Custom-Content Spend a Good Chunk of Marketing Budgets

Business marketers on average spend 29.42 percent of their current marketing budget on the creation and execution of custom content, according to a Junta42 survey of 150 marketing decision makers who subscribe to BtoB magazine, MarketingCharts writes (via MediaPost). That finding is in line with 2007 Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management research that found custom […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Comcast Launches 'Feedback Loop' for Email Marketers

With help from Return Path, Comcast has launched a complaint feedback loop. feedback.comcast.com forwards mail reported as spam back to firms that mass-mail Comcast customers. The loop also enables admins to receive copies of complaints that originate from their networks. The system helps filter spammers that send objectionable material to many inboxes. And senders can view how many […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Coldplay's Free Single Propels Website to No. 1 among Bands and Artists

US visits to Coldplay.com increased 1,800% since the band's new single, Violet Hill, was released free online. Hitwise compares daily US visits for April 29, 2008 to visits for April 27, 2008, MarketingCharts reports. On April 29, 2008, the day the single was released on Coldplay.com, the website ranked as the most visited website among the Bands […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

Email Opt-in, Opt-out Processes Not Quite There Yet

When obtaining permission to send emails, 31 percent of marketers use a confirmed opt-in method (double opt-in), said eROI's "The Cradle & The Grave" survey. The study covers marketers' email subscribe and unsubscribe processes, MarketingCharts reports. These processes are improving but have yet to reach "exceptional" levels, eROI said. Key findings of the survey of 500 email […]

Posted: Thursday, May 1st, 2008

Mobile IM Use May Overtake SMS, Mobile Email

SMS (texting) and mobile email may well be overtaken by mobile instant messaging (MIM), according to a TNS Global Telecoms Insight (GTI) survey of 17,000 consumers across 30 countries, MarketingCharts reports. Globally, 11 of 100 messages sent by mobile device or fixed PC are instant messages, the survey found. And 8 percent of all mobile […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Subject Line, 'From' Address Crucial to Email Marketing

An email's subject line and "from" address are "the most important factors" for getting users to open an email. The revelation was made by Louise Rijk of Advanced Media Productions, writing for the UK-based Worcester Business Journal. She advised subject lines be eye-catching and less than 70 characters. As mentioned in MarketingVOX's "13 Tips for Effective Email […]

Posted: Monday, April 28th, 2008

'Permission Email' Appreciated, but a Good Chunk Ends up Junked

58 percent of consumers say email is a great way for companies to stay in touch (up from 45 percent a year ago), but only 77 percent of invited email successfully make it to the inbox, according to (pdf) an email study by Harris Interactive (with Merkle) and another by Lyris, Inc (via MarketingCharts). Permission-based […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/17/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: Tremor Media has launched Acudeo, a video ad delivery platform that gives publishers control over when and where ads appear in videos. Buddy Media announced the creation of a "social media ad network" open to select developers of Facebook and OpenSocial applictions. IAC is rolling out its HealthCentral ad network, using the site it […]

Posted: Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Influential Online Hispanic Consumers: Super 'E-fluentials'

Influential online consumers ("e-fluentials") among Hispanics use the internet to connect with friends and family, as well as share views about products and brands — often in higher proportions than other e-fluentials, according to a Burson-Marsteller study, writes MarketingCharts. Below are key findings from the study. Online Interaction High "Hispanic-fluentials" spend more time interacting with others online […]

Posted: Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Internet Surpasses TV in Australia, Mobile Approaches Saturation Point

In 2007, internet use in Australia surpassed TV watching for the first time — 13.7 hours per week vs. 13.3 hours. Also, mobile use quickly approached saturation, according to Nielsen Online's 10th Australian Internet and Technology Report, writes MarketingCharts. TV use in 2006 was at 13.8 hours per week, compared with 12.5 hours of internet use; […]

Posted: Friday, March 28th, 2008

Financial, Banking, Credit Institutions Top DM Ad Spenders

US banks and credit institutions spent $13.4 billion in 2007 on direct marketing advertising. These efforts generated $178.8 billion in sales, and total returns is forecast to hit $286.2 billion in 2012, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), MarketingCharts reports. Those findings are from a new DMA report, "Direct Marketing Facts and Figures in the Financial […]

Posted: Friday, March 28th, 2008

How-To: 13 Tips for Effective Email Marketing

A recent study finds people no longer perceive "spam" as just unsolicited email. They see spam as email they simply don't want. This makes email marketing a tougher nut to crack. But having a consumer's trust on your side makes it a lot easier. Here are some tips for increasing the likelihood of getting your message […]

Posted: Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

Email Marketers in Trouble: Definition of 'Spam' Evolves to Mean 'Unwanted'

The definition of spam has effectively changed from "unsolicited commercial email," an idea based on permission, to a perception-based definition — i.e., unwanted email — according to the "Spam Complainers Survey" by Q Interactive and MarketingSherpa, reports MarketingCharts. The survey sought to determine consumers' perceptions of what spam is, why they report emails as spam […]

Posted: Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 3/11/08

Ad Agencies and Marketing Execs: The Association for Downloadable Media announced the members who will sit on their newly created Ad Council as it seeks to improve standards and measurement. Marketing tech firm Lyris promoted Jeffrey Rothman to serve as Director of Software Development and oversee the evolution of email marketing software offering ListManager. Jimmy Poon of Puca […]

Posted: Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Healthcare Consumers Take Active Role, Want Customized Services

Overall healthcare consumer needs are basic — better service, personalization and value — but they are starting to include health plan customization, help with clinical decisions, unique coverage and pricing features, and holistic options, according to Deloitte's 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, MarketingCharts writes. Below are some of the findings from the survey. Consumers want […]

Posted: Monday, March 10th, 2008

6 in 10 Use Non-Voice Mobile Apps, Cellphones Hardest Tech to Give up

Some 62 percent of adult Americans have either accessed the internet with a wireless connection away from home or work, or used a non-voice data application like a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA), according to a Pew Internet Project study (via MediaPost) — writes MarketingCharts. The report, "Mobile Access to Data and Information" (pdf), […]

Posted: Friday, March 7th, 2008

iPhone Targets Blackberry with Microsoft Exchange Support

Apple announced Thursday that its iPhone will support corporate email, targeting a enterprise smartphone market and RIM's BlackBerry handsets. The move would boost iPhone's recent pledge to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. The iPhone will work with Microsoft's Exchange software to managing email, contacts and calendars that "pushes" info to handheld devices, reports […]

Posted: Friday, March 7th, 2008

Frontline Direct to Merge into Adconion Ad Network

Ad network Adconion Media Group has purchased Frontline Direct, a data management and email marketing firm, for $20 million. Adconion clients will have access to Frontline's email and database technologies including ConsumerInfo.com and Reunion.com, reports DM News. Frontline's Segunda, CA sales office will move to Adconion's office in Santa Monica. A full integration of the company's products is […]

Posted: Friday, March 7th, 2008

CMOs: Personalized Communications Not Measured, Underutilized, Under-Tested

Inadequate customer data is the key obstacle facing top marketing executives in their adoption of personalized communication techniques, according to findings from "The Power of Personalization" global survey, issued by the CMO Council, MarketingCharts writes. About half of the chief marketing officers surveyed report having only "fair" to "poor" knowledge of their customers, complicating campaign design […]

Posted: Thursday, March 6th, 2008

Despite Q4 DM Growth, Q1 Expectations Reflect Economic Concerns

While concerns linger about the economy, direct marketers expect growth in Q1 of 2008, having experienced 18 consecutive quarters of positive growth, according to the Direct Marketing Association Quarterly Business Review (QBR) for Q4 of 2007, writes MarketingCharts. The report details the experiences and projections of the greater direct marketing community — direct marketers, agencies, and […]

Posted: Wednesday, March 5th, 2008