smallbiz-marketing

B-to-b profiling: Taking the guesswork out of prospecting

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:42:00 -0800

You want your list to describe your target market, not somebody else's, and it will when it is properly profiled. Profiling is the practice of studying your customers, then seeking prospects with the same characteristics.

List compilers forge alliances to enrich their databases

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:40:00 -0800

Not content with the specific data-research processes they've previously relied on, database list providers are combining with former competitors, a variety of other suppliers and services, and new social resources to augment the richness of their...

Study: Financial services, tech/telecom sectors best in e-mail engagement

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:56:00 -0800

Phoenixand#8212;Companies in the financial services and technology/telecommunications sectors are the most successful in engaging customers with their e-mail marketing programs, according to a new study by e-mail delivery company Pivotal Veracity.

Ion Interactive launches iPhone landing-page solution

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Boca Raton, Fla.and#8212;Landing-page software company Ion Interactive has extended its LiveBall Quick-Start landing page optimization solution to include mobile displays on the Apple iPhone.

Small programs with big impacts

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:01:00 -0700

Online marketing continues to be a relatively bright spot.

Real-time analytics emerge

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:01:00 -0700

Adobe Systems' $1.8 billion purchase of Web analytics vendor Omniture Inc., which received regulatory approval last week, is the latest proof of the mainstreaming of online measurement.

Facing the challenges of digital variety

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:01:00 -0700

Jonathan Rosoff is senior VP-managing director at interactive agency Razorfish.

Community marketing with an offbeat twist

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:01:00 -0700

Marti Konstant's years in technology marketing have made one thing abundantly clear to her: Engineers aren't like the rest of us.

IAB reports Internet ad revenue down 5.4% in Q3

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:17:00 -0800

New Yorkand#8212;Internet advertising revenue totaled $5.5 billion in the third quarter, down 5.4% from the same period last year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Study: Search marketing pros enjoy increasing salary levels

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:21:00 -0800

Wakefield, Mass.and#8212;The average salaries of search-engine marketing professionals increased this year despite the faltering economy, according to a new study by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization.

TreeHouse upgrades Market View lead-gen tool

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:25:00 -0800

Salt Lake Cityand#8212;Channel partner management and demand-generation company TreeHouse Interactive has rolled out new features in its Marketing View lead-generation product.

Google acquires display advertising company Teracent

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0800

Mountain View, Calif.and#8212;Google Inc. has acquired display advertising company Teracent Corp., further extending its online display advertising capabilities.

TiVo, Google team up in audience research agreement

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:34:00 -0800

Alviso, Calif.and#8212;TiVo Inc. announced Tuesday that it has teamed with Google in an audience research agreement.

Imagination hires Rodriguez as CEO of the Americas

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:36:00 -0800

New Yorkand#8212;Global branding agency Imagination announced that Rita Rodriguez has been named CEO of the Americas. Rodriguez was previously U.S. CEO of the Brand Union. She will be based in the agency's New York office.

CMO Council: Irrelevant messaging alienates customers

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:28:00 -0800

Boulder, Colo.

Time spent watching video on social networking sites up 98%

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0800

New Yorkand#8212;Time spent viewing video on social networking sites totaled 999.4 million minutes in October, up 98% over the same period last year, according to Nielsen.

Intuit launches CRM product for small businesses

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0800

Mountain View, Calif.and#8212;Accounting software company Intuit Inc. has entered the customer relationship management arena with the release of its on-demand Customer Manager product.

AdMob launches interactive video ad unit for iPhone

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:17:00 -0800

San Mateo, Calif.and#8212;Mobile display ad provider AdMob Inc. has introduced a new interactive video ad unit for Appleand#8217;s iPhone.

Yahoo Will Continue Teracent Relationship

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:53:11 -0800

When reporting Google's acquisition of dynamic ad firm Teracent yesterday, one of my primary questions was, will Yahoo continue to work with Teracent? In May, Yahoo announced partnerships with Teracent and another dynamic ad firm -- Tumri -- to expand the capabilities of the Yahoo Smart Ads dynamic ad platform. Yahoo later extended its deal with Teracent to the mobile platform, giving advertisers similar dynamic ad capabilities on wireless devices.

According to a Yahoo spokesperson who got back to me today, "We anticipate continuing to work with Teracent."

AOL Won't Kill the Running Man

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:35:00 -0800

The release of AOL's new logo has some wondering about the fate of its Running Man mascot, closely identified with the company and especially with its AIM messenger product. AOL Chief of Staff Maureen Sullivan wants the world to know the little yellow guy will not be run down by a rebranding team drunk on reinvention.

On the contrary, AOL has specific plans for him in the coming year, she said. "The idea is not to lock him into the logo and set him a bit more free," she said. "We have some good things up our sleeve and where we'll see the Running Man in 2010."

"Consumers love the running man," she said.

The Good, The Bad, and the Just Too Small

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:02:55 -0800

Hey Blondie, want to watch some of the most panoramic cinematography ever on your tiny computer monitor? Well, now you can.

According to an expandable video ad for YouTube I just spotted on Meebo, the video site is offering free views of the iconic Leone trilogy of spaghetti westerns -- "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," "A Fistful of Dollars," and "For a Few Dollars More" -- until the end of the month. Call me crazy, but a relatively small computer screen isn't the most ideal place to view these flicks, which feature some amazing views of Andalucia, Spain. I imagine those cool closeups of The Bad and The Ugly will come through OK, though.

Anyhow, there doesn't appear to be one particular sponsor attached to this offer. I've spotted pre-roll video and accompanying display ads from Chase Sapphire, Progresso, and Canon running before the movies.

Those Filthy Scrubbing Bubbles

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:57:13 -0800

Shiny Suds from People Against Dirty on Vimeo.

Method's perfectly executed parody of old-time bathroom cleaner ads, released this week, makes other house cleaners look positively filthy. The magic happens at the end of a send-up of Dow's Scrubbing Bubbles commercials (example from 1978 below), when mom pops into the shower only to find those same bubbles still lingering, transformed into creepy chemical voyeurs. The video resides at PeopleAgainstDirty.com, which Method created to support two Household Product Labeling Acts in the House and Senate. The tag line: "When did clean become so dirty?"

Facebook Lets Page Owners Target Content by Region

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:43:17 -0800

Facebook has added an important new feature for Page owners with large numbers of geographically distributed fans. The capability allows Page admins to target content by location and language, offering brands, celebrities and major media orgs the promise of more relevant messaging.

Using the function, a large brand like Adidas (above) can publish details about an event in Chile to its acolytes in that country.

Facebook's blog post about the feature has a few additional details:

A dialog box will appear in which you can enter locations and languages. You can begin by entering a country in the "Locations" field. Based on the country you enter, additional options for state/province and city may also appear. Next, you may want to enter a language in the "Languages" field. You can enter multiple locations and languages based on the fans you are interested in reaching with your post.

Facebook Ads Product Has Customer Service Issues

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:07:29 -0800

A few stories ClickZ's editors are reading:

Facebook Ads Has Customer Support Problems
aimClear Blog
A rant about one agency's struggle to obtain decent service from Facebook.

The Counterculture Club
FT.com
A compelling profile of Vice, the multiplatform media and advertising company that started as a hipster magazine.

Google Promotes Content Network "Blast"
AdWords Agency Blog
Previously used mainly by political ad buyers, the company is now promoting its network blast ad buying option to commercial marketers.

Adknowledge Buys Ad Network SocialMedia
TechCrunch
Acquires SocialMedia.com -- a specialist in ad campaigns on social media apps -- for an undisclosed sum.

Google Branded Phone a Reality

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:57:26 -0800

A few stories of note from around the Web:

The Google Phone Is Very Real. And It's Coming Soon
TechCrunch
Google-branded phone to be sold directly through retailers. Will be produced by a major manufacturer and available in early 2010.

Microsoft, Yahoo Poised to Sign Search Deal
AllThingsD
Once official deal is signed, the only barrier to its implementation will be regulatory approval.

Yahoo Go to be Shut Down
TechCrunch
Once a mainstay of Yahoo's mobile strategy, the Go application may have outlived its usefulness.

EVB's Impressive Stop-Motion Video for Orbit Gum

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:47:57 -0800

EVB made the above stop-motion animated video for Wrigley's Orbit gum. The ad features 500 drawings that depict a rolling ball of paper, which morphs into a swarm of mouths that clean up a dirty old house. The ad camn be viewed at the OrbitCleanItUp YouTube channel, where it has picked up 37,000 views.

EVB was one of three digital agencies to win Wrigley's business, the company said last week. The digital account previously belonged to Tribal DDB, Digitas, and Agency.com, AdAge reported.

Will AOL Try to Replace TMZ?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:13:47 -0800

As you may have read, TMZ will no longer be part of the AOL family once it splits from Time Warner, which will operate the site instead. AOL confirmed this with me today.

So, is this a blow to AOL from an advertising sales perspective? Well, TMZ took ad sales in-house in July. So, it may not even be a boon for Time's sales staff.

However, TMZ has been a nice jewel for AOL to show off when hyping its owned properties, at least from a branding perspective. In May, comScore Media Metrix ranked the celeb gossip site second in its entertainment news category, with 9.2 million unique visitors - second to Omg.com's 12.5 million in May.

The company in January unveiled its MediaGlow publishing unit, which included TMZ, Moviefone, and others. The firm said at the time they'd roll out 30 new sites this year.

In its positioning in front of advertisers and agencies, AOL has made a big deal of its plans to ramp up its owned content. It's pointed to MediaGlow traffic growth on sites like FanHouse, BlackVoices, AOL Health, StyleList.com, and Engadget.

And consider this: AOL downplays TMZ in its own site navigation. Clicking "Celebrity News" takes users to its pop culture site Popeater.com, while TMZ is far below that link on the nav.

Still, even if AOL intends for Popeater to compete with TMZ, or plans to acquire or build out another celeb gossip property, it will have a lot of catching up to do. According to Quantcast's direct measurement, TMZ grabbed 4.4 million uniques last week, while Quantcast's estimated weekly traffic for Popeater.com since 2007 is pegged at 806,000 uniques.

RockYou Raises $50 Million in VC Funding

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:20:00 -0800

A few stories ClickZ's editors are reading:

RockYou Raises $50 Million In Venture Capital (TechCrunch)

Google Strikes YouTube Deal With Univision (Dow Jones Newswires)

The Problem With AOL's Media Strategy (Business Insider)

Does the Industry Need Big Digital Agencies Anymore? (AdAge)

SEM Gets Juiced

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:53:32 -0800

Wow, has search marketing come a long way. I just did a Google search for "Flu preventions" and one of the top advertisers is the Florida Department of Citrus. "Fight those nasty cold and flu bugs by drinking Florida orange juice!" exclaims the ad, linking to FloridaJuice.com.

Vacuum maker Oreck is also running ads against flu prevention searches, promising "Free Gifts & Free Shipping."

Millennial Media Gets $16M in New Funding

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:22:00 -0800

A few stories ClickZ's editors are reading:

Millennial Media Gets $16M in New Funding Money will be used to fuel growth and international expansion. (Baltimore Sun)

Is Marketing a Strategic Resource or a Procured Commodity? Interactive Advertising Bureau CEO Randy Rothenberg pens another screed on the importance of the big idea, among other things. (I, a Bee)

In Detroit, Agencies Compete to Sell City as a Creative Haven (New York Times)

Mobile Ads: Wait Until Next Year (AdWeek)

President Obama Admits He Has Never Used Twitter (TechCrunch)

How Microsoft's Verizon Deal Got Hijacked (AdAge)

YouTube Succumbs To Branding As Warner Music Begins Its Return (TechCrunch)

Annals of Weird Advertising Dead body spam appears in World of Warcraft (MIT Advertising Lab)

Class-action Suits Could Hit Facebook, MySpace Over Scam Offers (Venture Beat)

Guitar Center Breathes New Life Into Dull 'Wish List' Genre

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:48:47 -0800

Guitar Center is spicing up the worn-out genre of wish lists with an interactive tool that lets people say "gimme" with a bit of style and attitude.

Visitors to the music retailer's Web site can use the Wish List poster generator to create online rock posters in one of a number of styles, including indie, 60s, garage, new wave, rockabilly, punk, and metal. The application lets musicians drag guitars, amps, cables and other products into the template of their choosing; upload their own image; and disseminate the final product on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.

Poster creators are also sent a coupon for 10 percent off a single item. Which is a good thing, because hey, at least you'll get a few bucks off your next box of picks when your dad fails to spring for that $999 Bass Pro Power Amp.

Search Evangelism

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:19:04 -0800

A poster seen on a NYC subway for Marble Collegiate Church.

Google Adds Analytics to DoubleClick for Advertisers

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:06:24 -0800

Google has unveiled two incremental changes to DoubleClick for media planning and analytics. It's all part of Google's hope to attract more display ad dollars.

The company described its new DFA Analytics tool as similar to Google Analytics. It will allow marketers to get regular campaign performance updates, in chart and graph form, and broken down by advertiser, campaigns, site, etc.

Also, for media planning, trafficking and reporting, marketers can now access Google Ad Planner within DFA. Both changes are available only in DFA 6.

Google called the new offerings, "just the beginning to a more unified, efficient, and effective advertising platform."

Supporting Underserved Entrepreneurs

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Goldman Sachs' initiative to help small business has drawn headlines. Here are some programs targeting microenterprises and inner-city entrepreneurs

Goldman Sachs Announces $500M in Aid to Small Business

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:24:44 -0800

Lords of high finance may seem unlikely sources of aid for small businesses. But Goldman Sachs (GS), along with Warren Buffett and several education and nonprofit groups, today announced a $500 million charitable project to aid small businesses over five years.

Special Report: Inner City 100

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:21:03 -0800

Why the Boss Needs to Put Profits First

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:45:00 -0800

Without a clear financial and operational plan that emphasizes profits, a $6 million printing business that could be thriving is steadily losing money

More Turnaround Ace Case Studies

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:21:03 -0800

Why Brooklyn Industries Manufactures in China

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:50:42 -0800

Founders Lexy Funk and Vahap Avsar were better at retailing than manufacturing. So they researched and tested Chinese plants and decided to outsource

Special Report: Outsourcing

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:21:03 -0800

More Entrepreneur's Journals

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:21:03 -0800

Swine Flu Should Prompt Business Checkups

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:40 -0800

Tech consultant Gene Marks explains why flu-related employee absences may turn out to be a good thing for fellow small business owners

Launch a Product Like Barnes & Noble

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:24:32 -0800

To give a new item a boost, borrow a page from retailer Barnes & Noble's carefully orchestrated marketing campaign for its e-book reader

Meet the Entrepreneurs of the Year

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:37:22 -0800

Ernst & Young's annual awards recognize owners and managers running disruptive high-growth companies. Get pointers from some of this year's national winners

E&Y Entrepreneurs of the Year, 2009

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Ernst & Young's annual awards program recognizes owners and managers running high-growth companies. Meet this year's national winners

How to Not Go Out of Business

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:15:49 -0800

Start by studying how your best customers interact with your brand and its competitors, then brainstorm ways to address any shortcomings

Why the Boss Needs to Pay Herself More

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:17 -0800

The owner of a garment factory works nonstop and takes a $25,000 salary, masking major cash leaks and operational flaws. It's time to reassess

When a 'Pop-Up' Shop Makes Sense

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:26 -0800

Retailers could set up a temporary storefront if they expect a seasonal spike in sales, says Pitney Bowes Business Insight's Deb Purcell

Why Global Entrepreneurship Week Matters

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:30:45 -0800

Two of the initiative's proponents make the case for why it pays to encourage entrepreneurship among young people around the globe

The Medical Marijuana Business Matures

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:26:46 -0800

In the few places that allow storefront dispensaries, entrepreneurs are adopting nonprofit business models to cope with legal gray areas

Inside Ski Maker K2's Design Process

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:46:44 -0800

Design and innovation strategy at Seattle-based winter gear manufacturer K2 focuses on harnessing ideas from employees and sponsored athletes