Puzzles

Marketing strategies and tactics are like putting a puzzle together. There are simple 100-piece puzzles that can be solved easily, and there are more complicated versions with 1,000+ pieces that require patience, persistence and perseverance. Marketing challenges range from simple emails to multipart annual campaigns. But no matter how big the puzzle or how complex… Continue reading Puzzles

Catalog Circulation – A New Frontier

Twenty years ago, we discovered the power of transactional data. Lo and behold, it turned out that certain aspects of human behavior were very predictable. Once a consumer’s wallet was opened and purchases were made, certain details of those transactions, known as RFM, turned out to be very trustworthy indicators of future purchases. Fast forward… Continue reading Catalog Circulation – A New Frontier

Wait, what? Write that catalog postage check for how much more?

Understanding what goes into the adjustment of postage rates is like watching a computer wizard remotely dial into your computer to fix something. Until we go through the initial stage of total confusion, slog our way through understanding the basic things that make the machine run properly, and finally narrow it down to the few… Continue reading Wait, what? Write that catalog postage check for how much more?

J.Schmid Offers the Smartest Contact Plan Yet

A New Era for Customer Retention & Acquisition The age of advanced integration of the online and offline channels is now a reality. J.Schmid has added a powerful new tool to its arsenal that can collect web browsing data, score that intelligence and use it to add value to existing customers as well as acquire… Continue reading J.Schmid Offers the Smartest Contact Plan Yet

Data Driven: New Customers … Now What?

Data’s role in customer acquisition The role of data within customer acquisition involves capturing and maintaining a record of the person or business that made a purchase. The basic information includes 1) who made the purchase, 2) when that purchase occurred, 3) what media channel the order was placed through and 4) the value of… Continue reading Data Driven: New Customers … Now What?

4 Key Elements Needed to Understand How Data Metrics Create Value

For many marketers reading this column, data is fun! We love the challenge of figuring out how to find and use data to solve problems and drive all kinds of marketing initiatives. However, we also operate in a business environment and have to ultimately answer the question of value. How do we create true value… Continue reading 4 Key Elements Needed to Understand How Data Metrics Create Value

Use that data! 5 examples of data-driven calls to action in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors

Data is usually spoken in the context of collecting and organizing data, queries to gain intelligence and reporting to measure various key performance indicators. One rarely hears about data prowess together with creative design and marketing calls to action. This can only happen when both the left and right brain meet together in a combined… Continue reading Use that data! 5 examples of data-driven calls to action in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors

Social by the Numbers

The first thing that comes to mind when considering data’s role within social marketing is Web analytics. Social marketing, as a new marketing term that has evolved during the past decade, can be defined as “communication opportunities between consumers and businesses that use the Internet as a platform.” As all this communication is taking place… Continue reading Social by the Numbers

The Battle of Prepositions: A look at integrating data ‘from’ new marketing initiatives and ‘with’ new marketing initiatives

As I began writing this column, I was immediately struck by one of the words in the deck. Using “from” suggests fitting new marketing data into an existing process integration after new initiatives are introduced, while the word “with” requires a different approach altogether, indicating a process that considers the data before the initiative is… Continue reading The Battle of Prepositions: A look at integrating data ‘from’ new marketing initiatives and ‘with’ new marketing initiatives