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Direct Line Blog

Facebook debuts camera app not called Instagram

Nicole Spector May 25, 2012

For Facebook, the show must go on - and it's one show after another, constantly. While the ink is still drying on its billion dollar acquisition of Instagram-which the FTC is looking into on suspicions that the deal is anti-competitive-Facebook has announced Facebook Camera for the IPhone and iPod touch.
 
Direct Line Blog

POM Wonderful fires back at FTC

May 24, 2012

POM Wonderful fires back at FTC with new advertising campaign.
 
Direct Line Blog

Facebook IPO no

May 23, 2012

Post-IPO, Facebook is getting flack.
 
Direct Line Blog

All bark, no bite

May 22, 2012

Last night I received a direct mail piece promising discounts off my first purchase at Wag.com, a website that delivers pet supplies. But there's a problem: I don't have a pet.
 
Direct Line Blog

How will Google's Knowledge Graph affect SEM?

May 17, 2012

Google launched on May 16 its Knowledge Graph, which allows users to search for things, people and places that "Google knows about" and "instantly get information that is relevant to your query," according to a blog post by Amit Singhal, SVP of engineering at Google.
 
Direct Line Blog

SuiteWorld 2012 keynote: NetSuite to enhance software, e-commerce, CRM platforms

May 16, 2012

During his May 16 keynote address at SuiteWorld 2012 in San Francisco, NetSuite founder and CTO Evan Goldberg laid out several software improvements to NetSuite's cloud, including enhanced e-commerce capabilities and "revenue as a service," a system intended to help software companies sell online.
 
Direct Line Blog

GM gives Zuck a slap in the Facebook

May 16, 2012

General Motors says its yanking its Facebook ads because they don't work. The announcement came three days before Facebook's scheduled IPO on May 18. Ouch.
 
Direct Line Blog

The customer is king

May 15, 2012

If a user doesn't like your e-commerce site, they're not likely to buy. It's that simple. At least that's the buzz at SuiteWorld 2012.
 
Direct Line Blog

New Facebook App Center highlights importance of mobile

May 10, 2012

Facebook's new App Center will go live in the coming weeks, but developers can begin submitting both free and paid apps for consideration now.
 
Direct Line Blog

Creative Week: Bringing un-sexy back

May 09, 2012

Creativity is cool, but you don't have to be "cool" to be creative. So say the really cool creatives at Creative Week.
 
Direct Line Blog

LoyalTea works on me

May 08, 2012

As a woman in my mid-20s, I'm a member of a ton of loyalty programs. My most-recent acquisition is Argo Tea's LoyalTea Club. Cute, right?
 
Direct Line Blog

Creative Week: off Broadway and far from Brooklyn

May 07, 2012

What does marketing have in common with musicals? Read on.
 
Direct Line Blog

C-suite ain't so sweet

May 03, 2012

Can't an executive catch a break? Not at Best Buy or T-Mobile, that's for sure.
 
Direct Line Blog

Innovation through failure

May 02, 2012

Roy Williams, marketing guru and author of The Wizard of Ads, made a splash on stage at the Responsys Interact conference in San Francisco with a keynote focusing on how today's consumers are in control.
 
Direct Line Blog

The court of public opinion

May 02, 2012

George Zimmerman's lawyers have set up a Twitter account for their client. Small leap from "legal campaign" to "marketing campaign."
 
Direct Line Blog

To Yelp or not to Yelp?

May 01, 2012

Yelp is viewed as a valuable resource to many consumers. It's a way to find places customers didn't know existed, or to make sure that Ramen place around the corner is up to snuff. But for many business owners hoping to advertise, Yelp can be a precarious place.
 
Direct Line Blog

Three for 2D

April 30, 2012

QR codes are only one type of 2D barcode. There are, however, numerous options marketers can consider. Some are proprietary, however there are three open-source 2D barcodes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
 
Direct Line Blog

Google re-establishes e-commerce toehold

April 26, 2012

In March, Google rebranded Android Market, its app store launched in 2008, to Google Play. In addition to apps, Google Play, like Apple's iTunes, now sells other digital entertainment such as music, books and films.
 
Direct Line Blog

IKEA is cool and here are 5 reasons why

April 25, 2012

I'm not one who enjoys shopping (for anything), yet an expedition over to IKEA I do not mind.
 
Direct Line Blog

The Netflix Dilemma

April 24, 2012

I use Netflix all the time, mostly to re-watch shows I can't seem to get enough of and discover new favorites. Which is why it's really kind of sad that, from a business perspective, my beloved Netflix can't seem to get their act together.
 
Direct Line Blog

A crack in the Under Armour

April 23, 2012

Under Armour reported a potential databreach when an unencrypted thumbdrive, sent to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as part of the auditing process was lost in the mail. The potential breach could affect the identities of Under Armour employees due to the exposure of their SSNs, names and salaries.
 
Direct Line Blog

Consumer commitment-phobes force companies to change strategies

April 19, 2012

Generation Y's fear of commitment is changing the way companies do long-term commitments for purchases.
 
Direct Line Blog

Will the new BlackBerry Curve pull RIM back from the brink?

April 18, 2012

Apple's been taking BlackBerry to the cleaners sales-wise, but India is one of RIM's few growing markets, so the push there is aggressive to say the least.
 
Direct Line Blog

The inbox purge

April 17, 2012

Lately — as a consumer, not a reporter — I've been purging my inbox. During the past week, I've probably unsubscribed from four or five different email lists.
 
Direct Line Blog

Gearing up for mobile advertising

April 16, 2012

Will there ever be a time when mobile web browsing accounts for more traffic than desktop browsing? Yuchun Lee, VP of enterprise marketing management at IBM Industry Solutions said in an interview—which will be published in its entirety in June—that all current trends indicate the mobile channel will be the most influential channel in the near future.
 
Direct Line Blog

More ad spend in direct marketing for 2012

April 13, 2012

Things are looking up for the advertising industry, especially for the direct marketing sector. Private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) expects spending on US communications to reach $1.19 trillion, or an increase of 5.6%, in 2012—outpacing GDP growth of 4.4%, according to its latest forecast mid-term update.
 
Direct Line Blog

Showrooming: Minnesotan retailers are fighting mad

April 11, 2012

Showrooming is booming. What's a poor brick-and-mortar retailer to do?
 
Direct Line Blog

Best Buy's CEO Brian Dunn resigns

April 10, 2012

Best Buy's announcement that CEO and director Brian Dunn had resigned, amid "no disagreements" related to "operations, financial controls, policies or procedures" underscores just how much the big-box electronics giant is groping blindly around in an age of changing consumer shopping and spending habits.
 
Direct Line Blog

My, f-commerce, what big teeth you have

April 06, 2012

If f-commerce is here to stay, companies will have to find a way to direct market to Facebook users without irking them.
 
Direct Line Blog

BK's pulled commercial teaches a lesson in quality

April 05, 2012

Earlier this week Burger King (BK) pulled a commercial featuring Mary J. Blige singing "Crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla," according to Gawker. The commercial was part of a set of BK's "Exciting things are happening in Burger King" commercials featuring famous celebrities, such as David Beckham, Jay Leno and Salma Hayek.
 
Direct Line Blog

Google nabs TxVia for its mobile wallet offering

April 04, 2012

I know this is silly, but the term "mobile wallet" sounds odd to my ear. Aren't all wallets mobile in that you can carry them around with you in your pocket or purse?
 
Direct Line Blog

Missives from ad:tech

April 04, 2012

The ad:tech digital marketing conference happening right now in San Francisco bills itself as "the #1 event for interactive marketing," and that it seems to be — a veritable bonanza of new tech and groovy innovations.
 
Direct Line Blog

National Postal Forum: Change or Die

April 02, 2012

While the overall mood at the 2012 National Postal Forum is upbeat and optimistic, if I were less charitable, I would say the real theme isn't as much "Technological Innovation" as it is "Change or Die."
 
Direct Line Blog

Kotex's awesome Pinterest campaign

March 30, 2012

Kotex — yes, the tampon company — launched a super innovative campaign on Pinterest that was anything but awkward or hush-hush. Actually, it was really awesome.
 
Direct Line Blog

Controlling customers: both freaky and futile

March 29, 2012

At SES New York last week, I heard a lot of talk about how "sales and marketing need to come together," but it really needs to be a trifecta of sales-marketing-customer service.
 
Direct Line Blog

3D interactive FT wall is kind of a yawner

March 28, 2012

Are harried commuters in Grand Central really the best target audience for impromptu and unsolicited lessons on global economics? The Financial Times thinks so.
 
Direct Line Blog

FTC recommendations add fuel to the online privacy inferno

March 27, 2012

The FTC's recommendations do little more than stir a drink that should have been drunk already.
 
Direct Line Blog

Big data: friend or foe?

March 26, 2012

Technology is changing not only how consumers buy and research products, but also how marketers and advertisers research consumer behavior. But researchers are unsure whether all this newly available data is an opportunity or a hindrance.
 
Direct Line Blog

In-store only retail isn't a cute look anymore

March 23, 2012

I love you, H&M. I really do. From your inexpensive hipster-esque flats to your cotton dresses that shrink up oh-so perfectly in the dryer to fit my short frame, it's all great. Truly it is.
 
Direct Line Blog

Huffington to launch new app, GPS for the soul

March 22, 2012

"Connecting by disconnecting is the way forward," said Arianna Huffington at Adobe's Digital Marketing Summit in Salt Lake City. Enter the app that helps you relax.
 
Direct Line Blog

The troll did it

March 21, 2012

The Fox Crime channel is going live (playing dead?) in Norway this week and Norwegian agency Frank Oslo has produced a series of ads starring some criminally minded trolls to promote it.
 
Direct Line Blog

The top five Jeremy Lin/Volvo TV ad taglines

March 20, 2012

By entering into this agreement the automaker essentially signed a player who is past his prime (a prime that lasted only two weeks, mind you) and set itself up for more than 700 days worth of tagline jokes
 
Direct Line Blog

Shotgun marriage: customer service and marketing

Ryan Joe March 19, 2012

Acxiom and Loyalty 360 released their joint research project, "Making Every Interaction Count: How Customer Intelligence Drives Customer Loyalty," at Loyalty Expo 2012. The research focuses on how most brands "are not leveraging (customer data) as a strategic asset that helps create and maintain long-lasting relationships with their high-value customers."
 
Direct Line Blog

What we can learn from Condé Nast

March 16, 2012

This week, publishing giant Condé Nast said it would begin providing ad metrics for tablet versions of its titles. The information brings up not only an interesting shift in media (yes, yawn, we've all heard print is fading away), but it also provides a reflection on how our industries are indelibly separate, yet connected.
 
Direct Line Blog

Organizing to campaign

March 15, 2012

You will probably hear me say this a lot: I wrote my 2008 master's thesis on online social networks (OSNs) in relation to the 2008 Presidential Elections. That election was the first time presidential candidates used online social networks to campaign.
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: day six (The big wrap-up)

Pamela Oldham March 14, 2012

In his first public speech since the hacker collective Anonymous attacked his firm in December 2011, George Friedman, CEO of Austin-based intelligence firm Stratfor gave a defiant presentation.
 
Direct Line Blog

Is this cat a marketing genius?

March 14, 2012

Sure Rick Santorum just swept the Alabama and Mississippi primaries, but what's Hank the Cat been up to?
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: day five (Pinterest's perfect)

Pamela Oldham March 13, 2012

While the media has described Pinterest as an overnight success, the service was first introduced to a group of around 200 of Silbermann's friends, who received an email describing the service and asking if they would be willing to test it.
 
Direct Line Blog

Twitter wants more from you than 140-word updates

March 13, 2012

Twitter's acquisition of micro-blogging site Posterous is being touted by industry analysts as a move toward enhancing the ability to share rich content, such as videos and photographs, and a move away from a platform based solely on hum-drum 140-word status updates.
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: day four (it's getting wild here!)

Pamela Oldham March 13, 2012

Today has been a madhouse for journalists like me who are covering South by Southwest Interactive (SXSW). Major announcements (and rumors of big announcements that may be coming soon) have everyone scrambling to track down facts while also covering sessions and everything else that's happening here.
 
Direct Line Blog

Wired for football

Ryan Joe March 12, 2012

NFL franchises, more than any other professional sports league, seem to be placing a premium on driving growth by leveraging technology to increase fan interaction.
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: day three (the rain ends and sun finally arrives!)

Pamela Oldham March 11, 2012

South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive finally began to look and feel more like a festival. People poured out of the convention center and filled the streets of Austin. Music could be heard everywhere, and that transformed some of the grumpiness of the previous couple of days into gleeful celebration.
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: day two

Pamela Oldham March 10, 2012

I saw a presentation on a new mobile wallet application called the Isis Wallet. It's a very elegant mobile commerce platform that, according to product literature, is backed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: day one

Pamela Oldham March 09, 2012

Experiencing South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive is like witnessing a marketing lab. Every conceivable way to promote a service, product, or even an educational session is on full display.
 
Direct Line Blog

Modcloth's fashionably fabulous multichannel approach

March 09, 2012

Great customer engagement is creative, appealing and above all, entertaining. That's why Modcloth, vintage and faux-vintage clothing website, is such a great example of multichannel marketing success.
 
Direct Line Blog

SXSW Interactive: preparing for five days of interactive Nirvana

Pamela Oldham March 08, 2012

In all, SXSW Interactive offers attendees more than 5,000 educational sessions, keynotes, networking events, and parties.
 
Direct Line Blog

The third coming: All hail the iPad3?

March 07, 2012

Apple is unveiling (cue celestial harp music) its third generation tablet at a launch event in San Francisco on March 7 and people literally do not know what to do with themselves.
 
Direct Line Blog

M-commerce: What does your ideal site look like?

March 06, 2012

Can apps drive commerce? Should mobile sites be built specifically for each device? Should experiences remain consistent across channels? What do you think?
 
Direct Line Blog

Time Warner Cable hates Netflix and you!

March 01, 2012

TWC's plan has upset industry analysts who feel that the introduction of usage-based plans could open the door for broadband providers to rid themselves of monthly rate plans.
 
Direct Line Blog

Flirting with your favorite brand

February 29, 2012

Social interaction equaled real money this holiday season. So says a new report from social marketing agency Mr Youth.
 
Direct Line Blog

Jaguar's new campaign: "Just Endangered Not Extinct"

Ryan Joe February 28, 2012

Jaguar's "Alive" campaign (or ALIVE, if one considers the press statement) is a massive branding effort unveiled February 27, modernizing the luxury line of automobiles with slick new logos and some spiffy TV spots, the latter of which tout how the luxury line of automobiles "is as alive as we are."
 
Direct Line Blog

Twitter Tuesday recap: You asked, Epsilon answered

February 27, 2012

On Feb. 21, Kerry Morris, Epsilon's VP of online solutions, took over @dmnews and shared boatloads of practical insights on data, search and the nature of multichannel marketing. Check out some highlights from the discussion.
 
Direct Line Blog

Your mobile phone is so money

Ryan Joe February 23, 2012

As consumers, we all dream of making purchases as easily as possible. That's why the increasing ease of mobile payments is so exciting. Who wouldn't welcome the prospect of using that magic glowing square already surgically grafted to your dominant hand to easily transfer funds and get items in return?
 
Direct Line Blog

Google-y eyes

February 22, 2012

The clandestine Google X Labs is reportedly planning the release of some augmented reality glasses that will knock your figurative socks off.
 
Direct Line Blog

Listrak CEO offers email advice, talks-up new product

February 21, 2012

To tie a bow on this month's targeting theme, I had a nice chat with Ross Kramer, co-founder and CEO of Listrak, an email marketing company. Kramer and I discussed two incredible stats that fully encapsulate the missed opportunities Direct Marketing News has been examining recently.
 
Direct Line Blog

How to get rid of those pesky customers

February 16, 2012

As a marketer, your ultimate goal is to drive away current customers and repel new prospects, right?
 
Direct Line Blog

Social Media Week: Some 'secret' and not-so-secret social weapons

February 15, 2012

When asked to explain what it takes to optimize social, George Smith, senior manager of social and CRM strategy at PepsiCo Global, speaking at Social Media Week in New York City on Feb. 15, coined a term on the spot: "Socio-techno intelligence."
 
Direct Line Blog

Retail sales increase, markets fall apart

February 14, 2012

America might just dig itself out of that recession after all. Maybe. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), January retail industry sales increased 4% year-over-year, a bittersweet improvement that has divided economic analysts.
 
Direct Line Blog

Bough to join Kraft as VP of digital and consumer engagement

February 13, 2012

Bonin Bough, global director of digital and social media at PepsiCo, will join Kraft Foods as VP of global digital and consumer engagement at Kraft, the company confirmed to Direct Marketing News.
 
Direct Line Blog

Kodak loses its snap

February 13, 2012

In my mind, Kodak is a kind of synonym for photography. But the scoop from Rochester is that the iconic brand will no longer be producing cameras.
 
Direct Line Blog

Give me cheese, and/or give me death

February 09, 2012

In the battle over your good health, New York City has already decided you're a loser.
 
Direct Line Blog

Do you have that in yellow? NYC tests taxi shopping

February 08, 2012

Would you go shopping in the back of a taxi? If you hail the right cab during Fashion Week, you just might get that chance.
 
Direct Line Blog

Let's do the Wave ... report

February 01, 2012

Digital agencies are coming along fairly well when it comes to mobile marketing strategy and execution — so says Melissa Parrish, senior analyst at Forrester Research and author of a recent report independently ranking the nine U.S. digital agencies "that matter most and how they stack up."
 
Direct Line Blog

Hershey's attacked in ad by child labor organization

January 31, 2012

The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), a child labor watchdog organization, will launch an attack ad against Hersehy's on the Jumbotron outside of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the Super Bowl, the company said in a Jan. 31 statement. The ad will appear alongside ads by McDonalds and AllState and will reach more than 250,000 people, according to the ILRF.
 
Direct Line Blog

Unconfirmed: Facebook may soon file IPO

January 30, 2012

Reports have surfaced that Facebook will file for an IPO this week.
 
Direct Line Blog

Targeting gone wrong: part three

January 26, 2012

Route 22 Toyota kicks off a promotion with a horrible football-themed email.
 
Direct Line Blog

As if Bratz dolls aren't bad enough ... pink Lego

January 24, 2012

I wouldn't go so far as to say that everything should be gender neutral (for example, I think gender neutral childrearing is a little extreme), but there's something a little off-putting about "Lego Friends," Lego's new line of girly toys — and it's not because I'm opposed to gender-specific marketing.
 
Direct Line Blog

USPS solvency saga continues

January 20, 2012

The embattled U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is continuing its struggle to stay in the black, but the five-month moratorium on facilities closures may end more than a month before the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) releases an advisory opinion on its streamlining plans.
 
Direct Line Blog

Sorry, you can't be interested in music, unless you're a man

Sara Holland January 20, 2012

Here's what happened when I decided to forgo online shopping and venture out for a in-store shopping adventure.
 
Direct Line Blog

SOPA and PIPA: The Internet is still in danger

January 19, 2012

Although yesterday's widespread Web protest against SOPA and PIPA changed some lawmakers' minds, the Orwellian legislation isn't quite dead.
 
Direct Line Blog

Google, Goldilocks and online privacy

January 18, 2012

To be surprised at Google for launching a broad-reaching campaign touting its privacy is weird.
 
Direct Line Blog

SOPA & PIPA: The Web is as mad as hell and it's not going to take it anymore

January 18, 2012

SOPA & PIPA: Two little acronyms that have the Web in a tizzy.
 
Direct Line Blog

Targeting gone wrong: week two

January 17, 2012

Equinox's email to lapsed members is offensive, corny and doesn't fully leverage consumer data to simplify registration.
 
Direct by design Blog

Lessons learned and 2012 predictions for the ad industry

Will Price, CEO, Flite January 17, 2012

As the old adage goes, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, so let's reflect on the lessons learned and take a look forward at what the future holds.
 
Direct Line Blog

Bill Clinton addresses the NRF Big Show, tells us where he shops

January 16, 2012

Bill Clinton began his keynote at the National Federation's Big Show on Jan. 16 with a joke: "This is a bigger crowd that I usually draw; kind of makes me feel like I'm president again." Chuckles from the crowd.
 
Direct Line Blog

Branding your baby

January 13, 2012

It's just a coincidence that Jay-Z and Beyonce's baby name of choice, Blue Ivy, is also that of two companies. If only it were so with the little Chanels, Armanis, Bentleys and Canons of this modern world.
 
Direct Line Blog

Take me away

January 11, 2012

An appealing travel campaign has the potential to transport an audience, literally making hearts take flight with a desire to travel to the country or city depicted. And then there are the travel campaigns that inspire you to stay at home.
 
Direct Line Blog

Targeting gone wrong: a three-part series

January 10, 2012

Over the course of the next three weeks, I will dissect examples of targeting gone horribly wrong. Check out the Feb. 1 issue to see four additional examples of awesome (and not so awesome) targeting campaigns.
 
Direct by design Blog

Incentives can fuel the idea

Flora Caputo, VP, executive creative director, Jacobs Agency January 10, 2012

Incentives are often the lesser concern when developing a direct marketing campaign, but can help companies make headway in getting in front of prospects.
 
Direct Line Blog

Yahoo can buy itself back into the display market

January 09, 2012

I don't begrudge new Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson deflecting questions about Yahoo's display advertising prospects (even though he must have brainstormed his options considering talks with Yahoo began in November). But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a little fun and project some possibilities.
 
Direct Line Blog

How to piss people off as an effective marketing tactic

January 05, 2012

The blogosphere and media world are tut-tutting about an anti-obesity ad campaign featuring corpulent kids, who say in a series of videos why being fat's no fun. Thanks to its critics, the Georgia-based campaign captured national attention.
 
Direct Line Blog

Sext education direct to your phone

January 04, 2012

The power of mobile and the ubiquity of the Internet are being harnessed by a variety of health organizations to give kids the skinny on sex.
 
Direct by design Blog

Choose your words carefully

Nancy Harhut, chief creative officer, Wilde Agency January 03, 2012

In copywriting, as in Scrabble, some words are worth more than others. Whether you're writing an email, banner ad, print ad, letter, postcard, art card, radio spot, brochure or tweet, the words you choose can make all the difference.
 
Direct Line Blog

Five companies to watch in 2012

January 03, 2012

Groupon, Netflix, Sears, Draftfcb and Infogroup baffled and impressed us in 2011.
 
Direct Line Blog

These are the ads of our times

December 29, 2011

As the last sands of 2011 dribble through that great hourglass of life, it's important to take stock and look back.
 
Direct Line Blog

Social is Santa's not-so-little helper

December 28, 2011

Who doesn't love a good infographic? Check out how social influenced holiday sales in a big way this year.
 
Direct Line Blog

Holiday innovation mixes greetings, music and electricity

December 22, 2011

SapientNitro's holiday wish generator harnesses the awesome power of singing electricity in a European pine forest.
 
Direct Line Blog

Marketing trends get personal in 2012

December 21, 2011

Targeting and personalization techniques are going to be hot stuff in 2012 and marketers will have to stay up-to-date or possibly be left in the dust.
 
Direct Line Blog

Genius Groupon glove-slaps Amazon

December 20, 2011

Amazon.com is taking shots from every direction. Ever since the company launched its Dec. 10 Price Check mobile app promotion, the company has been called everything from "evil" to "anti-small business."
 
Direct Line Blog

Walking thru the PayPal Shopping Showcase

December 19, 2011

PayPal said to visit its Shopping Showcase for a big-picture look at its mobile payment plans.