Watch as ERA CEO Julie Coons delivers a sneak peak of what attendees can expect from ERA’s upcoming 2009 D2C Convention in Las Vegas September 13-15. Register now! Early bird ends July 1!
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Archive for the ‘Mobile’ Category
Direct Response Gets Down in San Diego!
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Below are a few photo highlights from the recent Response Expo.
Have photos you want to share with the industry? E-mail them to eMedia Editor Pat Cauley at pcauley@retailing.org.
Upcoming events you don’t want to miss:
ERA NYC Networking Reception - June 18
ERA Europe 2009 Electronic HomeShopping Conference - June 28-30
ERA L.A. Networking Reception - July 21
2009 ERA D2C Convention - September 13-15 (Early bird/free exhibit pass for ERA members ends July 1!)
Should We Consider Social Media a Luxury?
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
The California Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, has sparked statewide protests. As discussed on this blog before, social media has changed the way in which people organize their efforts for a united front.
The recent Prop 8 protest in West Hollywood was publicized by blogger Perez Hilton via posts and tweets and brought out not only celebrities, but also readers that may have otherwise been unaware of the protest. As can be backed up by abysmal ratings, the only reason Hilton’s recent spat with Miss California over gay marriage got any traction at all was through social media, not because hordes of people actually watched the Miss USA pageant live. Either way, utilizing social media to organize and reach mass audiences for marketing purposes or otherwise may soon be considered a luxury for U.S. citizens.
According to a recent article in the L.A. Times:
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square this week, Chinese authorities have rounded up dissidents and shipped them out of town. Now, they’ve even shut down Twitter.
Along with their usual methods of muzzling dissent, the authorities extended their efforts today to silence social networking sites that might foster discussion of any commemoration of the events of June 3-4, 1989.
The action is a new sign of the government’s concern of the potential of such technology in an authoritarian society where information is tightly controlled.
China has the world’s largest online population, and Internet communities have proven increasingly influential in spreading word of events to everything from student protests to group shopping excursions.
People are going outside the normal, controlled channels to set up communities online, spreading information about campus unrest and other potentially subversive activities taking place in this vast nation.
Government Internet monitors have shut down message boards on more than 6,000 Web sites affiliated with colleges and universities, apparently to head off any talk about the 1989 events, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy.
Numerous blogs maintained by edgy government critics such as avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei have been blocked and the text-messaging service Twitter and photo sharing site Flikr could not be accessed within China on Tuesday. Video sharing site YouTube has been blocked within China since March.
Additionally, CNN reports that even the U.S. military is now using social networking sites to reach out to non-traditional audiences by documenting the war efforts in Afghanistan. One thing’s for certain- whether organizing protests or simply shooting marketing messages out to consumers, it will be interesting to see how social media’s role within our lives continues to evolve.
Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia editor.
Toronto Networking Reception Pics!
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009Below are a few photo highlights from ERA’s recent networking reception in Toronto.
Click here to get info on all upcoming events!
Registration is now open for the 2009 ERA D2C Convention!
ERA Takes Manhattan June 18th!
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
As we’ve discussed before when asking you to book your tickets to our eRetailer Summit in Miami, always check with SNL’s resident travel expert Judy Grimes for tips first.
Please join ERA at the New York Networking Reception on June 18, 2009 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for cocktails and great networking with senior leaders of the direct response industry. The reception will be held during DM Days at the Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips offices in Times Square.
Immediately following the reception we will be holding our fourth Meet the CEO Dinner beginning at 8:15 p.m. It will be an intimate gathering where you can mingle with our new CEO, Julie Coons, as well as our Chairman, Nathan Fagre, board members, and ERA staff.
To register, please contact Katie White at kwhite@retailing.org or (703) 841-8284.
Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia editor.
Twitter: An Old Idea Reinvented?
Friday, May 8th, 2009
As I was running through the forest this morning with my writing partner Scout (below), it occurred to me as we stopped along the way 28 times for the pooch, aka “Sir Spritz A lot,” to mark the route by broadcasting his pheromones, that the basic idea of Twitter may have been around for ages, having originated with dogs.
Rick Petry is a freelance writer who specializes in direct marketing. He can be reached at rick.petry@me.com.
Media Planners Strategize to Remain in the Game
Friday, May 8th, 2009
In tough times like these, the first thing many marketers cut back on is marketing and related marketing programs.
Advertising Age recently reported a $600 million cut to advertising and promotional budgets. Even Federal Express is feeling the pressure. FedEx, along with several other advertisers, dropped out of the Super Bowl after having participated for the last several years.
Spending cuts are affecting many different businesses. However, media planners who anticipate cutting resources in these tough times may want to reconsider acting too fast without considering all the facts.
Conservative Consumer Behavior
Yes, the news is filled with negative stories about cautious consumers in this fledgling economy. But even though consumers are spending less, experts have noticed their spending behaviors mostly affect industries including shopping, traveling, entertainment and consumption of higher-end brands. As a result, consumers are responding to these tough economic times by turning to discretionary leisure activities that don’t cost a lot.
Connecting with Consumers
But advertisers can still benefit since more time spent watching television, surfing the Internet, playing video games and engaging in other at-home activities means it could be easier to catch consumers in a more receptive state of mind.
When consumers engage in activity outside of home, there are usually too many distractions like driving, cell phone use and interacting with others that easily diverts their attention.
Advertisers know that their messages are much more effective when delivered in a less distracting environment – whether it’s through television, a magazine or the Internet. This gives them the best opportunity to establish a connection.
Do you agree?
Peter Koeppel is a Wharton MBA and president of Koeppel Direct, a full-service media buying agency based in Dallas.
To Tweet or Not to Tweet? That is the Question.
Friday, May 8th, 2009
As a member of the Twitterati, I’d like to share my thoughts on what using the service can mean to marketers. The ability to send and receive short messages in real time is a logical next step in technological evolution. The service lengthens the list of communication options that includes e-mail, instant messaging, Facebook, LinkedIn, RSS, text messages, even the trusty old telephone. As a public relations and marketing consultant with expertise in Internet-based social media methods, my firm understands the importance of tapping into the newest new thing to reach audiences and hear back from them. So what have I learned about Twitter so far?
Twitter on Main Street
One thing has come across loud and clear: Twitter is much more than just a means to inform others about your activities. Yes, the free messaging service poses the question: “What are you doing?” but effective users don’t waste time on pointless status updates. The Twitter-savvy take advantage of the tool to spread information instantly and add value to a conversation. What do the jet landing on the Hudson River and mayhem in Mumbai along with earthquakes, fires and riots a