As a nation obsessed with imparting big, bold monikers on everything, can we not do better than Generation Z for today's teens and tweens?
A poorly named content marketing tactic similar to a print advertorial that lives "natively" within a publisher's online editorial content.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese's "Dinner, Not Art" initiative has one aim in mind: to help people create lovely macaroni art without putting a single noodle to waste.
Creating buzz and building engagement in the B2C world takes many forms. In B2B, it's all about content marketing.
The secrets to a brand gaining digital "all-star" status are the think multichannel, collaborate cross-functionally, and take creative risks.
At first blush, The Body Shop and Bath & Body Works homepages have little to distinguish one from the other—but it's a similarity that's only skin deep.
"Nothing's more important than your clubs" is a tagline designed to resonate with golf enthusiasts, the core target of BBDO New York's recent campaign for FedEx.
Kevin Drew Davis, executive creative director at Digitas Chicago and San Francisco, on top digital trends and why traditional media's not fading.
The president race is an epic brand and marketing battle being waged by two warring forces for market supremacy.
Today, auto manufacturers are incorporating elements such as social media contests and outreach to distinguish their respective brands.
Škoda España was on a hunt for the biggest pile of junk in Spain this spring as part of its "Change My Car" campaign.
Pizza chain Little Caesars enlisted its new AOR to deliver a saucy integrated campaign that instructs customers not to do exactly what the brand does want them to do.
It is with heated defiance that Monica Menghini insists: "I'm not a geek."
Voyeurism meets interactivity in IKEA's "In the Kitchen" initiative, a digital effort that uses entertainment to demonstrate the practical nature of an IKEA kitchen.
Italian motorcycle company Moto Guzzi put a new spin on the 90-year-old brand's online presence with a revamped social hubsite.
Stewart Krull, EVP and executive creative director at Atmosphere Proximity, reveals his favorite apps and explains why a CMO's job just got harder.
Behavioral targeting can be a highly effective marketing asset when customer data is used wisely, not wildly.
Internet marketing is a two-step forward, one-step back process largely built on trial and error.
Webinars are a good source of leads for many marketers, especially in B2B—but they also have their fair share of challenges.
Marketers are increasingly focusing on making rewards relevant, varied, and alluring enough to keep individuals coming back to play.
Consumers who watch videos online are valuable to advertisers, Hulu and YouTube marketing executives claim.
Pepsi Next teamed up with Funny or Die to create video skits featuring its Facebook fans tasting its new low-calorie cola beverage.
Marketo CEO Phil Fernandez answers our questions about the future of marketing.
B-to-g marketers use social media just like many other marketers do. It's all a matter of targeting and fostering relationships — not solely sales.
If you can't bring the 19-to-29-year-old demographic to the mountain — then give them an unbeatable deal that will.
LBS and QR codes leave an impression on the mobile marketing landscape.
Location-based technology and QR codes are in heavy rotation at the Ford Motor Company.
While Facebook's and Twitter's recent changes caught some marketers off guard, others are embracing them and getting creative.
There's not a bag big enough to dispose of the Glad Products Company's recent social venture.
Peugeot Panama's Pinterest game sounds fun and enticing enough, but it's nearly impossible to figure out.
UNICEF's #SahelNOW campaign is well-intentioned, but a carbon copy of Kony 2012.
The social media campaign surrounding The Hunger Games movie was about as cool and integrated as marketing campaigns can be.
Facebook's plan for a $5 billion initial public offering (IPO) has the potential to change Facebook's advertising structure.
McDonald's learned the hard way that social network campaigns take away their ability to control the message.
The Toyota "It's a car!" Facebook campaign features promotional videos, an interactive game and a trunk-full of awful jokes.
The celebrity-studded "Aid Still Required" online outreach campaign partnered with Internet giving social platform Snoball.com to raise online funds for the ongoing disaster
For users who give Heineken access to their Facebook profiles, the brand's highly original "Serenade" app allows them to craft personalized love songs.
Dell strives to better target its customers and market its brand.
The "Bring Your Own Friends" campaign from IKEA USA gave back to its customers while at the same time raised money for charity. Who can beat that?
New and expecting moms can track regional flu activity with ads from mobile apps.
Pete Gombert, CEO of the local marketing operations company Balihoo, discusses the need for digital and social marketing to be properly targeted.
Do you have questions about targeting? We know you do — and you're in luck! We're turning our Twitter feed (@DMNews) over to experts in the field.
Steve Grant, new head of strategy for the digital and creative agency Modea, discusses how this small agency is taking on some its biggest competitors, and what he believes is the future of branding.
Named CMO of radio giant Clear Channel's digital business in December, Bob Stohrer discusses his goals in the new position and how integrating Clear Channel's digital streaming platform iHeart with Facebook adds a second layer of targeting.
Pete Deutschman, founder and chief buddy of digital agency The Buddy Group, predicts that text campaigns will diminish in 2012, or as he calls it, the Year of Google.
Nick Swinmurn, founder of Zappos.com, discusses his newest venture, Rnkd, and the power of social media commerce.
Deborah Holland has seen the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol surprise sweepstakes winners countless times. But after more than 30 years with the company, Holland, the EVP of creative strategy, communications and consumer affairs, finds the emotional exchange no less compelling today than when she first walked through the doors of PCH's Port Washington, N.Y. headquarters in 1979.
Marketing experts agree that gamification drives powerful and prolonged consumer engagements. But is the technology too new to invest in?
These apps do the trick when it comes to interactive gamification.
At Fitness Magazine, insight is the driver that propels and informs every new initiative.
Ryon Harms, Farmers Insurance director of social media, says people want to connect with faces, not products, on Facebook.
Mobile advertising is a fragmented market, with sketchy data on ad network market share and revenue.
Online display advertising sellers are circling the wagons to reassert their position in a crowded market and fend off the swelling role of third parties, such as ad networks and demand-side platforms.
This month's meter gauges: Mountain Dew, Procter & Gamble, Denny's and the Publishers Clearing House.
Since rebranding as Modify Watches in October of last year the company has faced an identity crisis: Are its consumers taste-making 15-year-old sneaker enthusiasts or hip 60-year-old women?
Clara Shih, CEO and cofounder of social marketing firm Hearsay Social and author of The Facebook Era, discusses data and privacy on Facebook and what could come of Amazon integrating with the social media behemoth.
John Noe, Rokkan's CEO, discusses the relationship between brands' websites and Facebook pages.
There is a piece of real estate in the digital world that has been around since the advent of the LCD screen on cell phones that nobody has yet figured out. Let's call it the "M-Spot," as in the "most valuable piece of digital real estate on the planet" spot.
Contextual targeting. Behavioral targeting. Search retargeting. Targeting specific consumer sectors has become table stakes in combating banner blindness.
This month's meter gauges the launch of restaurant chain Pei Wei Asian Diner's Caramel Chicken entrée; a Universal Pictures scavenger hunt to promote its flick "Tower Heist;" Heinz's "Get Well Soon" campaign; and Sara Lee Deli's "Life's Not Perfect ... But Your Deli Meat Can Be" Facebook push.
Given the Justin Bieber-level hysteria that typically accompanies the debut of a new Apple product, SquareTrade, a warranty provider for consumer electronics products, saw a marketing opportunity in the October launch of Apple's iPhone 4S.
Don Kennedy, SVP of network sales at AOL Advertising, discusses how advertisers are dealing with oversaturation in the display advertising landscape and how online publishers are dealing with remnant inventory challenges.
Amusement park Six Flags Great America in Chicago is now using text-to-win mobile campaigns in May as a way to incentivize teenage consumers to opt in to its consumer database.
Four months after WPP launched audience buying company Xaxis, CEO Brian Lesser discusses the firm's position in a crowded marketplace and what Xaxis has planned over the next year.
Digital or die. That's become the watchword of print brands, urgently harnessing the latest innovations — from social media platforms to smartphones to the iPad — to refashion their businesses for a new media age.
Michael Stromer, director of e-commerce and interactive marketing at JetBlue Airways, says his company takes a conservative in-flight approach.
Perhaps the biggest mistake direct marketers make is creating great campaigns that drive traffic to terrible websites. A brand may overspend on customer acquisition when really it is facing a conversion issue.
Bloomingdale's is betting that consumers will find taking a photo with a Playboy bunny more exciting than filling out a printed sweepstakes entry in a store. It is one of the latest brands to use augmented reality to spice up a contest.
Last year, Old Spice scored with spokesman Isaiah Mustafa and a campaign that generated more YouTube views than Obama's victory speech. Now, the brand pits Mustafa against a new character, Fabio, who challenges him to a duel for the "Old Spice Man" title.
The Federal Trade Commission's proposed revisions to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act could open the door to broader online advertising implications.
Neil Perry, president of video advertising firm Poptent, discusses how marketers are experimenting with online video ads and why mobile remains the format's frontier.
Specialty retailer Golfsmith had deployed a "hands-off" approach of "broadcasting questions," says Golfsmith's Internet marketing specialist Scott Magee, but now the retailer employs its Facebook page to benefit its marketing partners and broaden its consumer base.
Just like the smartphone before it, tablets are officially here to stay. Tablet penetration is expected to triple this year and double again next year, so smart brands are giving careful consideration to this new format.
Ed Kaczmarek, director of innovation and consumer experiences at Kraft Foods, explains mobile engagement's impact.
Chevrolet is one company putting a fresh spin on the stalwart direct marketing tactic of online sweepstakes by asking consumers to play a game before entering.
Cheer mixed Australian band Strange Talk's "Climbing Walls" music video with measurable interactive elements. Consumers could click on items featured in the video for a chance to win prizes such as clothes, a Fender Stratocaster guitar or an Apple iPod.
Direct Marketing News talked with Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of holding company WPP Group, on Sept. 20 after he spoke at the "Brasil Inc. 2011" event in New York.
The musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" boosted ticket sales by more than $50,000 through a video contest on Facebook.
Riley Gibson, CEO and cofounder of Napkin Labs, discusses how brands are using the "crowd-sourcing platform" to conduct loose-format focus groups.
While consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers have not embraced digital marketing strategies as quickly as marketers in other sectors, that looks poised to change.
Since 2008, Rubbermaid has been using social commerce service provider Bazaarvoice's Ratings & Reviews program, which allows customers to comment and post reviews of the company's products on its site, as well as syndication of the reviews to retailer sites like Walmart.com.
Scott Symonds, GM of media, search and analytics at AKQA, says online video has vast growth potential.
Just a few years ago, many client requests were rather generic, buzzword-driven inquiries like, "What's up with mobile?" or "I want to build a social presence." Today, clients are smarter and looking to improve their ROI beyond the novelty stage to extract real, tangible value from their digital strategies.
Chevrolet doesn't buy the stereotype that video gamers hole up their mom's basement and pedal to the comic-book store on their sister's pink bike.
Offerpop works with clients to build social marketing applications that can be used on Facebook and Twitter to build brand awareness and sell products and deals through social media.
Student lender Sallie Mae needed to attract college students' attention over the summer and maintain their interest into the fall semester. It launched a sweepstakes this summer where students are throughout the entire year: Facebook.
Teresa Jeffry, who heads AOL's retail industry practice, discusses how retailers are plotting their holiday display advertising campaigns.
Stephanie Miller, VP of email and digital services with Aprimo, discusses factors including campaign management, audience segmentation, customization and an investment in technology to make your email campaign pay off.
Bill Young, managing director of EA Ready, says mobile and social gaming platforms offer more opportunities for advertisers than consoles.
The staff behind YouBeauty.com wanted to debut the site on July 1 with an established readership. After beta launching with a Facebook page and a social network sweepstakes in January, the site had 15,000 Facebook fans and a mailing list of more than 10,000 consumers by its launch.
The marketers at UK-based online travel retailer On The Beach thought Facebook ads would be a great way to promote their holiday deals, but were not getting the results they wanted.
Business-to-government marketers must beware the bulk. Direct mail no longer headlines the b-to-g marketing mix. These days, print performs as a role player, supplementing a more integrated strategy that pivots on digital channels
The ability to directly attribute a TV ad's conversion path has long eluded marketers, despite TV advertising taking the lion's share of many brand's marketing budgets. However, companies such as HTC Corp. and PepsiCo are lighting that path by using apps for consumers' mobile devices.
Intel Corp. and Toshiba America Information Systems debuted "Inside," a "social film project" that allowed consumers to be part of a short film starring Emily Rossum. The companies are encouraging consumers to interact with the film's protagonist, who is trapped in a room with only her laptop, through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Government-driven marketing pivots on engagement. Because the process to attain a government contract can take longer than 12 months, b-to-g companies have increasingly adopted digital marketing as a means to remain top-of-mind with their targets.
Traci Gentry, VP of marketing at Bic USA, says how her company mines its social media pages for inspiration.
To make communications relevant, marketers need information about each customer's preferences and interests. But where do you get this information? How do you coax customers to give it to you? A well thought-out preference center can make all the difference across all channels.
When streaming music service Spotify launched in the US on July 14, it tapped social analytics company Klout—as well as large brands such as Chevrolet and Coca-Cola—to gin up awareness. Klout cofounder and CEO Joe Fernandez tells 'Direct Marketing News' that the company plans to expand its capabilities to one day help marketers track social media ROI, as it did with Spotify.
Live event venue Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater wanted to distinguish itself from competing locations in concert-crazy Austin, Texas. The venue held its first concert in February, but a rock show in mid-June showcased its digital capabilities.
Company of the week R2C GroupR2C creates, produces, distributes and measures messages that inspire and compel consumers to do something with a brand to drive commercial advantage. The full-service advertising agency specializes in creative, production, media, analytics and performance. |
What's in our mailbox this month: fitness postcards from Retro Fitness, American Woman Fitness Centers, Union's United Taekwondo Academy, and Bally Total Fitness. (We're totally pumped.)
Social data can improve a brand's bottom line and customer relationships. Just ask brands Infiniti and Diamond Nexus.
Here are three must-have data sets that every marketer should include in his or her email strategy.
