http://www.dmnews.com/eleanor-trickett/author/120/ Latest articles by Eleanor Trickett from Direct Marketing News Direct Marketing News web@haymarketmedia.com no Thanks to an uncertain economy — in which companies are closely evaluating all areas of their marketing budgets and demanding controllable, accountable and measurable media — search engine marketers are standing firmly on center stage. More than $12 billion was spent on search last year, and that number is expected to more than double in the next three years. http://www.dmnews.com/search-engine-marketing-guide-2008-editors-note/article/111334/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:32:00 GMT Thanks to an uncertain economy — in which companies are closely evaluating all areas of their marketing budgets and demanding controllable, accountable and measurable media — search engine marketers are standing firmly on center stage. More than $12 billion was spent on search last year, and that number is expected to more than double in the next three years. Direct Marketing News I may be at risk of upsetting the ROI lobby with this state­ment, but I have to tip my hat to the marketers who took the plunge into the social media world, and failed. The Wall Street Journal last week analyzed the year since Facebook opened its development doors, reporting that more than 250,000 developers have taken the bait. http://www.dmnews.com/even-failed-ventures-provide-value-for-online-marketing/article/111286/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:45:00 GMT I may be at risk of upsetting the ROI lobby with this state­ment, but I have to tip my hat to the marketers who took the plunge into the social media world, and failed. The Wall Street Journal last week analyzed the year since Facebook opened its development doors, reporting that more than 250,000 developers have taken the bait. Direct Marketing News While the growth and profile of mobile marketing con­tinues apace, its progression has been marked both by caution and uncertainty on the part of advertisers, and by periodic revolutions on the technical and infrastructure side. http://www.dmnews.com/with-mobile-progress-comes-accountability/article/110711/ Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:42:00 GMT While the growth and profile of mobile marketing con­tinues apace, its progression has been marked both by caution and uncertainty on the part of advertisers, and by periodic revolutions on the technical and infrastructure side. Direct Marketing News The talent crunch in the direct marketing world is unfortunately afflicting companies of all shapes and sizes. While the effects of operating with an incomplete staff lineup are widespread, they can have a particularly detrimental effect on how the company is perceived from the outside. And with cus­tomer service as the first frontier of a company's reputation, getting it wrong can be fatal. http://www.dmnews.com/aggressive-staff-retention-could-be-best-investment-in-tough-times/article/110511/ Mon, 26 May 2008 05:03:00 GMT The talent crunch in the direct marketing world is unfortunately afflicting companies of all shapes and sizes. While the effects of operating with an incomplete staff lineup are widespread, they can have a particularly detrimental effect on how the company is perceived from the outside. And with cus­tomer service as the first frontier of a company's reputation, getting it wrong can be fatal. Direct Marketing News As members of the catalog industry gather this week at the ACCM conference, comparisons will be made to the mood at last year's event. The industry had just been socked with a major postal increase, and there was a genuine fear that without making substantial changes, many catalogs would crumble. http://www.dmnews.com/catalog-challenges-present-opportunity-as-well-as-burden/article/110244/ Mon, 19 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT As members of the catalog industry gather this week at the ACCM conference, comparisons will be made to the mood at last year's event. The industry had just been socked with a major postal increase, and there was a genuine fear that without making substantial changes, many catalogs would crumble. Direct Marketing News You may have noticed that the Private View element in The Work has recently been expanded, to allow the cre­atives that generously give their time to critique the work we run in the feature a little more space to show off their insights. http://www.dmnews.com/with-finger-on-dm-creative-pulse-dmnews-to-partner-on-caples-awards/article/109970/ Mon, 12 May 2008 08:23:00 GMT You may have noticed that the Private View element in The Work has recently been expanded, to allow the cre­atives that generously give their time to critique the work we run in the feature a little more space to show off their insights. Direct Marketing News I spent two evenings without Internet or American Idol last week, thanks to the "catastrophic failure" of my Verizon FiOS equipment. Checking my Gmail at work, the two evenings added up to 140 non-spam messages. Of the daunting 116 com­mercial messages, 112 came as a result of my having opted in. http://www.dmnews.com/e-mail-marketers-must-recognize-changing-consumer-needs/article/109699/ Mon, 05 May 2008 05:30:00 GMT I spent two evenings without Internet or American Idol last week, thanks to the "catastrophic failure" of my Verizon FiOS equipment. Checking my Gmail at work, the two evenings added up to 140 non-spam messages. Of the daunting 116 com­mercial messages, 112 came as a result of my having opted in. Direct Marketing News When a company begins an announcement with the words, "To further enhance a great customer experience..." what frequently follows is a statement that might suggest otherwise. Dell began its announcement of its new premium support option thusly, and as it outlines the inarguably great benefits — paying customers can talk to the same, North America-based technicians every time they have a problem — it is an unfortu­nate reminder of how quality assistance can often be lacking from many companies' customer service arms. http://www.dmnews.com/premium-customer-service-at-the-price-of-low-retention-a-poor-investment/article/109433/ Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:53:00 GMT When a company begins an announcement with the words, "To further enhance a great customer experience..." what frequently follows is a statement that might suggest otherwise. Dell began its announcement of its new premium support option thusly, and as it outlines the inarguably great benefits — paying customers can talk to the same, North America-based technicians every time they have a problem — it is an unfortu­nate reminder of how quality assistance can often be lacking from many companies' customer service arms. Direct Marketing News Now that Tax Day is behind us, retailers are waiting to see if the government's stimulus checks will be spent, or socked away. Many retail brands have already been campaign­ing creatively to persuade Americans that it is their duty to their economy to flood the money into stores. http://www.dmnews.com/retailers-hoping-to-rebound-with-tax-rebate-campaigns/article/109174/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:10:00 GMT Now that Tax Day is behind us, retailers are waiting to see if the government's stimulus checks will be spent, or socked away. Many retail brands have already been campaign­ing creatively to persuade Americans that it is their duty to their economy to flood the money into stores. Direct Marketing News With the confluence of postal increases, consumers' green advocacy and soaring paper costs, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that insert media is one of the print-rooted areas that are currently under attack. http://www.dmnews.com/tough-times-breed-ingenuity-creativity-for-inserts/article/108687/ Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:16:00 GMT With the confluence of postal increases, consumers' green advocacy and soaring paper costs, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that insert media is one of the print-rooted areas that are currently under attack. Direct Marketing News