Archive for the ‘Marketing Intelligence’ Category

Where’s The Marketing ROI Lesson In Groundhog Day?

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

So the groundhog says there will be six more weeks of winter.  But, six more weeks of winter may mean something entirely different to someone in Waterville, Maine than it does to a guy in San Diego.

And that’s the lesson on this first Monday of February.

A predictive model is not “one size fits all.”  You have to understand your audience.

To the person in Maine who has been buried under five feet of snow since November, winter won’t be anywhere near over in six weeks.  In San Diego, it will probably be just another 74 degree day accented by a nice soft breeze.

Beware of marketing using broad assumptions. Segmenting your customers and prospects into specific categories and then applying that understanding to your marketing efforts will boost marketing ROI.

And, today’s economic reality mandates that companies get maximum return out of every marketing dollar.

Now’s the time to market aggressively with a intelligence-driven campaigns that resonate appropriately with the target.

Remember, you have to power to create your own marketing forecast!

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Posted in Customers, Marketing Intelligence, Return On Marketing Investment, Segmentation | No Comments »

There’s No Marketing ROI In Obsessing About Gloom & Doom

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

OK, I’ve had it. In almost every conversation I have these days, someone has to do the “woe is us” speech. Instead of “woe”, I say, WHOA.

Let’s stop talking right now about what’s wrong and focus on what we can do that’s not only right, but likely profitable.

There has never been a better time for companies to commit to building market share through intelligence-driven marketing. Taking the time to understand customers and prospects will yield sustainable growth. But, it requires action.

Engage your customers and your prospects in a digital dialogue. Invite them to share their perspective and then tailor your message to their needs. Create a “drip” stream of communications that highlight your solutions, approach or products that will enhance their efforts.

Develop a bond based on shared knowledge and commitment to delivering exceptional value. Even if they aren’t buying now, they will again sometime. And, it might as well be from you.

If you don’t have a segmented database with full customer profiles you can still engage your marketplace. There are plenty of tools available to create a robust digital dialogue. Better yet, find a marketing group eager to help you build share through on-target, systematic communication.

For every minute I hear someone focused on what’s wrong, I’m going to spend five working as hard as I can to be a valued resource and boost marketing ROI for our business partners.

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Posted in Customers, Marketing Intelligence, Return On Marketing Investment, Segmentation | 1 Comment »

Good ROI On Your Reading Time …Three Quick Reads.

Monday, December 1st, 2008

Here are three really quick reads that you may find interesting. Let me know what you takeaway from them.

Three Of Five Adults Shop Online

A new report from The Media Audit indicates that three in five adults shop online at least once a year, while one in five shop at least once a month.

Online Reviews Second Only To Word Of Mouth In Purchasing Decisions

New data from Rubicon Consulting demonstrates the importance of online product reviews and word of mouth when deciding on what to purchase.

Most Fortune 500 Companies Have Low Internet Visibility

A new report from “Conductor,” a New York based search agency indicates that most of America’s biggest corporations have limited Internet visibility, as indicated when doing a natural search, using the keyword phrases most commonly associated with their services or products.

What did you learn from those three quick reads? Here’s my takeaway:

1. Even if you’re not selling a product online, you can build a list of interested prospects by offering to give them something for free in exchange for their information. For example, you could offer a “free report” on some aspect of your industry.

2. Ask your customer to comment on your service or product. Testimonials work!

3. If you’re a smaller company, use your size to your advantage. Claim your Internet space and slay the giant.

The opportunity to boost ROI is all around us. We just need to pay attention and act. Let me hear from you.

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Posted in Customers, Direct Marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing Intelligence, Return On Marketing Investment | 1 Comment »

Customer Engagement and Segmentation Top Trends for 2009.

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

I read an article on the “B to B” site today announcing top trends for 2009 that included customer engagement and segmentation. Social media was also in the top three.

While I applaud marketers for recognizing the importance of both, it’s not new to me. As a direct marketer, intelligence-driven decisions are part of my DNA.

Read the entire article … it’s worth the read. Here’s a quote from Eduardo Conrado, corporate VP-global marketing and communications at Motorola Corporation. ““We will be increasing interactive, coupled with strong analytics for database marketing and better segmentation.”

It’s a good reminder that if you’re not invested in a data-driven marketing strategy, now’s the time to do so.

Your marketing ROI is dependent upon completely understanding your target and then leveraging that knowledge through imagination to produce results.

That’s not a trend. It’s a fact.

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Posted in Customers, Direct Marketing, Marketing Intelligence, Return On Marketing Investment, Segmentation, Social Media Marketing | 3 Comments »

Don’t Forget That There Are Humans Behind That Data.

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

I just returned from a client meeting where we presented the findings of a customer analysis.  If you read this blog you know that I’m a HUGE advocate for uncovering the hidden gems in transactional and operational data, and then transforming that information into actionable marketing strategies and tactics to increase marketing ROI. We uncovered plenty of growth opportunity and that always excites me.

But, as we were presenting the findings I was having a parallel conversation with myself. I’m sure that sounds strange, but let me explain. Like the graphic below, I had all of this information flying around inside me head, and I wanted to ensure that the information we presented was supported by the overall knowledge we have of our client’s business … that I was being clear about how to put the findings into meaningful actions. It’s always the subtext to the data that is the difference between good looking charts, graphs and percentages, and the effective use of the information.

It’s the human element.  As marketers, we have a responsibility to understand our markets …get into the dirt and rummage around to really understand what’s important and what’s not.  And then combine that understanding with tools like data analysis to make sure we’re squeezing out every bit of marketing ROI possible.

When we completed the presentation our client was energized by both the findings and translating opportunities.  It says we were successful in bringing the human element of understanding to their challenges and objectives.

At that point, the parallel conversation ended and we agreed on next steps.

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Posted in Customers, Marketing, Marketing Intelligence, Return On Marketing Investment, Segmentation | No Comments »

What’s Your Process To Boost Your Marketing ROI?

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Do you have a process in place to boost your marketing ROI?  Without one, you are likely to spend time and resources inefficiently.

I believe the first step in the process is to leverage market intelligence. Without it, (more…)

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Posted in Marketing, Marketing Intelligence, Return On Marketing Investment | No Comments »