2013-04-11 • 1:37 pm 0
This is an interesting develop … the continuing integration of social media into the marketing mix, especially, the marketing automation mix. This is especially worth reviewing, if your target demographic is on the younger side … < 30.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Filed under: multichannel commerce, acquisition, Direct Commerce, marketing, multichannel, social media
2013-04-11 • 1:21 pm 0
This is a slide deck, which I produced and uploaded to slideshare.net. Click here.
Filed under: multichannel commerce, content management, customer service, ecommerce, inventory, marketing, multi-channel, OMS, product master, web store, WMS
2012-11-14 • 12:00 pm 0
I realize that what I’m about to say is probably an over-simplification … but sometimes, we can make things so complex that we lose sight of the fundamentals. That’s the point I’m hoping to make today.
Conceptually, business is pretty simple. You really only need three things:
Point 3 is actually marketing. And in a very real sense, marketing & sales is about getting the prospective customer to act. It’s easier, cheaper, less risky for the prospective customer not to buy your product or service.
Perhaps, this explains why so much marketing effort is devoted to promotions. A promotion is simply intended to provide a prospective buyer with an “out-of-the-ordinary” reason to act … lower price, free shipping, higher quantity for the same money.
JCPenney is currently engaged in an experiment (under their new CEO, Ron Johnson) to see if they can sell as much, without so many promotions, as they could with so many promotions. It will be interesting to watch the outcome.
However, I expect, the experiment will fail. Because JCP’s merchandise, by itself, is not a sufficient “draw” to bring in buyers, without promotions. Promotions give buyers a reason to act … whether the reason is truly “real”, or just “perceived”, promotions provide the motivation to “act now.” Without the promotion, there is less reason to act.
Product availability is necessary, but it’s table stakes.
Product quality is important, but varies by target market segment.
Overcoming buyer inertia is critical to all business. Without it every business fails.
Filed under: Ideas, Opinion, business strategy, inertia, inventory, JCPenney, manufacturing, marketing
2012-11-01 • 2:12 pm 0
This is the title of a post by Ginger Conlon, Editor-in-Chief, Direct Marketing News. You can read it here.
She writes about the proactive messaging from several companies in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy hitting NJ & NY. I agree with her point, as far as she goes. But she doesn’t go far enough.
Customer Service is always marketing.
Every time you have an interaction with a customer, a transaction with a customer, it’s marketing. The customer is testing whether she/he can trust you enough to do business with you. It’s hard to gain that trust and easier than it should be to lose it.
If you don’t see Customer Service as Marketing … you’re missing an important factor and may be losing a lot of customers. Although, if it’s any consolation, there are too many businesses in that same boat.
Filed under: Direct Commerce, Ideas, Opinion, customer loyalty, customer service, Direct Marketing News, hurricane sandy, marketing, retention
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