USA: The founders of GotVMail, who were students when they started their company, found a smart way to get the startup off the ground without going after investors - they included their vendors as partners, cutting deals that would let them launch on the cheap. 15 Sep 2008
Is mobile CRM just around the next bend? If a slew of new applications for the iPhone are any indication, it may have jumped from the realm of wishful thinking to concrete possibility - but "possibility" is still the operative word. 10 Sep 2008
A study released in 2008 by US-based SeeSaw Networks, conducted by OTX, to better understand how digital out-of-home media can be used to reach mobile consumers, shows that digital signage advertising engages people, has high awareness, and is a compelling media that advertisers can use to effectively reach people with their message. 8 Sep 2008
N.B.: These findings are based on 21 mobile ad campaigns across a variety of industries. (Alcohol, Automotive, Consumer Electronice, CPG, Entertainment, Financial Services, Retail, Telecomm, Travel) The averages could significantly change as the number of campaigns increases, so any comparison made to them is directional.
Dynamic Logic, a US-based company, recently announced the aggregate results of mobile branding research studies which compared people exposed to the mobile campaigns to those not exposed, suggesting that mobile advertising can be an effective medium for raising brand metrics throughout the purchase funnel. 8 Sep 2008
The Internet has given consumers a powerful voice to level their complaints when a company does them wrong, and the firm that's unresponsive may have to deal with bad - and potentially very costly - publicity as a result. The sword can cut both ways, though. Complaining customers may face legal risks too, if they're not careful to distinguish opinion from fact. 2 Sep 2008
Consumer product companies must adopt appropriate technologies to help sustain a competitive edge in the market place. 1 Sep 2008
Primall Media will be launching its latest innovation, Touch Screen Directory boards, in October 2008, with the placement of 93 touch screen units in 18 of the top malls countrywide. Consumers will no longer have to try and navigate from current 'you are here' static and confusing shopping mall directories. 29 Aug 2008
CRM solutions used to be solely the domain of the sales force, but now other departments are taking advantage of their flexibility and versatility. They're so adaptable, Avanade's John Yaggie compares today's CRM solutions to that miracle household substance: baking soda. 26 Aug 2008
In a tough economy, businesses are seeking new channels for their products. Industrial suppliers can find a willing marketplace online, but they need to consider their potential clients' needs when designing their websites. 25 Aug 2008
Adopting a customer-centric approach can be a winning business model in tough economic times. 20 Aug 2008
Do loyal customers translate into steady sales or profits? Intuitively, the answer should be yes - and indeed, customer loyalty is a significant metric by which companies rate their performance. However, there a few problems with the concept of customer loyalty and a corporate strategy to develop it, according to Esteban Kolsky, practice leader with eVergence. 20 Aug 2008
The Tshwane Street Furniture Consortium, comprising Primedia Outdoor and Street Pole Ads, has inked a R69-million, ten-year contract with the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to provide new directional street name signs. 19 Aug 2008
I want to expose three lies that email marketers either tell or have told to them by people who should know better. 15 Aug 2008
A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor reveals the North American market for hosted outbound integrated voice response (IVR) services is set to more than double from an estimated $213 million in 2008 to $524 million by 2013. 14 Aug 2008
What is unified communications (UC) and why do you need it? UC is not unified messaging, and it isn't a unified desktop. But both of these technology solutions help to support a unified communications architecture. In fact, according to Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company, UC is the convergence of such technologies as instant messaging, e-mail, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), presence and e-commerce in or near real-time. 11 Aug 2008
Todwil Retail Solutions, a privately owned Cape-based retail-marketing company recently acquired Cape Tech Plastics, a specialist injection moulding company, for an undisclosed sum. 7 Aug 2008
The notion of sustainability as it relates to CRM is worth some thought. CRM is used to accelerate the closing of a deal. But when you accelerate a close, especially with some sort of incentive like a discount, what you're really doing is stealing from the future, and that's not sustainable. 7 Aug 2008
Betsy Treinen, the Director of Strategy and Client Services at Catalyst Studios, has confirmed her attendance as a guest speaker at the Retail Advertising Conference, RAC Lite, next week. Her eight-year hold of the Target brand relationship saw the bulls eye soar from being barely-on-the-map, to one of the most recognisable icons in the United States. 6 Aug 2008
For all that they have in common, major electronics retailers such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart and Target differ in one important - even critical - way. Circuit City, in particular, has cut customer service in order to cut costs, and it has seen sales dive. Best Buy has amped up its customer service, and the chain is flourishing. 6 Aug 2008
Isn't it ironic that it takes years to build a great customer relationship but only moments to tear one apart? There are so many ways to lose your existing customers, if you aren't careful in your dealings every day. Here are 10 ways to lose your customers, but this is by no means the exclusive list. 5 Aug 2008
