How to Develop the Right Communications Strategy for a Conversation Economy†

Begin With the End in Mind: What Message Can Drive Sufficient Revenue to Support a Business Model?

Advertising Age, October 27, 2009 — What does the worldwide, technologically enabled drive for conversations mean for marketers? It means you're no longer marketing products or services — you're marketing conversations. It means marketing-communication planning should be driven by a conversation strategy.

Neuromarketing: What the Human Brain Means to Your Campaign

CMO Magazine, October 27, 2009 — The rise of loyalty marketing and consumers shifting to online media has put increasing pressure on traditional ad agencies and broadcasters to deliver measurable ROI to clients.

Advertisers who see consumers TiVo-ing through television ads and downloading their favorite shows for free are demanding real accountability. One of the most compelling arguments for loyalty and database marketing is that you can understand what you get in return for your investment. Agencies and broadcasters are searching frantically for ways to provide that same level of measurable return

As Media Market Shrinks, PR Passes Up Reporters, Pitches Directly to Consumers†

Best Buy, MasterCard Among Those Creating Their Own Content

Advertising Age, October 26, 2009 — At a time when earned media is so highly sought after by marketers due to its (relative) low cost and the credibility with consumers, brands that rely on it are faced with the growing challenge of finding news outlets for their messages.

Happy Birthday, Digital Advertising!†

The Banner Campaign that Started a $24 billion Business, and Got a 78% Click-through Rate

Advertising Age, October 26, 2009 — Oct. 27 marks the 15th anniversary of the industry's first banner display ads, which appeared on Hotwired.com. To the many of you reading this who weren't in the business back then, that's not a typo; I'm not referring to www.HotWire.com, the travel site, but HotWired — the first commercial digital magazine on the web and the offshoot of Wired magazine.

Marketers Grapple With Brand-Bashing ''Badvocates''

GM, American Airlines and others try to win over critics on the Web.

Forbes, October 23, 2009 — During General Motors' financial meltdown this year, politicians, corporate executives and journalists piled on to gripe about the auto-maker's business. Most of the chatter was expected, admits Christopher Preuss, GM's vice president of communications. What surprised company execs was the number of bloggers and social media hounds who chimed in to grouse about the car-maker and its vehicles.

Coke Ambassadors Taking Social Media Old School With Around The World Trip

MediaPost Publications, October 22, 2009 — Giving new meaning to the term social media, Coca-Cola is enlisting a team of three young brand ambassadors to visit all 206 countries where the company's products are sold.

Dubbed "Expedition 206," the adventure throughout 2010 is expected to cover 150,000 miles in just 365 days. What are they expected to do at each destination? "Seek out what makes people happy and share their happiness and enthusiasm with the rest of the world."

Coca-Cola has selected a pool of nine potential ambassadors, from which consumers are now being asked to select three winners online at Expedition206.com.

How Do You Measure Success?

Custom content good for ROI

eMarketer, October 22, 2009 — Nearly three-quarters of companies have guidelines to measure the success of their marketing programs, and for one-half such measurements are a requirement for obtaining marketing funding, according to the King Fish Media “2009 Survey on Marketing, Media and Measurement,” conducted in partnership with HubSpot, Junta42 and the Upshot Institute.

GM Exec Extols Virtues Of Social Media

MediaPost Publications, October 21, 2009 — Social media has been the most effective tool for consumers in the market for a car or truck and the best vehicle for GM in terms of transparency and accountability, Chris Preuss, VP communications, told a roundtable in New York on Tuesday.

New-Media Users Expect Brands To Engage

MediaPost Publications, October 21, 2009 — Just when you thought the impact of new media on mainstream brands couldn't be hyped any further, new data come along to change that idea.

A just-released study from Cone Inc. reports that among new-media users, a staggering 78% of them interact with companies or brands via new media sites and tools — up from 59% the year before.

O'Brien: My journey into the heart of Generation Y shopping habits

San Jose Mercury News, October 20, 2009 — I am a proud, flag-waving member of Generation X, the latchkey kids born between the early 1960s and late 1970s who listened to grunge music while worrying that we'd never make as much money as our parents. My children, 4 and 6, are part of the emerging Generation Z, a demographic too young to be stereotyped.