Why Not Ask Your Customer?

How should we improve our products? What new services should we offer? More often than not these questions are not asked to the customer. Companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars on market research, data analysis, customer focus groups and often forget to simply ask their customer – what else would you like?

Despite Recession, Internet Advertising Still Growing

Although the overall advertising market is expected to decline in 2009, several recent reports are still projecting an increase in the on-line advertising space.

The Future of Retail

Interesting article today in the Wall Street Journal by Tom Hayes and Michael Malone highlighting the rapid and significant change in media and the potential impact on how retailers find and connect with the customer.

Retailers now must reimagine a world where consumers experience products in stores but ultimately buy them on the Web: Stores are for experiences, the network is for inventories. And what in turn prepares potential customers for what to look for in stores? Online communities.

Although the statement above is a bit for effect to help lift sales of their upcoming book, it does raise a legitimate and serious question about the future of the retail experience.  With the majority of shoppers checking reviews online before they purchase, the impact of social networks and word of mouth referral can not be overstated.

Too Little Value

If you have ever attended a business plan seminar, an elevator pitch class or  a forum on how to pitch your company to investors you will realize a common theme exists – your ideas is providing a solution to what problem? Another way to describe this concept is what value do you provide to your target audience? Generally this concept is held in high regard – except in the world of the Internet business.

Internet Primary Research Resource for C-Level Executives

A recent studyconducted by Ipsos looks at how C-level executives are adopting and accepting the rapid evolution in media.  The Internet is now the leading point of information for researching a business problem, a fact that should come as no surprise given that the vast majority of the population already does, including 90% of traditional media.  What is surprising is how many do not recognize or use the Internet to its fullest potential. 

U.S Internet Marketing to Reach $42 Billion by 2011

A study out recently by eMarketer highlighted the rapid expansion of Internet Advertising over the next few years, projecting total Internet spending to reach $42 billion in 2011.  This rapid expansion will move Internet advertising from about 6% of overall media expenditures to over 13%.  This massive shift in spending presents some interesting challenges and opportunities to the rapidly changing world of digital media.

 

What impact will that have on current advertising models and how will the increase be impacted by the web 2.0 world?

Organic Search, Seriously?

A brilliant friend of mine and V-fluence (leading interactive public relations firm) commented there is nothing organic about search anymore. Interesting comment, and an accurate one.

With the explosive increase of web sites, blogs and anything else you can think of to throw on the Internet, becoming visible in search is far from organic or natural.  In fact an entire industry has developed focused just on improving search visibility.

OK, TED it is.

Every so often there are really interesting ideas and concepts that need to be shared – and often have the potential to inspire others.  A few years ago (about 18 to be exact) the first TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference was organized.  A little blurb from TED History.

Everyone is part of the marketing team

It is interesting to gauge the response from people when asked what type of media company they are – most respond they are in some other business, some give a confused answer and some just stare blankly thinking it is a trick question.

Every organization is (or will be) a media company.  Thinking you are not is similar to people in the 1990s who did not embrace technology and dismissed the Internet as something that is not part of their business.  Do you know anyone who would say that now?

How to Build a Successful News Blog: 10 Information Sources You Can Use

News blogs are fast-paced blogs which track, aggregate and disseminate current news on a set range of topics. Their main selling points are comprehensiveness and timeliness: a good news blog must cover the field throughly and speedily by pointing readers to new information or developments.