Posted by: Paul.Christ
on Jul 29, 2009
Highlighted Marketing Stories:
- Rebaters Face More Laws, Enforcement (DM News) - This is relatively short story but it does contain valuable legal information concerning rebates. In particular, its coverage of how price should be advertised is important for any marketer considering rebate promotions.
Laws in various states dictate how rebates can be advertised. For example, some states prohibit advertising a post-rebate price unless the price paid at the register is clearly disclosed. Even in states where such a disclosure isn't specifically mandated, the disclosure is arguably necessary to comply with advertising laws.
Is it really deceptive for advertisements to highlight a product's after-rebate price rather than what the customer will actually pay when they do purchase the product?
Last week, a document surfaced online showing concept sketches for a Microsoft store where people can order personalized laptops, take classes and get help from experts. Microsoft said the sketches were early ideas and that the company hasn't finalized its designs.
Is Microsoft taking a page out of Apple's playbook when it comes to retail outlets?
The FTC has said since 1980 that consumer endorsements must be honest opinions from actual customers, or clearly marked otherwise, and payments or other arrangements that would affect the testimonial's credibility must be disclosed.
Is it believable that such a large percentage of Americans (reported in the story as 84%) are influenced by online evaluations posted by others?
- Managing an Online Reputation (New York Times) - And while we are on the topic of online postings, this is an informative story on what to do if people are talking about you online. As we have discussed, this is really part of the new tasks of PR people though those without PR help will also like what is discussed here. Curiously, this story also mentions the "84%" figure we talked about in the story above.
But managing your online reputation requires a whole new skill set, including monitoring the online conversation and engaging with customers and the tech-savvy to promote yourself in the best channels.
After posting a reply should a marketer/business owner continue to respond to those who post follow-up comments or just let the initial response speak for itself?
Posted by: Paul.Christ
on Jul 27, 2009
Highlighted Marketing Stories:
- The New Starbucks: A Subtler Brand (ABC News) - This video news story gives a peek at how Starbucks is researching a possible new approach through a no-name test store. Products include tea, beer and other non-Starbucks product offerings.
Can Starbucks build a new brand that is not easily associated with the well-recognized brand name?
- New Pricing Plan Soon To Be At Play For Online Music (NPR) - High-tech methods for setting the right price have been around a long time so there are more than a few who are skeptical that the plan discussed in this story will actually work. But such methods for dynamic pricing are common among online sites and this is certainly something to watch.
"We use our science to systematically decrease the price," says Jan Eglen, the CEO of Digonex. "We find the exact moment and the exact price that the people are willing to pay. That's the sweet spot."
Digonex has an algorithm that factors in how many songs are being sold and how often they sell to calculate how much to charge.
How will customers respond to ever changing pricing for online music?
- Astroturfing - A Problem for Marketers, Not Sports Stars (AdLaw) - The title of this potentially deceptive marketing practice has nothing to do with the turf on some sports fields but with a marketing practice that for one company resulted in "false positive" comments about the company's products appearing on many websites.
According to the New York attorney general’s complaint, Lifestyle Lift asked its employees to create accounts with various Internet message boards and pose as satisfied customers of Lifestyle Lift. In addition, employees were asked to attack legitimate message board posters who criticized Lifestyle Lift, and tried to get those posts removed from message boards.
Is it likely that many other marketers are also doing the same thing but just have not yet been caught?
Posted by: Paul.Christ
on Jul 24, 2009
Highlighted Marketing Stories:
- The Web Knows What You Want (BusinessWeek) - This story offers excellent insight into methods online retailers use to predict what customers may want. While some readers may instantly tie such activities to privacy concerns, as noted below, these methods seem limited to only user activity on a retailer's own site and not tracking customers from one site to another.
But unlike the most controversial advertising technology, which tracks Web surfers' wanderings from site to site, many of these "preference prediction" methods limit their scrutiny to behavior on a retailer's own Web page. Much of the analysis looks simply at the patterns of clicks, purchases, and other variables, without including personal information about the shopper.
Are online shoppers becoming more aware of how they are being tracked by the sites they visit or are most still not very in tune with how their online behavior is monitored?
- The Domain Name Business (BusinessWeek) - Internet site names can hold tremendous value for the owners of the names and can cost a lot for someone who wants a name but does not own it. This story addresses these things and more.
Online property typically increases in value over time, particularly generic or descriptive domains that have the enduring, evergreen quality that drives traffic. Similar to traditional real estate, if you invest in the right virtual property, and hold on to it for a while, you will likely see a solid ROI.
For anyone starting a business I always suggest they look for the availability of the domain name first before establishing their business name. Do you agree?