Direct Marketing Observations

OCTOBER 27, 2011

Does giving stuff away for free make you eventually buy stuff? How do other companies compete when Nike, Gatorade and AE give stuff away for free? So how do you compete? Don’t give something away to sell something-you can’t compete with those that use that as a business model. But does free work ?

Compete 162

Compete Case Study Social Networking Small Business 162

Direct Marketing Observations

APRIL 11, 2011

Does it buy you time compared to your comptetitors? Once my teams are suitably prepared, we measure where we are by competing. You’re in business to make money and you’re in business to compete against others that do what you do and sell what you sell. Does either strategy ( I use the term lightly) work? Not really.

Company 178

Company Social Media Compete Sports 178

Direct Marketing Observations

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Tom: “Maybe I should buy Famous shoe brand x shoes and walk to work, it would be quicker!” Yes, at the end of the day engagement wins and brands are competing every day for the eyeballs of their digital consumers who have or haven’t liked their brand. What does a consumer want? Do they want content? What’s new?”

Conversation 187

Conversation Brands Banking Compete 187

Direct Marketing Observations

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

B2B Customers: You used to have a few vendors that competed for your dollars, the agencies were simply creatives and technology vendors simply did technology. Interestingly enough though, the buying cycle is getting longer, not shorter. You think marketer’s lives are rough, try being the customer. Fast forward to today.

B2B 199

B2B Patterns Comparison Compete 199

Direct Marketing Observations

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

In 2000 Google was a 2 year old start-up still trying to create an identity and compete with Yahoo and MSN. We’ve definitely evolved and rightly or wrongly so depending on your point of view. Take for example search. Search and social have migrated to the mobile device. So what does this all mean?

Mobile 177

Mobile MySpace SMS Yahoo 177

Direct Marketing Observations

JANUARY 19, 2010

this gets broader input and incorporates all departments from the start which will make ultimate buy-in that much easier. If vendors know they are still competing, they will continue to put the best package together that they can offer. Two key things here: 1) pull together a cross-functional team to develop criteria.

RFP 159

RFP RFI Social Media Proposal 159

Direct Marketing Observations

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

What matters to you when you are on the verge of buying something? So here’s the scenario, I want to buy a new big screen TV. C) Going into a social network and letting 500 of my most intimate friends know that I’m thinking of buying a TV. Whats the difference? Is there one? So I do research. D) Going to Yelp.

Forums 148

Forums Research Buy Compete 148