Technology marketers need to realign to make marketing departments accountable for revenue rather than just lead generation, as is often the case, according to a report published this week from Forrester Research. The report, called "Lead-To-Revenue Management Transforms Tech Marketing," revealed that generating more leads and improving those leads to better reach decisionmakers are among the top priorities for b-to-b marketers.
Online consumer holiday spending increased 12% compared with last year to $28.4 billion, according to digital business analytics firm comScore which measured spending up to December 22. It will hit $35 billion at its current pace, easily topping last year's total of $29.1 billion.
The US Postal Service said December 21 that it will ease its rules on simplified addressing to allow businesses to use the format for city delivery routes. The agency said the move will help it raise revenue and save small businesses money.
Senior marketing executives expect to see an increase in mergers and acquisitions next year, especially in the social, mobile and analytics sectors, according to AdMedia Partners. The firm released its annual M&A survey December 15.
Marketers reported spending increases last quarter, according to the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Quarterly Business Review. It was the first time in more than a year they've done so.
Ad spending forecasts from ZenithOptimedia and Group M are calling for healthy growth in 2011, especially in digital advertising, despite the spotty economic recovery in the US.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a new bill aimed at helping the Postal Service regain its financial footing, and upped the ante that some sort of bill to fix the Postal Service's legacy costs might pass in the New Year. The Senate now has two bills to reform the Postal Service to consider. Collins' bill comes on the heels of a comprehensive postal reform bill introduced by Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE), and chairman of the the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and Information Technology.
The US Postal Service filed a brief with a federal court on November 23, appealing the Postal Regulatory Commission's September decision to block the USPS from enacting an "exigent" rate increase in 2011.
The US Postal Service and its largest employee union, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), have agreed to extend contract negotiations until December 1. This is the second time the parties have agreed to extend talks on a new contract. Their previous deal was set to expire November 20.
The US Postal Service is planning to improve the customer experience as part of its broader effort to create new revenue sources, postal officials said November 17 at a Mailers Technical Advisory Committee meeting.
The US Postal Service relaunched its how-to direct mail website delivermagazine.com on November 16. The updated site, a companion to the USPS' print magazine on direct mail and multichannel marketing, Deliver, features a simplified layout and a downloadable smartphone application.
Juanita James, VP and chief marketing and communications officer at Pitney Bowes, announced her retirement from the company on November 15.
Postmaster General John Potter will retire December 3 after nearly a decade as the US Postal Service's leader. Patrick Donahoe, currently the deputy postmaster general and COO of the USPS, will succeed him.
Global advertising spending continues to improve, even among print media, but television and the Internet are still leading the industry out of the recession, according to a revised forecast from ZenithOptimedia.
Internet advertising spending set new records during the second quarter of 2010, helped by spikes in display advertising, according to a tally from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Groupon, a deal-of-the-day online coupon site, is offering bargains to consumers and profitable deals for most businesses, but many firms still have mixed feelings about the service, according to a study by Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business.
The US Postal Service could fully meet its financial obligations, extinguish debt and have substantial cash flow if Congress rectifies the organization's possible overfunding of its pension and retiree healthcare funds, the USPS' Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in a summary report.
Marketers and IT professionals should both embrace new digital marketing technologies to acquire, maintain and enhance customer relationships and increase revenue, according to a report from the CMO Council and consulting firm Accenture.
Marketers and business groups praised the Postal Regulatory Commission's decision to unanimously reject the Postal Service's request to raise rates above the rate of inflation. The PRC decided September 30 that the USPS failed to justify its request for a 5.6% average increase.
The Postal Regulatory Commission this morning unanimously denied the US Postal Service's request to enact "exigent" price increases in 2011. The regulatory body said the USPS failed to justify an average 5.6% rate increase.
The US Postal Service saw a net loss of nearly $1.6 billion in August, and a $7.7 billion net loss for the first 11 months of its 2010 fiscal year.
Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) introduced a bill September 23 that would allow the US Postal Service to reduce the number of its home delivery days, close unnecessary post offices, and open less-expensive retail outlets or automated kiosks in grocery stores and other retail areas.
The US Postal Service is considering a letter and flat-sized product that would offer customers sending time-sensitive documents the speed and consistency of Priority Mail with delivery confirmation, but at a lower price than the flagship product.
Direct marketers are beginning to invest again after weathering the recession by cutting costs, according to figures from the Direct Marketing Association. Digital media investment is leading the way, according to the organization.
The US Postal Service began negotiations today on a new contract with its largest employee union, the 211,000-member American Postal Workers Union (APWU), in what the top USPS negotiator calls one of the most important negotiations in his 35 years with the organization.
Young consumers may live their lives online, but they trust offline marketing pitches more than web-based ones, according to a survey.
The US Postal Service's proposal to reorganize its Small Parcel offerings would align its products more closely with those of its competitors. However, customers are having a hard time seeing the benefits, given the price increases these products face in the exigent rate case.
Shipping company UPS has launched a return service that allows consumers to drop packages at US Postal Service locations or personal mailboxes, as well as other locations.
US consumers spend almost a quarter of their online time on social networking sites and blogs, according to research from Nielsen. However, consumers are spending 28% less online time using e-mail, according to the measurement company.
Global online advertising spending will reach $61.8 billion by the end of this year, a 2% increase from 2009, according to data released July 28 by eMarketer.
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.
