By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on February 3rd, 2012 - 3 Comments
This past week, a client of mine forwarded me an email from Denso Wave Incorporated, the originators of those 2d mobile response codes we call QR Codes®. We call them that because Denso Wave trademarked the term, although few of us may be aware of it. But they did. (View Denso Wave’s trademark info here.)…
By John Foley on January 31st, 2012 - 5 Comments
There is no doubt that the world of mobile is creating many opportunities for folks in the marketing and communications industries. Mobile technology has opened up new ways for companies to reach prospects, generate leads, and provide customer support. For service providers, there is opportunity to help marketers achieve their mobile-related goals. One area in…
By Vic Barkin on January 30th, 2012 - Comment
You may think with the economy still in “recovery” you don’t have either the time or resources to pour into sustainability projects this year. Well, I’m here to convince you otherwise. Yes, “green has become commonplace. It’s expected to a degree, by your customers, your employees and other stakeholders who have an interest in how…
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on January 27th, 2012 - 3 Comments
I am looking for some case studies or statistics that talk about increased response rates using PURLs. What type of response rates have you experienced when using PURLs? Or do you know of a source where I can find those stats? I have tried [industry vendors] and most other reputable sites without any luck. They…
By Nancy Scott on January 26th, 2012 - Comment
On January 20, the U.S. Postal Service released five gorgeous stamps. The artistry of American stamps is nothing new, of course, but this collection reminded me of the potential value of decorative stamps in targeted direct mail campaigns. In searching for high resolution versions of the five stamps, I happened upon a wonderful website, BeyondthePerf.com….
By Bryan Yeager on January 24th, 2012 - 1 Comment
“Personalization” continues to be a prominent topic in a number of different circles: marketing, publishing, eCommerce, social networking, and search. It’s no wonder why: personalization helps boost response rates and profitability in cross-media campaigns, helps marketers drive conversion on their Websites & landing pages, and much more. Wikipedia provides a very broad definition of personalization, which…
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on January 24th, 2012 - Comment
It’s not often that one of those hokey affordable healthcare commercials made me smile, but this one did . . . just not for the reasons you might expect. The commercial showed the response of three different sets of consumers to the product — a recent college graduate, a mid-life couple, and a retired couple….
By Trish Witkowski on January 23rd, 2012 - Comment
This week, we showcase the Iron Cross with Stitched-in Booklet submitted by Digital Ink in Alexandria, VA created for the American Bankers Association. The piece first opens in gate format to reveal two sides that fold out to create an iron cross format. The innovation doesn’t stop here. The interior boasts of a 12 page…
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on January 20th, 2012 - 2 Comments
QR codes are great tools, but you have to think about what you are trying to accomplish before you take up space on your marketing collateral, product packaging, or other project with one. I recently purchased a nice little toy, the Snow Wovel, which is like a giant snowshovel on a wheel. Clear your driveway…
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on January 19th, 2012 - 1 Comment
Anyone involved in multi-channel marketing is painfully aware of the crush of pressure to integrate social and mobile marketing into their clients’ marketing programs. Even the glow of QR codes on direct mail and marketing collateral is tainted by the issue of mobile. Now the issue of mobile payments is growing along with them. After…
By John Foley on January 18th, 2012 - Comment
When Google+ was first released in 2011, there certainly was a lot of buzz in the marketing world. However, for many of us, the reaction was this: “Oh no; do we really have another social network to worry about?” Well, if you have been neglecting adding Google+ to your marketing activities up until now, you…
By Debra McMahon on January 17th, 2012 - 1 Comment
I was looking for some inspiration in this New Year; a way to look differently at the world of process improvement that I live in. I especially wanted to make it relate better to those that are often the most difficult to convince of the desirability, even “good-ness” of processes, those in the “front end”…
By Bryan Yeager on January 12th, 2012 - 2 Comments
As you’re likely well-aware, the mobile channel continues to experience significant levels of growth. According to the CTIA Wireless association, mobile subscription penetration in the United States exceeds 100% of the population; many people own and use more than one mobile device. Furthermore, CTIA estimates that that close to 30% of U.S. households are “wireless-only,”…
By Nancy Scott on January 11th, 2012 - Comment
I’ve been a fan of “trendwatching” for a long time. For example, check out their “12 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2012” here. Of most immediate significance to marketers would be the last paragraph of the landing page. This section offers readers – and marketers – four ways to apply consumer trends. In other words, here’s…
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on January 10th, 2012 - 4 Comments
I just received a press release about Jeff Hayzlett’s new book, Running the Gauntlet, and was interested to see that, even with all the talk about QR codes lately, he chose to use SnapTags—not QR codes—to provide interactivity with his audience. In the book, released just this month, Hayzlett has added SnapTags to the front…
