Companies need to be smart about their innovation strategies and look at their innovation initiatives as a key brand touch point. Plenty of organizations have tried to implement an open innovation strategy of their own, yet how many truly succeed? Whether it's Chrysler Listens or Change.org, some organizations are still struggling to become effective. Without knowing the right methods and processes when launching open innovation initiatives, crowdsourcing can lose its potential for turning innovation into actionable ideas.

The business-to-business buying cycle is complex. B-to-b purchases involve three to four more decision makers today than in 2001. Analysts estimate that closing a b-to-b sale takes 20% longer today than a few years ago. Part of that increase is due to the exponentially larger number of marketing channels that are available. Even though more channels means more ways to reach buyers, they also increase the chance of a disconnect between marketing and sales.

A troubled 2009 has seen cutbacks and ad budget freezes across all industries. Both consumers and executives have dithered in purchase decisions, absorbing information, coupons, custom content, product reviews, free trials and freebies before signing the check or invoice.

Welcome to "Patient Critical: Madison Avenue," where new and legacy media vehicles struggle to capture declining advertising dollars, deliver ROI and answer the question: What marketing media are worth saving? Digital media may have set the bar for sales-attribution reporting, but today, that's not enough. Delivering ROI requires an understanding of how all media work together and how spends should shift holistically to achieve the greatest net impact for a client.

The amended Telemarketer Sales Rule (TSR) from the Federal Trade Commission says that automated sales communications can be delivered only to recipients who have provided their "express written consent" to receive them. Having an existing business relationship will no longer be sufficient approval for organizations to attempt to sell goods or services via an automated phone call.

Digital print production can be a turning point for marketers to increase their competitiveness and grow even while gaining cost savings and a faster ROI on campaigns.

Executing an efficient and effective shopper marketing program requires three direct marketing tactics: relevance, reach and reward. Understanding the unique preferences of each shopper is the only way to create and deliver truly relevant offers. Shopper preferences can be found in the purchase history of your better shoppers. These shoppers are also the most efficient to reach and influence.

Based on the buzz these days, I get the impression many in our business think "multichannel marketing" means including social media with your paid search campaign. For those of us working in business-to-business marketing before "friend" became a verb, direct mail was usually the centerpiece of most multi-channel campaigns. However, the astronomical growth of the Web — and a concurrent shift in marketing budgets — has left the once-venerable workhorse of direct mail languishing in the barn.

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.

A year's worth of research conducted by Google TV has little to offer in terms of consumer viewing revelations, but the program has much to offer DRTV advertising executives. In fact, those looking to improve client results and saving both agencies and clients money should make the research a must-read.