fraud incidents.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) triggered a media storm by announcing that, in its opinion, carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases do indeed threaten public health and welfare by contributing to negative climate change. The organization has suggested imposing environmental rules on business, but opponents have been vocal about the effect these might have on the economy.

While the recent Red Sox-Yankees series results were depressing for me and other Sox fans, it did give me an excuse to check out the newly built Yankee Stadium for the first time. In addition to being stunned by the skyline views from the new field, I was struck by how much has changed when it comes to sponsorships during the ol' ballgame. And these changes highlight how much direct marketing is driving all ad partnerships taking place today.

When we think of customer advocacy, we often think of what we can do to be an advocate for our customers: how do we find ways to assist them? But what's on my mind here is: what can we do to make our customers become advocates for us?

Every marketer's dream is to know as much as possible about a consumer to improve brand image and generate sales. But when do consumers think we have "gone too far" in tracking their behavior? A growing number believe their every click of a mouse, swipe of a card or call on their cell phone is being recorded and sold to the highest bidder. And ... in some instances, they aren't too far off the mark.

Since the '90s, the sofware-as-a-service (SaaS) model has been applied to many categories of software, including customer relationship management and marketing automation tools. But applications are just part of the story for a new "network-empowered" direct marketing industry. Beyond software, marketing data and lists can also be delivered using an on-demand model.

As consumers become more cautious with their spending, some companies are trying to lure them back into stores with rebate offers. These offers have recently come under increased scrutiny as states pass new rebate laws and regulators challenge companies who fail to comply.