Resources

ReadyContacts on LinkedIn

  • Articles

    • Do You Have CallerID For Your Website?
      ReadyContacts Role-based B2B Contacts | Aug 03, 2010
      Everyone visiting your website is a potential lead. This is especially true for B2B companies because the most likely reason business contacts visit a B2B company website is because they are looking for a similar solution. So its critical for you to have complete knowledge of who is visiting your website. Its like having CallerID [...]
    • Are you investing enough in Sales Research?
      ReadyContacts Role-based B2B Contacts | Jun 01, 2010
      B2B demand generation is getting tougher than ever before. Mass marketing is dead. Direct marketing is ignored. Email marketing has turned into a spray and pray tactic. But sales quotes have remained the same and are growing. In this situation, its imperative for every marketer to think outside the box – I know everyone says [...]
    • Kicking in for Haiti
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 15, 2010
      Kicking in for HaitiThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Kicking in for HaitiThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Click on this ad for a quick way to donate via UNICEF . . . Or, tell me what you would do for a job if you could do anything in the world in the comments of this post and I’ll kick in $1 per comment to this [...]
    • My language is just grating!
      The Marketing Minute | Jan 15, 2010
      I've noticed something that's been quite prevalent in my writing of late. The word "great." Apparently I think just about everything is great. Lazy is what that's all about. Lazy writing is boring writing. It's not juicy. My words aren't caressing a darn thing. Lazy is not memorable, quotable or even mildly noteworthy. No matter what the subject -- word choice matters. So.... First, I apologize that I've been serving up lazy word choices. You deserve better. Second, 2010 is going to be the year of juicy language. Now I...
    • Car Talk: Ford, Social Media and Me
      MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog | Jan 14, 2010
      Related posts:
        For Global Glamazons, Ford Models Turns to Social Networking We Need To Talk: 6 Keys to Bringing Up Social Media 2010 In Social Media
    • Groupon Train is Worth a Small Business Ride
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 14, 2010
      Groupon Train is Worth a Small Business RideThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Groupon Train is Worth a Small Business RideThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Groupon is a fascinating study in the fusion of online and offline marketing tactics to drive local business. Couponing sites have come and gone over the years, but Groupon’s connection to social media is turning it into a bit of a movement. A typical [...]
    • Measuring Happiness: On the Road to Customer Satisfaction
      CRM Mastery Blog | Jan 14, 2010
      Here are several excerpts from an excellent article by Santatu Nandi, an Execitive VP with Firstsource, Measuring Happiness: On the Road to Customer Satisfaction. For much more, checkout the complete source article: While not the first to draw a bead on customer satisfaction, the telecommunications industry has devoted enormous resources to this area of the [...]
    • Sharing is how you build a Brand
      Buzz Marketing for Technology | Jan 14, 2010
      In a recent BusinessWeek article featuring Tony Hsieh from Zappos – they closed with a quote from Tony “Sharing is how we build our brand.” And I couldn’t help but agree. Whether you are a CMO’s of a B2C or B2B Marketing team the key in this next decade is sharing and the key to sharing [...] Related posts:
        Personal Brands RULE on Social Networks On Facebook you can’t be a Friend of a... Why you need to build your Social Capital? So over the last few blog posts we have looked... Spend More Time Planning your Content Strategy! Because of my new book, Facebook Marketing for Dummies (Wiley),...
      Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
    • For Sale: Business Culture
      MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog | Jan 13, 2010
      Related posts:
        Where Does Your Company Culture Rank? ‘Zappos and Amazon Sitting in a Tree…’ The New Design Culture at P&G
    • Case Study:: New Opt-in Tactics and Welcome Series Deliver Big Lift in Subscribers, Engagement
      Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Jan 13, 2010
      A good list-growth campaign should be tied to a welcome message -- or series of messages -- that capitalize on new subscriber interest in your company's communications. Read how the marketing team for a state tourism agency tackled this goal with an incentive offer for new email subscribers and a welcome series to get them to interact with the site. Opt-in rate increased 2,000%, and conversion rates from the welcome series averaged 31.4%.
    • Private Clouds Are A Fix, Not The Future
      CRM Mastery Blog | Jan 13, 2010
      Here are several excerpts from an insightful article by Alistair Croll, principal analyst at Bitcurrent, Private Clouds Are A Fix, Not The Future: Over the last few months, there’s been growing discussion over private and hybrid clouds. At first blush, a “private cloud” sounds like an oxymoron, particularly if you subscribe to Amazon CTO Werner [...]
    • Ted Mininni: For Sale: Business Culture
      Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Jan 13, 2010
      A recent Business Week article, “Zappos Retails its Culture” offered a tantalizing proposition. After all, if an entrepreneur creates a successful business, why not sell the concept to other entrepreneurs interested in starting up new ventures? So thought Tony Hsieh, Zappos Chief Executive. So, beginning last summer, Zappos began offering two day seminars at $4,000 a pop to share the successful Internet retailer’s recipe for recreating “the essence of its corporate culture”. Now, there are plans to offer these seminars once per quarter in 2010. There’s no doubt that Zappos is a successful online shoe retailer. In fact, in spite of the challenging retail climate of the past year, Zappos enjoyed a double digit sales increase. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos was suitably impressed and purchased Zappos this past November for shares worth $1.2 billion. It’s obvious the company represents a strong, viable retail brand, when a great many heritage retail brands are in trouble. So why not share the formula for success by offering seminars? Hsieh’s seminars center on his culture where the topics of hiring, employee compensation, customer interaction and creating a positive work environment are top of mind. Hsieh himself, as well as a couple dozen members of his staff conduct these seminars. Some of Zappos employee policies, as outlined in the article: Call center operators’ initial salary is $11.00 per hour. There are no employee bonuses. There are no 401K matching contributions. Hsieh believes productive employees derive the most satisfaction from helping their customers. Customer service employees enjoy plenty of freedom—and latitude in doing their jobs. They can spend hours servicing one customer—even directing them to competitors’ web sites. Whatever it takes to satisfy the customer’s needs is job #1. Having fun while doing it is part of the job. Over 95% of Zappos transactions occur online, so phone calls to customer service reps are viewed as opportunities to connect with consumers and “wow them” according to Hsieh. Top priority: to establish emotional connections with the customer. In reading all of this, a number of questions came to my mind, and I’m sure, to yours, too. Do you think the Zappos culture can be easily replicated in other companies? Do you think it should be? Does it make a difference if an entrepreneur who is starting up a new company tries to replicate the Zappos model, versus an established company trying to change an existing culture? Do you believe each company has its own, unique culture based on its mix of executives and employees? Why or why not? Lastly, do you think Zappos’ employee policies would work for most companies? Why or why not? I’d love to hear from you.
    • Where Is Cause Marketing Heading In 2010?
      MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog | Jan 12, 2010
      Related posts:
        Strategies In The 2010 Social Media Marketing Ecosystem Nonprofit and Social Marketers Have the Toughest Challenges Is the Idea of ‘Business-Minded Charities’ an Oxymoron?
    • Case Study:: Pricing Psychology Test: Shopping Guide Lifts Order Value 35%
      Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Jan 12, 2010
      Consumers are watching their spending, which means marketers must find creative ways to appeal to cost-conscious buyers without hurting their own bottom lines. One marketing team found a solution in the work of a behavioral economist. Read how they adapted a psychological experiment about the impact of arbitrary price benchmarks on a consumer's spending habits. They created a "budget" shopping guide that included useful tips on assembling an inexpensive party, but featured a total price point higher than the typical customer's party spending. The result: a 35% increase in average order value.
    • Case Study:: Letter, 3-D Glasses Drive Prospects to Campaign Microsite: 5 Steps to 31.11% Response Rate
      Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Jan 12, 2010
      Creating direct mail campaigns that get noticed -- and get prospects to respond -- often means more than a basic postcard. But you don't always need to go with a big, fancy dimensional mailer or expensive gift to cut through the clutter. See how the marketing team behind a web-conferencing platform tested a direct mail strategy to wow the discriminating creative professional segment. The combination of a mysterious one-line letter, a pair of 3-D glasses, and an interactive PURL generated a 31.11% response rate and other impressive metrics.
    • Test Your Marketing Intuition: Pier 1 Imports email design
      MarketingExperiments Blog: Research-driven optimization, testing, and marketing ideas | Jan 12, 2010
      Which agency-designed email for Pier 1 Imports performed the best? Test your marketer's intuition and then tune in to today’s live web clinic to discover the answer.
    • Stop Trying To Be Better Than the Competition
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 12, 2010
      Stop Trying To Be Better Than the CompetitionThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Stop Trying To Be Better Than the CompetitionThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing And start figuring out how you can be different than your competition. So many business owners or would be start-ups sit around this time of year trying to figure out how they can be better than the competition – better product, better service, [...]
    • Marketing Podcast with Grammar Girl
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 12, 2010
      Marketing Podcast with Grammar GirlThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing Podcast with Grammar GirlThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Mignon Fogerty (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I thought I would grab one of my favorite podcasters Mignon Fogarty. Fogarty is known to legions [...]
    • How To Get Your Web Analytics Implementation Right
      CRM Mastery Blog | Jan 12, 2010
      Here are several excerpts from an excellent article by James Gurd, a freelance eCommerce and Marketing Manger, How To Get Your Web Analytics Implementation Right.  For much more detail, check out the complete source article: Analytics is the corner stone of online optimization, right? So why is that so many retailers I’ve spoken to have [...]
    • Social Media Monitoring, Using Twitter as a PR Early Warning System
      Better Closer | Jan 12, 2010
      Social media monitoring is increasingly important for public relations departments and agencies. The social Web is often the battlefield of modern PR. These social networks of companies, customers, and employees are naturally flowing important stories. That makes it all the more critical that PR professionals are monitoring these new media channels. One of the most important [...]
    • What you can learn from Mister Splashy Pants
      Buzz Marketing for Technology | Jan 12, 2010
      Ok so what does a humpback whale have to do with marketing? Check out this campaign from Greenpeace for the [...] No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
    • Elaine Fogel: Where Is Cause Marketing Heading In 2010?
      Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Jan 12, 2010
      In a recent Advertising Age article, Mike Swenson says that cause marketing is becoming a mature marketing option. Even when marketing budgets were tighter in 2009, we saw even more cause marketing partnerships launch. So, where is it heading in 2010 and what should you know?Swenson predicts: Look for brands to develop programs that engage consumers instead of simply cutting a check or asking for donations. With more marketing dollars supporting cause programs, you can also expect to see a link between a brand's loyalty marketing programs and its cause programs. The third integrated trend to watch will be more multilevel deals between nonprofits, brands and media properties. In order for charities to truly benefit, brands must treat their cause programs with the same level of business acumen they do their other marketing outreaches. If more brands take that philosophy to heart, then we will see an even larger growth pattern for cause in 2010. Read "The Most Influential Cause Marketing Campaigns of All Time" from David Hessekiel, founder and president of the Cause Marketing Forum. Now, your turn. What cause marketing campaign is your company (or nonprofit) planning for 2010? What do you see as its benefits for both the business and nonprofit sectors?
    • Strategies In The 2010 Social Media Marketing Ecosystem
      MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog | Jan 11, 2010
      A few days ago I blogged my thoughts on the shape of the social media marketing ecosystem as we enter 2010. The key aspects of the system from my perspective were: The lines have truly blurred. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to draw a line between different forms of communications, especially when considering the online space. Successful communications [...] Related posts:
        The Power of Social Media meets the Press Release Who Wins the Struggle for Social Media Control? The Role of PR in Social Media: A Podcast with Doug Haslam and Shel Holtz
    • Interview:: Six Scientifically Proven Ways to Succeed in Office Politics
      Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Jan 11, 2010
      If your goals for the New Year include becoming a more persuasive marketer and team leader, we've got the tools that can help. In this classic interview from our archives, we talked to a renowned expert on the science of influence and compiled excerpts from his books to demonstrate ways to make people say "yes" to your messaging and management. Includes links to scientific studies and takeaways to use at work or home.
    • Getting More From Your Google Maps Profile
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 11, 2010
      Getting More From Your Google Maps ProfileThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Getting More From Your Google Maps ProfileThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Mobile and desktop surfers alike are turning to Google Maps to find local and sometimes nearby businesses. Optimizing your web pages for local search has become an extremely important part of the local marketing mix. Claiming and building strong profiles in the local search directories [...]
    • How to Write Compelling Social News Headlines
      CRM Mastery Blog | Jan 11, 2010
      Here’s a synopsis of an excellent post by Adam Singer, How to Write Compelling Social News Headlines; check out the complete source article for a discussion of each recommendation: Crafting unmissable headlines which resonate with social users is something which appears deceptively simple. Yet it’s an art form requiring writers, bloggers and marketers to craft [...]
    • Look Beyond Yourself for Success.
      Better Closer | Jan 11, 2010
      I think all the self-help books have a fundamental flaw. Most ask people to look in the wrong direction for success. In fact, they may even have us looking in a dangerous direction. How often have you heard: “Look deep inside,” “Start with the Man in the Mirror,” “Look to yourself.” I submit that the real key [...]
    • Dave Fleet: Strategies In The 2010 Social Media Marketing Ecosystem
      Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Jan 11, 2010
      A few days ago I blogged my thoughts on the shape of the social media marketing ecosystem as we enter 2010. The key aspects of the system from my perspective were: The lines have truly blurred. It's becoming increasingly difficult to draw a line between different forms of communications, especially when considering the online space. Successful communications programs need to integrate owned, earned and paid media to achieve their goals. Two-way communication is increasing. Wherever you look, previously one-way information flows are becoming two-way. Mainstream media feed off social media while also driving it. Advertising drives attention but also content strategies. The line between public relations, advertising or social media is artificial - the overlap between the disciplines is becoming greater and greater. While I doubt the disciplines will ever completely merge, the 'Venn diagram' of communications disciplines is moving closer to being a single circle at a rapid pace. When we talk about integration and lines blurring, it's easy to head down the thought path that you need to excel at everything. I'd argue it's not that simple. Public relations agencies (for example) don't need to shift to pitch pure-play advertising accounts. However, agencies of all disciplines do need to hire or train people who can think media-agnostically when developing communications strategies. I'd argue they also need to be able to execute the integrated tactics that sit in the grey areas between disciplines. PR firms won't suddenly start producing TV ads, but they may start to roll online advertising campaigns into their service portfolio. As always, it comes back to: What are the objectives? Who are the key audiences? What are the key considerations? How do we best reach those audiences to accomplish the objectives, and how do we measure against that? Is this new thinking? No. Is the urgency for a shift to integration increasing? Yes. It's a long road to travel to build those skills-sets, but the need is pressing. Instead of differentiating by marketing vertical, we may need to approach our strategy from a different perspective - whether we're marketing our clients or our own agencies. To fail to do so raises the risk of fragmented, ineffective communications and sub-par results. The question is, what form do those strategies take?
    • CES Coverage and a Few Finds
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 10, 2010
      CES Coverage and a Few FindsThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing CES Coverage and a Few FindsThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing As many of you may have noted by some posts here and on Twitter I attended the recent CES show in Las Vegas as a participant in the AMEX OPENForum booth. I gave presentations on social media and was joined by Anita Campbell of Small [...]
    • Weekend Favs January Nine
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 09, 2010
      Weekend Favs January NineThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Weekend Favs January NineThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve added a weekend post routine that I hope you enjoy. Each weekend I write a post that features 3-4 things I read during the week that I found interesting. Generally speaking it won’t involve much analysis and may range widely in topic. (Flickr image included here [...]
    • 5 Important Steps to Keeping Your Sales Process Moving Forward
      Better Closer | Jan 09, 2010
      I think it’s harder than ever to keep your sales process moving forward. There are so many innovative technologies that hold promise for sales. So many social media tools that help us connect and build relationships. Unfortunately all this scatters our attention and focus and working the sales pipeline. Here are some time-tested ideas for returning [...]
    • Marketing Minute gets some ink!
      The Marketing Minute | Jan 09, 2010
      It's always very gratifying when this blog gets an "atta boy" for the content and the conversation. Many thanks to all of you who contribute to the lively discussion down in the comments section. The accolades are as much yours as they are mine! The Top 50 Entrepreneur Marketing Blogs to Watch in 2010! The Top 150 Social Media Marketing Influencers Daily Reviewer's top 100 Content Marketing blogs Junta42 -- top 42 content marketing blogs Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock.com
    • Mini Cooper Ad Fires On All Cylinders
      MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog | Jan 08, 2010
      Related posts:
        Encrypted Mini Ads For Owners Eyes Only Sirius Comes as Option in MINI Coopers MINI Goes Digital with HD Radio
    • Best Books of the Decade for Marketing and Selling Services
      B2B Lead Generation Blog | Jan 08, 2010
      Rain Today, a great resource for those who market and sell services, selected their Best Book s of the Decade for marketing and selling professional services. I was humbled to see that they picked my book, Lead Generation for the...
    • Google Local Storm is Brewing
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 08, 2010
      Google Local Storm is BrewingThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Google Local Storm is BrewingThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’m out in Las Vegas at CES giving a couple talks on social media for AMEX OPEN and one of the big topics is Google’s new Nexus One phone. While it is a bit interesting that they’ve jumped into yet another market, I think the message [...]
    • Facebook, Twitter Becoming Business Tools, But CIOs Remain Wary
      CRM Mastery Blog | Jan 08, 2010
      Here are several excerpts from an article by Jon Brodkin, Senior Writer for Network World, Facebook, Twitter Becoming Business Tools, But CIOs Remain Wary.  Check out the complete source article for much more on this topic: Will 2010 be the year Facebook and Twitter take over the business world? The social networks are growing in [...]
    • What I Do When You Leave a Comment on My Blog
      Better Closer | Jan 08, 2010
      Not a lot of blogs get comments. It’s the exceptional blog that has an active community. And when you see one to pay attention. That’s why I try to appreciate every comment, every investment you make to this community. Here is what I do when you comment: 1. Read your comment - I enjoy all the smart [...]
    • Is it in your kiss?
      The Marketing Minute | Jan 08, 2010
      Remember the song that Cher sang in 1990 called the Shoop Shoop song? (here's a link to a YouTube video that I can't embed...by the way, check out her boots!) The song asks the age old question -- how you can tell if he loves you so. According to the lyrics, it's not in his eyes, his charms or even his warm embrace -- it's in his kiss. In other words... there comes a point in time when you just can't fake it. Apparently in romance, it's in the kiss....
    • Paul Williams: Mini Cooper Ad Fires On All Cylinders
      Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Jan 08, 2010
      Great advertising is extremely challenging to create. An ad or promotion needs to do many things for it to stand out among the clutter of messages. They need to...Be Attention Getting Have a Clear, Memorable Message Be Brand Appropriate Be Locally/Audience Relevant, and as a bonus Be RemarkableThe team at Amsterdam-based UbachsWisbrun/JWT got their Christmastime Mini Cooper ads right. Brilliantly right. Along with the rest of the Christmas trash pick-up - dotted around Amsterdam in the Netherlands - were large empty boxes with torn ribbons and wrapping paper. Apparently tossed by those who received new Mini Cooper cars for Christmas. As you can see below, boxes were labeled with a line drawings of the car, minimal product information, and - whoops someone left on the price tag - €99.00 per month. Almost looks like a box IKEA items are packed in.
      But, of course, new Mini cars don't arrive in a cardboard box. This was an ad. A brilliant ad. Mini Cooper has a history of clever, relevant ad messages. They promote the fun, style, and diminutive size of the Mini.
      Let's take a look at what makes this ad so great.

      Attention Getting

      Try NOT to see a box the size of a small car on the street corner. Especially one with bits of wrapping paper and broken ribbon. It's not a bus or tram ad. It's different.

      Clear, Memorable Message

      The fact that a car can fit into a box that can be piled at the curb says "small." The Mini box was piled with the rest of the Christmas packaging. Along with other toy packaging. (In the U.S. you'd see this stacked with boxes from red wagons, the Barbie Dream House, and new bikes). This ad reinforces the Mini as something fun - like a great toy. Additionally, the label on the box reads "99,- per maand" - translates to "€99.00 per month." I didn't know they were that affordable.

      Brand Appropriate

      These ads hit on everything Mini. Small. Fun. Cool. Hip. Different. Clever. Not Too Serious.

      Locally/Audience Relevant

      "Someone lucky got a Mini for Christmas!" is immediate reaction. Seasonally relevant. While you don't have to be from Amsterdam to appreciate these ads, living with the local trash pick-up system makes this ad that much more brilliant. Most Amsterdammers don't have cars to take large items to the dump. So, we can put nearly anything out to the curb for pick-up. From a broken TV to your old couch, special trash trucks arrive with cranes and scoop up large items. It is not unusual to see random household things on the curbs throughout the city. But a car-sized box? Wow! That makes this tactic that much more relevant.

      Remarkable

      This post is about garbage. A friend told me about it. Someone else posted about it. I'm telling you. Images can be found sprinkled across the internet. You'll probably show or forward this to a co-worker or friend. You may even Tweet this article. Or re-tweet someone else's tweet. That - my friend - is remarkable. Take a look at the video, and the typical reaction. See the smiles, hear the chuckles. I garun-tee these people told others.
      I'm disappointed I didn't get to see this tactic personally right here in Amsterdam. John Moore from Brand Autopsy - 5,089 miles away in Austin, Texas - passed this on to me. Remarkable. I spoke briefly with Lisa Merelle at UbachsWisbrun/JWT. She is the account manager for this campaign. She and the team are excited how people have reacted to the ads and the momentum it has on the internet. (Including this post!) So, fellow marketers and business managers... it can be done! Let this example inspire you.Be Attention Getting Have a Clear, Memorable Message Be Brand Appropriate Be Locally/Audience Relevant, and... Be Remarkable That's the recipe. What are your thoughts? Reactions? BONUS MATERIAL Search Google Images for "mini ads" to see other Mini ad examples. Thank you Ads Of The World for posting the images. Visit the link to see more images and names of the full team at UbachsWisbrun/JWT who worked on this project. More Mini Cooper ads at Marketallica site.
    • Disperse the Jargon Cloud
      MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog | Jan 07, 2010
      An executive in a technology/marketing company recently asked me to review some copy for new marketing pieces that are supposed to explain the company’s offerings to prospective customers. It’s a good thing I had sat down for a couple hours with this individual first and gotten a solid overview. Because based on the words I was [...] Related posts:
        Big Words, Bad Copy ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal.’ Building a Global Brand That Works Locally
    • Free Live Training Facebook for Small Business
      Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Jan 07, 2010
      Free Live Training Facebook for Small BusinessThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Free Live Training Facebook for Small BusinessThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Seems like Twitter did a great deal of the headline grabbing last year, while Facebook steadily pushed on to become one of the most visited sites in the world – surpassing Yahoo and even eclipsing Google on day in day out traffic some days. Everyone [...]
    • Social CRM Must Change How Processes Are Developed
      CRM Mastery Blog | Jan 07, 2010
      Here are several excerpts from an article by David Worthington about a new Forrester Research report, ‘Social CRM’ changing how processes are developed: Social media has become the new soapbox, and public conversations about companies and products have changed how customer relationship management systems and business processes should be developed, according to a Forrester Research [...]
    • Simple Competitive Intelligence Using RSS Feeds
      Better Closer | Jan 07, 2010
      Competitive intelligence is an increasingly critical skill. The economy has certainly made the business environment more competitive. However, the increasingly open and social Web is an even bigger factor. And the biggest venue is social media. Companies (your competitors) are leaking more information than ever into social media channels. Snooping on these dropped hints and disclosures [...]
    • LinkedIn Search Optimization (LSO) Critical for B2B Marketers
      Buzz Marketing for Technology | Jan 07, 2010
      Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via natural search results. This gave birth to a whole industry centered on optimizing search results for a given term. For B2C or B2B Marketers this was a huge revolution. But for B2B Marketing [...] Related posts:
        Social Search could it be a Google Killer? This morning I typed into Google the search term: VoIP... Is Twitter a Critical Part of your Resume? The short answer is – YES! In a recent article... 10 BtoB Marketers Predictions for 2010 Around this time last year I wrote about some Predictions...
      Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
    • Paul Barsch: New Markets: Too Late for Green Technology?
      Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Jan 07, 2010
      In a quest to grow revenues, marketers are often charged with discovering and branching into new markets. And while the “green economy” sure looks promising, Western companies are discovering that state and privately owned Chinese enterprises are establishing strong footholds. In a race to develop green technologies and dominate green markets, does China have an insurmountable lead?Paul Volcker, chairman of U.S President Barack Obama’s Economic Advisory Board recently said, “(The United States) needs to do a better job at the new industries coming along, the so called green economy.” However, an article from the New Yorker titled “Green Giant” suggests that China has invested in green technologies for decades and already has a significant head start. Why China and green technologies? Call it a matter of survival. As factory to the world, China is now responsible for a larger carbon footprint than even the United States. And while links between carbon emissions and global warming are debatable, Chinese leaders haven’t taken any chances investing in technologies that are more environmentally friendly such as wind and solar. Moreover, its export heavy led economy needs energy to sustain itself, so renewable energy is definitely a national security imperative. Strategic planning is often about seeing significant trends on the horizon, making big (and wise) bets and laying the foundation for future dominance. To this point, according to the New Yorker article, as far back as 1986 Chinese leaders saw the beginnings of a “new technological revolution” and started building green capabilities and setting targets for heat and wind turbines, solar panels and hydro-electric dams. Indeed years of heavy investment have paid off in that China now manufactures “more solar cells than any other country” and has doubled its wind capacity for three years running (2006-2008). It’s tempting to dismiss the prowess—and progress of China with a vision of cheap goods, backwards factories, inefficient processes and thousands of workers in assembly lines producing with ancient technologies. Yet, in many cases Chinese factories are just as productive, clean, and advanced as Western enterprises, and in some instances the only place a product can be made—cost effectively—is in China! There is a sliver of good news, however for Western companies. While the New Yorker article cites China’s ability to scale and mass produce green technologies, much of the innovation and science behind the scenes still comes from the West. One can only wonder, however, how long this lead in innovation will hold, especially as R&D expenditures, “have grown faster in China than other big country—climbing about 20% per year for two decades to $70B last year.” Perhaps there’s a future in collaboration between Western countries and China. “Chinese manufacturing and American innovation is powerful,” says Kevin Czinger, a former Goldman Sachs executive. Mr. Czinger calls it the “Apple model” where innovation and know-how is born in the West and execution resides in Asia. On the other hand, with a just small portion of the overall “value” of a product staying in China, it seems unlikely that China will be content as simply the muscular strength powering the world economy. Questions: Marketers; dominance of green markets isn’t just limited to green energy. Green design, building, packaging, chemistry, and nanotechnologies are also in play. Which areas hold the most promise for Western companies? With unemployment levels nearing 12-17% in some US states and cities, the green industry is often seen as a potential panacea. Are Western countries in danger of losing green jobs to developing countries? If so, what’s the remedy? How does “green technology” fit in the future of your company?

  • Free trial
    To get started, please fill out the form below and we wil get in touch with you right away.
    • Name:
    • Email address:
    • Company:
    • Phone number:
    • Description:
    •  
    •  
    •  

    SEE WHO IS USING READYCONTACTS
    Katie McEachern,
    Corporate Marketing
    Pegasystems Inc.
    ReadyContacts has been an extremely reliable source to get embedded contact names and titles for our key targets accounts for marketing campaigns. They are cost effective, reliable, easy to work with and the final product is always excellent. I would recommend them without reservation.