Canadian Marketing Association - Marketing Budgets

Latest CMA news: CX roadmap; free member webinar on anti-spam rules

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:24:51 GMT

CMA customer experience roadmap for marketers

By John Gustavson, President and Chief Executive Officer

CMA's Integrated Marketing & Customer Experience Council defines customer experience as: "The sum total of all interactions a customer has ever had with your brand: tangible, visual, emotional, read, blogged, consumed, experienced."

Which begs the question for many marketers, how do you know what to manage and where do you start?

CMA's latest whitepaper, Customer Experience: A Roadmap for Marketers, provides valuable guidance, offering perspectives from industry leaders in this area. Available to any employee of a CMA Member organization, the paper explores the core aspects of a customer experience program and how they interconnect with corporate strategies, while providing details on defining your audience and best practices on executing a successful program.

The ultimate goal, notes the paper, is to think like a customer: Assess, implement and measure and success will follow.

And that thinking applies whether you're a senior marketing leader, a brand strategist or a product expert.

Regards,

John Gustavson

P.S. – Marketers can learn more about the relationship between brand and customer experience at the first joint CMA/Marketing Research and Intelligence Association Customer Experience Conference on April 11 in Toronto. More information can be found on the CMA website.

Free CMA Member Webinar – How Canada's new Anti-Spam Law will impact marketing

Join us on Feb. 12 for a free one-hour CMA Members-only webinar and learn more about Canada's new Anti-Spam Law and how it will impact all forms of commercial electronic messages. Speakers include Industry Canada's lead policy advisor and a digital marketing expert on how the new law will affect marketing programs and what you can do to prepare. Registration is limited so register today.

What's all the chatter about on the CMA Marketing Blog?

Advance your career with CMA's Integrated Branding Certificate course

Acquire the knowledge you need to design and implement both strategic and tactical integrated branding programs that will increase the value of your organization's brand and business. This course is offered in both an online and classroom format. Choose which format meets your needs: Online course begins Jan. 28; Classroom course begins Feb. 13. Register today!

CMA Marketing Councils' latest release

A Simple Guide to Choosing the Right Mobile Medium -- The question of whether to build a mobile application or website is a common one. This document overviews the three mobile solution types (downloadable app, mobile web, hybrids) and acts as an aid to the decision-making process, calling out the considerations and benefits of each. Prepared by Ariela Freed, Digital Media Director, Maritz Canada, and supported by CMA's Mobile Marketing Council.

Feb. 14 CMA Loyalty Marketing Conference – Making brand friends forever

Attend the Feb. 14 CMA Loyalty Marketing Conference and get a first-hand look at emerging trends here at home and around the globe and their impact on loyalty programs. Join Universal Music, Coke, Ford, Maritz, LoyaltyOne, Aimia and more as we celebrate brand love and loyalty on Feb. 14! Register today.

Power your marketing planning with two new CMA publications

Research and stats from over 38 respected industry leaders to support marketing planning and decision making.
More details and to order

Frames the business case for marketing's strategic role in an evolving digital economy. Examines ad spending shifts, advertising effectiveness, media trends and the impact of the digital consumer on marketing planning.
More detail and to order

Welcome new CMA Members

Mark Your Calendars -- Upcoming CMA Events

All CMA events are held in Toronto unless otherwise noted.

Pricing - A Marketer's Strategic Weapon Seminar

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:54:36 GMT

Overview

Winning consumer pricing strategies to increase revenue and profit

In today's market, products with similar function vary in price. Be it stationeries, food, automobile or electrical items, the range of pricing for these items can be as far and wide as Eastern and Western Canada. To be able to analyze the variations of prices of similar items or services, marketers need to go beyond issues of features and functionality and examine the motivational factors to market participation. These customer motivational factors can guide organizations with setting up their pricing strategies in order to retain or grow more market share and maintain higher profit margins. Pricing is one of the 4P's of marketing. It must not be considered an afterthought as is often the case in many organizations. Pricing an item can either make or break businesses. An excellent product or service, with the very best sales person can eventually fail should it be wrongly priced. The reality is that your competitor is rapidly chasing every competitive edge, foothold and opportunity. Every business must be able to adjust their price-value strategies to fight against increasing competition.

This seminar will help you with a wealth of advanced knowledge in strategic pricing methodologies, research, tools and tactics in dealing with current pricing challenges. This one-day seminar will stimulate discussions on actual experiences and explore innovative solutions to improve pricing and value proposition knowledge. This training will deliver 'Best-in-Class' pricing strategies and success stories from Canadian and major international companies. If you are looking for answers on applying the best pricing strategy and successfully positioning your product and services against competitors' in your industry, then this is a hands-on seminar you can't afford to miss!

Registered attendees of this
seminar will receive a complimentary copy of
The Joy of Pricing by Michael Hurwich.

You Will Learn / Who Should Attend

You will learn

You will be introduced to the latest Value-Based and Strategic Pricing methodologies highlighting several B2B and B2C case studies and will be provided with some challenging group exercises to develop effective pricing and customer segmentation strategies and tactics.

Some Relevant topics include:

Moving from a standardized cost approach to one driven by pricing to customer value perception.
Understanding what customers truly value in a downturn.
Measuring the value delivered to customers and how it differs across customer segments.
Defining price structures that take advantage of how customers perceive value differently.
Evaluating and pricing your competitive advantages.
Developing bundling strategies to avoid price transparency.
Implementing prices in ways that "erect fences" between market segments that pay different prices.
Moving your company from a commodity-driven pricing approach to customization and personalized service offering.

Who Should Attend

This seminar is designed to provide C-suite, other Executives and Mid-Level Managers in Marketing, Finance, Sales and Operations with an integrative framework for making informed pricing decisions.

Instructor

Michael Hurwich, M.B.A.
President, Strategic Pricing Management Group (SPMG)

One of the most sought after pricing consultants in North America, Michael has consulted to major Fortune 500 firms for the past 15+ years, having started his career at Deloitte Consulting. Over the course of his consulting career, Michael has developed numerous corporate pricing and business unit strategies for a broad range of Key Accounts in a broad range of industries including manufacturing, retail, logistics and distribution, telecommunications, finance and insurance, software, pharmaceuticals, and not-for-profits. Michael has written numerous articles on pricing and marketing strategies including, "Pricing in Turbulent Times", "Managing 100 Basis Points", "Pricing for Speed: A Pharmaceutical Case", and "Pricing in Channel Management". He is also a frequent lecturer in China, India, Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, the United States, Europe and Canada.

Michael is also the lead trainer of a 2-day Value-based Pricing course for the Executive Business Development program of Queen's University.

Some of Michael's Key Accounts and past relevant engagements include Scotiabank, The Loyalty Group (Air Miles), Cara Foods (Swiss Chalet), Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, Metropolitan Ice Cream, The Government of Jamaica, Shangri-La Hotel Group, Steuben Crystal, Duraflame, Sanofi Pasteur, Scott Paper, WMS Gaming, and Cott Beverages, among numerous others.

Michael has an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance & International Marketing from the Olin School of Business, Babson College, Boston and an Honors BA, Managerial Economics/Marketing.

Key Dates/Pricing

Date:
Thursday, June 20

Time:
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location:
Advocates' Society, 480 University Avenue, Suite 1700, Toronto, ON

Rates:
CMA Member: $745 | Regular: $895
CMA Member, Team*: $695 | Regular, Team*: $845
*Three or more registrations must be received at the same time.

Marketing Math 101 Seminar

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:02:21 GMT

Overview

Critical Math & Finance Skills for Direct Marketing Driven Organizations
An Introductory Two-day Intensive Seminar

For many marketers, "number crunching" is often an anxiety-riddled exercise. However, marketing and sales is a numbers game. Learn how to calculate key business drivers to optimize costs and deliver better profits. This hands-on seminar examines some of the basic formulas and special arithmetic used in direct marketing driven companies.

Learn key marketing formulas, calculate direct campaign metrics, and interpret segment trends. You'll also be able to calculate ROI and become more comfortable with quantitative direct marketing terms. The math concepts covered are applicable to marketers of all products and services in both B2C and B2B industries. Quantitative skills are becoming increasingly important for all marketers, so don't get left behind.

You Will Learn/Who Should Attend

You Will Learn

Easily calculate and explain campaign metrics;
Calculate ROI and become more comfortable with financial, accounting and marketing terms;
Use formulas and marketing frameworks to help you get to the root problem, clarify issues and solve problems quickly;
Be more comfortable with top-line calculations and the art of estimating

Who Should Attend

Marketing coordinators and managers;
Product managers;
Anyone in direct marketing, advertising who designs marketing strategies and marcom programs;
Those new to business with 1-3 years experience in a marketing role;
This course is especially invaluable to those who just started working in marketing, accounting or analysis.

Features/Take Back Strategies

Features:

Practical in-class exercises;
Small class size with one-on-one assistance;
Take home handout materials and a customized Math workbook for future reference.

Take Back Strategies:

Write a business case justification with numerical support;
Budget more accurately;
Focus on the most important metrics.

Outline

General Business Principles

Overview of marketing and sales processes
Business glossary
Accounting concepts glossary
Financial concepts glossary
Direct marketing glossary
Market data trends
Key performance indicators for marketers and their importance
Interpreting research data
Product and sales calculations
Using visual diagrams to assist with analysis
Benchmarks

Analyzing Direct Marketing Programs

Vehicles and key metrics
Calculating campaign success
Financial statements
Writing a two-page cost-benefit justification
Financial payback calculations
Variability of metrics by deciles
Statistics made easy
Internet benchmarks

Advanced Techniques and Other Useful Calculations

Key forecasting elements/factors
Math used for testing
Tips for budgeting
Exploratory data analysis
Sensitivity analysis
Advanced techniques
Net present value applications
Software programs
ROI
Simple ROI calculations
Campaign ROI
Program ROI
Sample size

Instructor

Geoff Linton
Vice-President, Inbox Marketer Inc.

Marketing professor and seminar leader, Geoff Linton, blends over 15 years of applied industry experience and best practices research into practical tips on prospecting, lead management and sales. Geoff has worked on all sides of the marketing fence in client and agency roles such as: engineering consultant, director of marketing at a high tech company, product management, IMC design, database marketing planning and sales consultant. His industry sector experience includes: manufacturing, high tech, financial services, consumer packaged goods, telco, retail, and entrepreneurial businesses.

Currently, Geoff is Vice-President of a direct marketing agency called Inbox Marketer Inc. and he also teaches at Conestoga College. He holds both a P.Eng and MBA from Queens University and is known for his expertise in measured marketing.

Key Dates/Pricing

Date:
Part 1: June 26, 2013
Part 2: June 27, 2013

Time:
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location:
Advocates' Society, 480 University Avenue, Suite 1700, Toronto, ON

Rates:
CMA Member: $795 | Regular: $995
CMA Member, Team*: $745 | Regular, Team*: $945
*Three or more registrations must be received at the same time.

CMO outlook: Salaries, bonuses, hiring

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:34:08 GMT

Positive outlook for CMOs globally: Salaries up, budgets too

CMOs report positive outlooks for their roles and functional areas despite a varied and mixed outlook for the global economy. Only 11% believe their job is at risk; however, 38% believe they are not fairly compensated compared to 39% who are satisfied with their current compensation, according to a report issued Monday by the U.S.-based CMO Council. In other findings:

The majority of chief marketers (77%) globally earn a base salary of $100,000 to $349,000, and 42% anticipate a bonus.
CMOs believe furthering personal leadership and motivational skills is the best way to advance their careers; on the other hand, increasing collaboration with sales and/or channel organizations is their top professional priority in the coming months.
More than 50% of marketers increased 2012 budgets in contrast to 22% who have seen budget reductions; some 24% had no change in spend over 2011.
Hiring new talent is anticipated by nearly 50% of marketers, while 19% expect to shed staff.
Nearly 60% expect to make an agency change, with social marketing, web design and PR firms topping the list of those to be cut; lack of innovation and value-added thinking is the primary reason for a switch.

Social media still often a staff add-on

New research finds that nearly two-thirds of organizations pile social media on top of other duties, while only 27% employ a dedicated staff resource to the area. Caution is the number one reason for this hesitancy, notes the report from Ragan/NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions. Seventy percent of respondents were either "dissatisfied" or only "somewhat satisfied" with how they measure their social media efforts, compared to 31% who are "satisfied" or "very satisfied."

U.S. FCC rules on "opt-out" text messages

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has ruled that marketers don't run afoul of a U.S. consumer protection law by sending a single, confirmatory text message to people after they revoke their consent to receiving such messages. But the FCC also imposed limits on confirmatory texts after an opt-out. Specifically, the commission said the text should be sent within five minutes of an opt-out request, and that the message shouldn't include any ads or promotions. The FCC added that companies that take longer than five minutes to send a confirmatory message will have to prove that the delay was reasonable.
Source: OnlineMediaDaily

Content marketing challenges

According to new research from Marketing Profs and the Content Marketing Institute, 86% of B2C marketers in North America are using content marketing, employing 12 individual tactics on average. But these same marketers are struggling with the effectiveness of their content marketing, says the report. Lack of budget and producing enough meaningful content were the challenges most cited.
Source: Center for Media Research

Coming in 2013 – targeted TV ads

Media in the U.K. are reporting that two big pay-TV operators will soon start showing targeted ads to viewers in 2013. BSkyB will trial launch service to seven million set top boxes under the AdSmart banner by the summer, allowing advertisers to target 90 different demographic attributes. Virgin Media says it will also roll out targeted TV advertising, with "advanced" on-demand ads on its TiVo box.

Special CMA Awards coverage

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:40:45 GMT

CMA Awards Gala brings out the very best in Canadian marketing

By John Gustavson, President and Chief Executive Officer

Congratulations to all CMA Award winners, to Canada's 2012 Marketer of the Year, Porter Airlines President and CEO Robert Deluce and to Cundari and The Hospital for Sick Children on taking home the Best of the Best Award at the Gala on Friday night (see separate articles). You are all most deserving of the recognition you received.

Last Friday's CMA Awards Gala proved once again why it's the party of the year that celebrates marketing excellence, bringing together agencies and clients to share in the spotlight and be recognized for stellar marketing campaigns that delivered measurable results.

A special thanks to those companies that sponsored this year's event and the group of individuals who accepted the difficult task of evaluating the entries on the basis of bottom-line results, creativity and overall effectiveness:

The Chair of the CMA Awards Senior Judging Committee, Aldo Cundari, Chairman and CEO, Cundari
14 senior judges
- Joseph Bonnici, Creative Director, Bensimon Byrne
- David Daga, Co-Chief Creative Officer, Cossette.
- Gary Fearnall, Director of Global Marketing Solutions, LinkedIn Canada
- Maggie Fox, Founder, CEO and Chief Marketing Officer, Social Media Group
- John Gagne, Senior Vice-President, Executive Creative Director, Proximity
- Susan Lute, Associate Vice-President of Brand Portfolio Management, Canadian Tire
- Scott McKay, Vice-President, Group Creative Director, MacLaren McCann
- Chris O'Neill, Managing Director, Google Canada
- Sandra Sanderson, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, Shoppers Drug Mart
- Stephen Silverstone, Executive Vice-President, Marketing, Boston Pizza
- Sarah Spence, Senior Vice-President, High Road Communications
- Chris Stamper, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Marketing, TD Bank Group
- Graeme Whickman, Vice-President, Sales, Ford Motor Company of Canada
- Christina Yu, Creative Director, Red Urban
125 marketing experts who acted as judges.

I would also like to thank the esteemed MCs for the evening's celebration, Bianca Barbucci, Vice-President and General Manager, TVA Boutiques and Stephen Brown, President, Fuse Marketing Group (who also serves as Chair of the CMA Awards Strategic Planning Committee) and the team at Y&R that developed this year's creative.

Once again my congratulations to all recipients of a 2012 CMA Award. View the full listing of winners.

Regards,

John Gustavson

CMA honours visionary Porter CEO as Canada's Marketer of the Year

Robert Deluce, President and CEO of Porter Airlines has been named Canada's 2012 Marketer of the Year by the Canadian Marketing Association. The award was presented at the CMA Awards Gala and recognizes Deluce's leadership in building a brand that has revolutionized Canada's airline industry. Launched in 2006 by Deluce, Porter Airlines has grown to become the third largest scheduled air service in Canada with 1,300 employees and flights to 13 Canadian and six U.S cities. The company is rated second in the world in Condé Nast Traveler's Readers Choice Awards Top Small Airlines category.

The CMA Marketer of the Year Award is awarded to the Canadian individual who has continually displayed outstanding marketing acumen and leadership. This award may represent either a body of work or an extraordinary achievement within the past year that has forwarded the cause of marketing in Canada and perhaps beyond Canada's borders. The three most recent recipients of the CMA Marketer of the Year Award were Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, John Furlong of VANOC and Christine Day, CEO of lululemon. The selection is handled by a special committee of the CMA Board of Directors.

Best of the Best: Cundari, Hospital for Sick Children take home top CMA Award

The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children "Pain Squad" campaign developed by Cundari took home the Best of the Best Award at the 42nd annual CMA Awards Gala. The campaign featured a mobile app created to help develop better pain management programs for children suffering from cancer.

Each SickKids' patient participating in the program was given an iPhone preloaded with The Pain Squad application that "recruited" them into an elite team of pain detectives. Recruits gained ranks within The Pain Squad every time they filed three consecutive reports. Earning new ranks also unlocked motivational videos starring cast members from Canada's Flashpoint and Rookie Blue TV series who congratulated patients on their progress and encouraged them to keep up the good work. Once the final report was filed, one last video commended the patient on their dedication and officially retired them from the squad.

The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children reports that completion rates for the cancer pain journals have jumped to 90% since The Pain Squad's launch. Its success has also paved the way for the program's introduction to four more Canadian pediatric hospitals, with an international release on the horizon.

What's all the chatter about on the CMA Marketing Blog?

Round out your marketing toolkit

CMA Marketing Facts 2013 - Just Released!

CMA's new edition of Marketing Facts is now available. With current and reliable data from trusted sources, the material addresses what's on marketing's agenda. Includes special features and reporting on studies not widely available. Updated annually, this publication gives you the data and insights to support your business case development and strategic planning.

Holiday Book Promotion – Order BOTH new CMA publications together – save 20%.

With your order of Marketing Facts, ALSO order Marketing's Influence In Canada: In an evolving digital economy and get 20% off the combined purchase price. Marketing's Influence in Canada includes an examination of ad spending shifts, advertising effectiveness, media trends and the impact of the digital consumer on marketing planning, along with ad spend forecasts to 2016 by industry and medium – an important body of work prepared by The Conference Board of Canada.

Complete the order form here for this special promotion, using promo code CMABooks2013. Offer in effect until December 23, 2012.

February 14 CMA Loyalty Marketing Conference – Making brand friends forever

Attend the February 14 CMA Loyalty Marketing Conference and get a first-hand look at emerging trends here at home and around the globe and their impact on loyalty programs. Join Universal Music, Coke, Ford, Maritz, LoyaltyOne, Aimia and more as we celebrate brand love and loyalty on February 14! Register today.

Call for submissions: International Journal of Mobile Marketing – Canada Edition

CMA and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) are inviting industry professionals, academics and students to submit articles/papers for publication in MMA's award-winning International Journal of Mobile Marketing (IJMM) – a special Canada edition. (If you haven't yet read IJMM's – 2012 Canada Edition, get your copy here).

Submissions may be research based, an evaluation and discussion of current and/or future practices, theory, a detailed case study, or a perspective piece. Ten or more articles will be selected for publication, ideally, a mix of industry and academic submissions. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2012. Publication is Summer 2013. Get all the details about the submission process here (on the MMA website), including suggested topics and requirements.

To discuss any preliminary ideas you have about a submission, feel free to contact CMA's Sandra Singer (ssinger@the-cma.org).

CMA Marketing Councils' latest release – Facebook for the not-for-profit sector

CMA's Not-for-Profit Council sought-out Facebook's Jordan Banks for his guidance on building an effective social presence on Facebook; from getting started, to building a fan base, creating engaging content and preparing for the future. A must-read for any not-for-profit organization.

CMA Marketing Certificate courses: Register by Dec. 17 and save on classroom courses

CMA's Marketing Certificate courses are designed to keep you up to date on the latest marketing trends and give you the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your career goals. Register today and save on classroom courses!

Welcome new CMA Members

Mark Your Calendars -- Upcoming CMA Events

Conferences

January 30 – CMA Analytics Conference
February 14 – 2013 Loyalty Marketing Conference

Seminars

December 7 -- Digital measurement and consumer understanding
February 7 -- Social Media 101
February 27 -- Essentials of onboarding

February 13 -- CMA Awards case study event

All CMA events are held in Toronto unless otherwise noted.

Is your mobile search strategy keeping up with the Joneses?

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:21:46 GMT

Today’s marketers are living in challenging times. We’re living through a consumer tech renaissance where the number of devices that consumers have access to is rivaled only by the litany of experiences marketers are attempting to use those devices to engage people with. Trying to keep up with consumers whose habits change organically with each new device release can be overwhelming at the best of times.

In the wake of all of this, the smartphone reigns supreme with consumers and through this, the app has become the darling of marketers. But while an app is an undeniably strong piece of branded real estate in a consumer’s pocket, the mobile phone presents another opportunity to be present for consumers when and where they need you – even when they don’t know they’re looking for you.

Since Google reinvented the search category, now nearly two decades ago, consumers have been – whether they realize it or not – sharing their collective worldview with marketers through their searches. Now that we’re moving to a mobile world, this insight is becoming even more powerful by allowing for a more timely and contextually relevant delivery of information… and a greater opportunity to convert those marketing dollars to sales dollars.

Of course, it’s sometimes difficult to just start moving around your marketing mix, especially when performance is relatively good. But the opportunity that mobile search provides is one that’s difficult to ignore. Consider that Gartner is predicting that by 2013, more people will be accessing the web via mobile than PC, and according to Google, 66% of mobile websites are discovered through a mobile search. Throw in the fact that according to Microsoft, nearly 70% of location-based mobile searches end in a conversion within an hour, there’s a pretty good argument to take a look at making mobile search a part of your mix.

To begin to evaluate your opportunity in mobile search, consider these steps:

Research

While a painfully obvious first step, research is a necessary part of defining your strategy. Fortunately, just as with the web we all know so well, mobile web data is highly trackable and there are some great tools out there to help you along.

If you’re simply looking for an overview of your target’s habits on mobile, Google’s Our Mobile Planet Tool is a great resource to allow you to quickly slice, dice and visualize region-specific data.
When you’re looking to begin planning for your site, Bing and Google among others have created free keyword tools to help you understand who’s searching for your keywords in the mobile and tablet space and to help you plan your spend.
Of course, checking your own domain’s inbound traffic is another critical indicator in understanding the number of consumers who are already finding you on their phones – and in justifying your investment in a mobile website development plan.

Reallocate

The great thing about mobile is it’s no different from the web, where presumably your brand is already playing – in fact, Google and Bing allow you to buy and manage both from the same dashboard. From that standpoint, you can confidently dip your toes in the pool, knowing it’s easy to move some testing money over to the mobile side to start to see the results on that platform as compared to your other efforts.

It’s important to separate out these campaigns, and depending on your objectives, consider creating a third segment for tablet, to ensure that you’re truly pinpointing what’s driving your business and motivating your customers. If you do this, you’re already well ahead of the curve as new data from Wordstream notes that only 5% of companies that advertise in mobile search are making this important distinction.

If you’re just beginning, it’s wise to look at this segmented mobile spend as an experimental budget and align that experiment to the traffic numbers you’re seeing on your website. If 20% of your traffic, not an uncommon number these days, is coming from mobile, you’ll want to look at reallocating a somewhat equivalent amount of your search budget for your test. Smaller traffic would demand smaller tests but in many cases this should be seen as an opportunity to get out ahead of this trend with your audience.

Of course, before you do this, be sure you have a destination to send your consumers that’s optimized for mobile. While this might seem like a significant investment for a test, for many consumer groups, a mobile presence is simply table stakes. Consider your site’s current analytics in addition to the fact that a 2012 Google survey found that 55% of consumers noted that a bad mobile experience hurts their perception of the brand overall and 67% of consumers say a mobile-friendly website makes them more likely to buy a product or service.

While it may not be possible to move mountains of budget instantly, know that by beginning to reallocate, you pave the way to evolve your use of mobile search based on how your consumers react.

Refine

Once your campaign results begin to roll in, your paid search providers arm you with the tools to begin to understand where your money is going (and where it’s sending your consumers). From this, combined with your web analytics, you’ll gain valuable data to inform future decisions in your marketing mix.

It’s also important to try out new things. For instance, a 2012 Google survey showed that 61% of consumers want a click to call button for businesses advertising in mobile. This is just one example of a key driver to look at in order to ensure you’re maximizing your experiment and refining process.

It may turn out that your audience isn’t clamouring to mobile or adopting smartphones as the trend, but you also might be surprised to learn how many opportunities you’re missing by being absent when your consumers are looking for you.

The only true way to find out is to test, learn and then adapt.

***

With so much rapid change in the consumer landscape, having real-time data is critical to keeping up. With the evidence pointing so strongly to the critical importance of mobile to consumers isn’t it about time you found out how much catch up your brand needs to play?

Andrew Lane

B2B exhibitors, attendees say interaction value growing

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:02:02 GMT

B2B exhibitors, attendees say interaction value growing

B2B exhibitors and attendees alike have seen growing value from exhibitions and conventions in the past two years, according to a new study by the U.S.-based Center for Exhibition Industry Research. Thirty-seven per cent of exhibitors say that they've seen more value from their exhibits in the past 2 years, compared to 16% who have seen less value from them. Attendees are even more favourable: 48% have seen increasing value, compared to just 6% who have seen less. Both groups also share a positive outlook for the next two years: 43% of attendees believe that the value of exhibitions and conventions will increase as do 37% of exhibitors. Similarly, among those who have used or attended educational conferences and hosted buyer events, a greater proportion predict the value of these activities increasing than decreasing.
Source: Marketing Charts

5 B2B marketing personalities – which one are you?

From b2bmarketing.net:

The Conductor keeps all the instruments in harmony and believes it's their job to keep the demand engine humming. And while they are (to their own admission) a little addicted to the juggling, they could really benefit from efficiency.
The Nurturer wants every prospect to feel special. They know the best way to get prospects' attention is to talk to them about what they are interested in and to address their specific needs. Every unsubscribe is like a slap in the face to them.
The Social Guru is plugged-in to all of it. They often have the best understanding about what people think about your brand and your competition. They want to jump into social media and mobile, tap into the latest innovations and prove the value of social media. But it's not always clear to them how to explain or accomplish the link between social activity and revenue.
The Oracle is a marketing veteran who has worked for a number of years in their organization/vertical. They have institutional knowledge that's a blessing and a curse. They know what works and are willing to try new tactics, but are wary of anything that doesn't appear to impact revenue.
The Midfielder is marketing's connection with the sales reps. They're charged with enabling sales with the tools and intelligence they need to turn leads into closed deals. The Midfielder experiences the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, as love from sales runs hot and cold depending on the quality of leads and the information they have to connect with them.

Latest B2B marketing insights from CMA

B2B marketing budget and planning 2012 by Ally Motz, Chair, CMA B2B Marketing Council and President and CEO, SiriusDecisions Canada Inc
Three steps to help B2B marketers prove ROI by Rick Makos, President, Teradata Canada ULC and Jeff Chamberlain, Vice- President, B2B Solutions, Marketing, Aprimo
Social media for B2B organizations by Adrian Capobianco, President and Founder, Quizative Inc.

Small businesses not measuring marketing effectiveness: Survey

Small businesses are depending mainly on traditional communications channels to market to customers and prospects, not tracking results and missing opportunities to incorporate multi-channel communications to increase those response rates and get customers, according to a new survey by Pitney Bowes. Of note, 73% of respondents fail to measure their email marketing metrics, while 80% fail to measure their direct mail or traditional mail metrics.

B2B Marketing Budget and Planning 2012

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:00:38 GMT

Traditionally, the topic of money has been taboo in social situations: How the neighbors managed to buy a new car while they had three kids in college might have been a good topic for gossip, but no one actually asked them about it. This barrier has begun to erode recently with the introduction of websites that capitalize on people’s desire to know how peers deal with money challenges by allowing them to share and compare financial information.

The same curiosity surfaces at marketing budget time; marketing leaders feel more confident asking for additional funding if higher spending levels are shown to be evident in similar companies. Knowing how to spend this money is also critical: Into which categories are peers putting the bulk of their funds? In this post, we review our latest findings on how b-to-b organizations of various sizes are spending their marketing budgets as well as how marketing headcount is distributed across various functions.

Our framework is broken down by major marketing categories that SiriusDecisions tracks through survey and benchmark activities, providing B2B marketing spend and headcount analysis for companies in five revenue bands: up to $100 million in annual revenue; $101 million to $500 million; $501 million to $1 billion; $1 billion to $5 billion; and greater than $5 billion. Analysis for 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. Today, we will summarize our findings for bands one, two and four.

As marketing functions get larger, program budget allocations change in a common pattern. From revenue band one to five, the budget allocation percentage for field marketing (and, to a lesser extent, corporate/market communications) declines as companies scale, while there is an expansion of investment in branding/advertising, product/solution marketing, channel marketing, market intelligence and marketing operations.

INSIDE BAND ONE

Our first revenue band represents organizations in the emerging or early growth stage, usually with relatively fewer products or services being offered. With the need to deliver high growth quickly, field marketing remains the primary area of program investment, gaining slightly in 2012 along with corporate/marketing communications. Most budget areas have held steady between 2008 and 2012, maintaining the adjustments to develop channel and branding that we observed from 2006 to 2008.

Band one companies historically have made a heavier proportional investment in people vs. programs than companies in bands two through five, and this remains the case in 2012. Within band one, overall marketing budgets are up over the prior period. Program and systems/tools spending have proportionally advanced and personnel has dropped back, but personnel spending remains marginally higher than program spending. From 2006 to 2012, the marketing headcount/time distribution has trended up in marketing operations, channel, product/solution marketing and market intelligence. Trending down are field marketing, corporate/marketing communications, executive and brand/advertising roles.

INSIDE BAND TWO

Within band two, field marketing continued to grow its share of the program budget from 2010 to 2012. Corporate/marketing communications recovered from a dip in 2010 but is still operating below 2006-08 levels; this is consistent with the fact that even though social media and content creation are increasingly important, the use of Web properties, digital content, webcasts, virtual events, videos, blogs and other social media communications are less expensive than traditional communications vehicles and materials.

Companies in this band cut back a bit on their budget allocations in branding/advertising and product/solution marketing, and the channel marketing budget also declined. Systems/tools spend remained flat, and outsourced services decreased from 3% to 2% of the overall marketing budget.

Band two companies showed an overall increase in marketing investment as a percentage of revenue, possibly due to shaking off the effects of the cutback in the 2008 to 2010 timeframe. In terms of headcount/time distribution, field marketing, branding/advertising, executive, and market intelligence roles have trended down over the last six years. Corporate/marketing communications experienced a gain in the last two years, recovering from a decrease in 2010.

INSIDE BAND FOUR

Shifts in marketing budget allocation slow dramatically from band three to band four, as spending becomes a matter of scale to support more routes to market, from geographies to products to partners. Field marketing spend ticked down a point yet continues at a range of 42% of the overall budget, reflecting the benefit of years of investment in market presence and the ability to rely on a stream of opportunity from a base of existing customers as well as net-new business. While corporate/marketing communications enjoyed an increase in program investment, it was not matched by an increase in personnel, reflecting greater efficiencies in inbound and outbound communications operations. Branding/advertising program allocations remained flat, and product/solution marketing saw a slight decrease. Marketing operations experienced a budget allocation decrease from a high of slightly over 3% to 2012 levels of 2%, reflecting economies of scale from consolidation and centralization of shared services.

Band four companies increased their proportional investment in programs by a percentage point between 2010 and 2012, matched by a reduced allocation for personnel; however, the increased overall investment in marketing as a percentage of revenue likely mitigated any impact on staffing levels. Budgets for marketing systems remained flat from two years ago, possibly reflecting the fact that investments made in technology at earlier stages continue to deliver benefits without needing to grow. Headcount/time distribution remained stable across job functions.

IN CONCLUSION

Looking at average budget allocations across all revenue bands, during the past six years there has been a shift away from marketing activities that don’t directly support demand creation and sales enablement. Branding/advertising spending took a significant hit from 2006 to 2008, and as a proportion of overall program spend and headcount has continued to lose ground. Budgets for field marketing and product/solution marketing have increased, and channel headcount has expanded. However, during the last two years, there have been no big functional winners or losers, supporting the idea that a balanced mix of integrated activities is an accepted best practice to address the complex needs of b-to-b marketing.

While the summary presented in this post is a valuable starting point for assessing an organization’s marketing budget allocations and personnel distribution, we advise that each organization conduct a detailed annual benchmark using a targeted comparison set of peers and competitors, and interpret the results in light of the organization’s competitive position and business goals.

Ally Motz

Conversational Marketing Made Easy Roundtable

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:54:39 GMT

Overview

How to leverage automation and treat every customer as an individual.

Customers are no longer responding to unrelated campaigns but rather expect a 2-way dialogue. Complicating this expectation is the fact that customers now use any and all available channels to interact with your organization, so you need to ensure that each communication is positive. Add to this a crunch on resources and many marketers are finding it tough.

You can do it!

To achieve success, you must leverage customer information to create clear, consistent and relevant communication that adds to the customer experience and ultimately to creating sales opportunities. Learn how you can turn multi-channel communication into a competitive advantage.

You Will Learn / Who Should Attend

You Will Learn

This roundtable will explore:

Ways to engage customers across multiple channels
How advanced predictive modeling can be used to optimize targeting to maximize returns from direct marketing
Improving the customer experience
Tips on how to use marketing automation effectivel

Who Should Attend

Marketing Analytics professionals
CRM managers
Customer Insight managers
Marketing strategists

Speakers

Dr. Mark Smith, PhD
SVP & General Manager, Customer Analytics and Interaction, Pitney Bowes Business Insight

Mark has over 20 years of experience in applying analytical solutions to customer management problems, and he works directly with leading Financial Services, Retail and Telecommunications companies, consulting on their use of customer data to drive increased business performance.

Key Dates/Pricing

Date:
November 29, 2012

Time:
8:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Location:
Arcadian Loft
401 Bay Street, Simpson Tower, 8th floor
Toronto, ON

Rates:
CMA Member: $60 | Member, Multiple*: $55
Regular: $90 | Regular, Multiple*: $85

*Three or more members from the same company must register at the same time.

Three Steps to Help B2B Marketers Prove ROI

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:00:57 GMT

Today’s marketers are navigating through an extremely treacherous landscape. The marketplace is more competitive than ever. The economy remains unpredictable. The fire hose of digital data now streams 24/7. And, the C-suite wants results - solid, demonstrated results.

What can you do to stay on the right path? How can you ease the bumps along the way?

One of the best places to begin is by taking a hard look at accountability. How are you proving ROI? These days, marketers must accept responsibility for a broad purview, one that includes the spend, the channels used, the way initiatives go to market and ultimately, the results. That means you must apply a new rigor throughout the entire process. Then, and only then, can you begin to understand how the budget is spent and what drives your results.

Here are three steps to help you get started:

Account for both sides of the ROI equation.
ROI consists of two elements: the return and the investment. However, too many marketers focus only on the return, the results. Consequently, they spend too little time on the investment, the cost of putting together all the different activities that comprise a modern marketing initiative. That’s a significant and detrimental oversight, and success today demands a much more comprehensive approach.

To improve your strategy, you should first establish a foundation by gathering information across all initiatives and calculating costs from the marketing perspective. Then, take that all-important next step and compare notes with other departments. The goal is to shine a light on the disconnect that often exists between the marketing and general business ledgers. I’m sure you’re all too familiar with the problem. It goes something like this: Finance wants to track costs by category (how much was spent on print and advertising last year), but your team thinks in broader terms (what was the product launch budget for Europe). If each department talks a different language, no one can be sure who is responsible for what. Eliminate this confusion and learn to translate accounting line items into views that make sense for marketing.
Analyze a selection of won deals.
Proving ROI has always been somewhat problematic for B2B marketers because of the protracted B2B sales cycle, and now that we have to factor in an ever-expanding array of channels and customer touchpoints, the task certainly isn’t getting any easier. When a prospect converts after a 12-month courtship, it can be difficult to determine which element(s) should get credit. Was it your email campaign, social media outreach, a contact made at a conference, or some other effort entirely? Do you know how/if these initiatives enhanced one another?

Use this strategy to gain insight: analyze a selection of won deals from one specific industry or segment. Look at common touchpoints to learn more about what worked and what didn’t. You can also decipher plenty about channel effectiveness by tracking the sources of new names/contacts and identifying which activities provide good, quality contacts for your pipeline.
Implement on-going cost/spend tracking.
Automation technology allows marketers to manage and integrate communications, adapt responses based on reactions from the marketplace and most importantly for ROI, consistently track spend and performance. In other words, marketing automation solutions can provide the on-going tracking data now needed for rigorous analytics. This type of visibility enables you to identify opportunities for improvement, plan more strategically and strengthen your position in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

There’s no doubt about it: today’s marketing landscape is bumpy. But once marketers accept accountability and fine-tune their processes for proving ROI, the ride will become significantly smoother, more gratifying and better for the bottom line, too.

Rick Makos, President, Teradata Canada ULC
Jeff Chamberlain, Vice President, B2B Solutions, Marketing, Aprimo

A Direct Marketer’s Destination…..Think Canada Post

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:00:43 GMT

As a direct marketer, I appreciate the effort it takes to launch a full-fledged direct marketing campaign. Typically, the following components must be developed, documented and communicated to the business team:

Build a marketing brief - describe the campaign, objective and offer
Pull data to confirm the hypothesis - define/profile your target and then pull data internal and external based on this
Build a marketing campaign plan - objectives, go- to-market plan, approach, goals
Define the measureable outcome - response rate, revenue goals or subscribers
Review with market management

As technology and applications continue to get introduced and improved, there are many third party resources available to help those of us, whether we are novice or seasoned marketers who are responsible for direct mail campaigns. One useful resource is the Canada Post direct marketing website.

From my personal persepctive, the real asset of this resource site is that all the tools that you require for your campaign are together. Canada Post has cleverly pulled together the components in an easy to follow step by step process within its application called Direct Marketing Online. There are standardized templates and forms available that help you define, plan and manage your campaign. The document flow allows the user to clearly see steps necessary in order to prepare for the launch of your marketing campaign.

The site provides you with helpful links about products and services, rates and specifications - to help you get a better idea of the type of campaign that will align with your objectives. When you access the products and services page, you are asked some basic business questions to confirm what you intend to do with your campaign. Your answers determine the site’s recommended approach to your direct marketing campaign needs. At this point, the most beneficial part of the site tool is that it provides you with campaign pricing in order to assist you with building your business case for the campaign. Other resources include success stories, tips on campaign production and tips on campaign planning.

The most important part of any direct marketing campaign is the customer list you’ll be using. The site resource contains an application tool called Smart Data Cleaner, which can help you scrub the data.

To refine your campaign, there are user friendly tools on the site that are easily accessible: AdCard Service, residential and business counts along with maps, electronic shipping tools, a campaign calculator and you can download indicia artwork.

This one-stop shop offers myriad resources to demystify direct marketing and optimize your campaign.

Mamie Leung
Sr. Director, Direct Marketing Communications
Rogers Communications

Hiring predictions; ROI behaviour

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:24:55 GMT

Marketing/ad execs anticipate increase in Q2 hiring

The hiring of full-time creative and marketing professionals is expected to increase in Canada in the second quarter of 2012, according to a survey released on Wednesday by the Toronto-based The Creative Group. Twenty-six per cent of the marketing and advertising executives interviewed said they plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, and 4% forecast reductions in personnel. The resulting net 22% of executives anticipating hiring is up seven points from the firm's first-quarter forecast. Web design/production and social media are the specialties in greatest demand, according to survey respondents.

Marketing ROI study: Many don't practice what they preach

New research finds most marketing execs (57%) don't establish their budgets according to ROI measures: 68% of those who participated in the study by the Columbia Business School Center on Global Brand Leadership and the New York American Marketing Association base their budget decisions on historical spending levels, while 28% go with gut instinct. And 7% say most of or all their spending decisions aren't based on any metrics at all. The state of the art remains surprisingly primitive, according to the survey, in which half of respondents didn't include any financial outcome when defining marketing ROI, and 22% use the most basic measure -- brand awareness -- to gauge marketing ROI without necessarily determining even whether the awareness is positive. As one respondent colourfully put it, his company's marketing ROI measurement is like "pissing in the wind."
Source: AdAge

North American ad spend to increase in 2012

Overall North American advertising spend is projected to increase 3.6% to $171 billion in 2012, according to latest figures from ZenithOptimedia. More specifically, the firm projects mobile ad spending to increase 48% to $1.2 billion, compared with 2011. Steady growth is also projected in display ad spending, which will increase 12% to $5.2 billion compared with last year, as well as paid search ads, which will increase 15% to $13.1 billion. Social ad spending is expected to increase 37% to $3.4 billion in 2012.
Source: DMNews

Most web users dislike behavioural targeting, personalized search

Contrary to the thinking in some quarters, most consumers don't like targeted online ads because they don't like to be tracked and profiled. On the flip side, 28% of those who participated in a recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project say they're "okay with it" because they received ads and information relevant to their interests. Online Media Daily did not report if the receptiveness would change if marketers were transparent with consumers about how the information is being collected and its intended use.

Busy signals: Why call centres are coming back

Wednesday's Globe and Mail reports that Canadian companies that sent call centre jobs overseas by the thousands last decade have started to bring them back home. Reasons given for the rise in "in-shoring" were the rising costs of hiring overseas workers, high staff turnover and lower customer satisfaction.

Slow web load times lead tablet users to the competition's site

Compuware reports that a bad website experience for tablet users will drive them to competitive sites; one-third are less likely to visit the problematic site on any platform and are less likely to purchase from that company. Almost 70% of tablet users expect a website to load in two seconds or less.

Return on Influence & ‘flawsome’ brands

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:13:55 GMT

Social media's ROI: 'Return On Influence'

Wednesday's issue of Media Post's Marketing Daily advances the argument that marketers should look at the "Return On Influence" to measure the effectiveness of their social media programs. Why? Because while it's possible to measure reach, frequency and time of engagement, those metrics don't get to the heart of how social media works: sharing an experience, notes the article. Cited was "Zuck's Law" (Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's informal rule) that the number of experiences people are sharing via social media is doubling each year. So the "target" in social media isn't a consumer in the traditional marketing sense. The target is the "interest networks" and "second-generation affiliation networks" of people and algorithms measuring influence, which is an elusive point of attribution. More to the point, the article notes that in social media "the action is the reaction and the "I" in ROI is influence."

Mobile marketing under scrutiny

Tuesday's Globe and Mail reports that the increasing popularity in pushing marketing messages to people's cell phones who walk by a store has gotten the attention of privacy advocates. The article notes that the Federal Privacy Commissioner is keeping an eye on mobile marketing and real-time location advertising in Canada.

Trendwatching: Consumers will embrace brands that are 'flawsome'

The March issue of Trendwatching presents the position that consumers will embrace brands that are "Flawsome: Brands that are still brilliant despite having flaws; even being flawed (and being open about it) can be awesome. Brands that show some empathy, generosity, humility, flexibility, maturity, humour and (dare we say it) some character and humanity." Two key drivers are fueling the Flawsome trend, notes the report:

Human brands -- Everything from disgust at business to the influence of online culture (with its honesty and immediacy), is driving consumers away from bland, boring brands in favour of brands with some personality.
Transparency triumph -- Consumers are benefiting from almost total and utter transparency (and thus are finding out about flaws anyway), as a result of the torrent of readily available reviews, leaks and ratings.

Consumers quick to spot and ignore deceptive ads: Research

Consumers are savvier than many might think at sniffing out deceptive advertising and will quickly dismiss the ads if they view them as overly dishonest, according to research conducted at North Carolina State University. The findings are based on new research which found people were able to distinguish between deceptive ads and those that were believable because of heightened activity in specific areas of the brain. This research, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, proved this by showing participants' advertisements deemed to be either "highly believable," "moderately deceptive" or "highly deceptive" and then using an MRI to watch how their brains responded.
Source: Business News Daily

Global ad spend to increase by 4.9% in 2012 to over $465 billion: Study

Following 3.8% growth in 2011, global ad spending is expected to grow by 4.9% in 2012 to $465.5 billion, according to a forecast released Monday by Strategy Analytics. Leading the growth will be global online advertising at 12.8% to $83.2 billion in 2012, accounting for 18% of global ad spending. Looking at spend by media type reveals that global TV advertising is expected to grow by 5% in 2012 to $188.5 billion, equivalent to 40% of all global spending. Global print advertising is expected to grow by half a percent, accounting for a 26.4% share. Other traditional formats including cinema and radio will grow by approximately 4%.

2012 predictions; digital turf battles; QR codes

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:14:03 GMT

What’s in store for 2012

From Monday’s issue of AdAge, their look at what’s in store for agencies and marketers in the new year. Among the predictions:

Ad spending will continue to grow in 2012, but more slowly as some marketers adopt a cautious attitude about launching campaigns in a still uncertain economy. That means shorter timelines for creative agencies to develop initiatives -- what used to be given months to complete may now be expected in days -- and the need to be ready to connect marketing activities with cultural behaviour or events that generate consumer interest.
Ownership issues and digital turf battles will continue at creative agencies, particularly over who does what when it comes to digital creative, social media and PR.
Cross-pollination of talent will have digital expertise heading to full-service shops and those with broader backgrounds seeking specialty work. But with a limited pool of trained creatives, the industry will boost recruitment from outside the field, increasingly turning to the tech, consulting and fashion sectors to source agency staff.

Consumers have eye for QR codes

New research out of the U.S. finds that while most consumers aren’t familiar with the term “QR code”, nearly all know one when they see it and one in five know what to do. Consumers cited curiosity and information-gathering as the two main reasons they interact with the codes while 43% would be interested in scanning if promised discounts and offers. Furthermore, while 57% did nothing after scanning 21% shared the information and 18% went on to make a purchase afterwards. The study was conducted by Boston-based Chadwick Martin Bailey.
Source: BizReport

Reminder: Canada Post price and service changes

CMA Members are reminded that price and service changes to Canada Post’s Direct Marketing and Transaction Mail Services take effect on January 16. Among the changes affecting marketers:

The Address Accuracy transition period for excluded large urban business addresses is extended to January 2013. The transition period for excluded multi-unit residential apartment addresses, however, is not extended and expires Jan. 13, 2012.
Changes to machineable mail specifications and a simplification of addressing uidelines.
Changes to the Business Reply Card paperweight specs are delayed until July 31.

More information can be found on the Canada Post website.

One last word...

Super Bowl spots are still the hottest ticket in advertising. NBC has sold all the commercial airtime for the Feb. 5 game in Indianapolis and even has a waiting list of advertisers. The average cost for a 30-second spot this year was $3.5 million, with some time slots costing as much as $4 million.
Source: Associated Press/Marketing

Marketing Management Course

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:23:31 GMT

Marketing Management Course

Developing and Implementing the Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan is the roadmap that guides the marketing department in achieving the goals of an organization. Developing a successful plan is both an art and science, involving the knowledge of what goes into a plan and how to craft it, and utilizing leadership and collaboration skills to effectively communicate the plan and execute it.

This unique course is ideal for those moving up in their organization to a position that requires more strategic thinking and leading a team to execute. You’ll learn the 'what' and the 'how' of successful marketing planning and implementation for any type of organization.

Marketing/finance reining in pricing & costs

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:54:07 GMT

Marketing/finance reining in pricing and costs

Given the uncertain economy, a majority of CMOs and CFOs are holding the reins tightly when it comes to price competitiveness and increasing costs. In fact, nearly 90% of the 1,000 CMOs and CFOs who participated in a recent global study by Accenture see price competitiveness to be a primary strategic issue. CMOs were slightly more optimistic (by 7%) than CFOs about their company’s ability to sustain price increases in today’s market, however, more than two-thirds (71%) of the combined group believe they will have to maintain pricing, or even drop prices, given the current economic climate. The study included the perspective of 1,000 senior executives -- 488 CMOs and 512 CFOs -- in the banking, communications, consumer goods and services, energy, insurance, pharmaceuticals, retail and utilities industries in countries that included Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany and Brazil.

Execution trumps reputation, cost

A recent study by the New York-based Horn Group and Kelton Research finds that the ability to execute is seven times more important to CMOs than reputation and twice as important as cost when hiring an agency. Collaboration is also highly valued, with over two-thirds of marketing execs preferring to work with small agencies (less than 50 people), notes the study’s authors.

Consumers OK with ads if mobile video app is free

When it comes to mobile video apps like YouTube, Hulu or Netflix, consumers say the best things in life are free. Of note to marketers, the study by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and Nielsen also found most consumers don’t mind mobile ads on video apps -- especially if it allows them to access content for free. The study also showed video app usage increases consumer engagement with TV programs, networks and related websites. Roughly 85% of video app users surveyed said they watch the same amount or more of regularly scheduled TV since they began using video apps, and nearly half reported being more engaged with the programs or networks associated with the video apps after accessing them. In addition, 35% reported that video app usage causes them to visit the network or program website associated with the video app more than they had before they started using the app.

Better Business Bureau integrating Canadian and U.S. operations

The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) announced yesterday that it is integrating operations in Canada and the U.S., effective this coming Tuesday. CBBB is the governing body that licenses local BBBs and provides support services. The BBB currently maintains information on more than 4 million businesses.

One last word…

A study in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Consumer Research has found that people have radically different reactions to the notoriously speedy disclaimers at the conclusion of some commercials, depending on the pre-existing level of trust for the brand. The study’s authors found viewers hearing zippy voiceovers for a familiar brand have no problem with it, but they buck at unfamiliar brands airing fast disclaimers, because they feel the company is trying to pull a fast one.
Source: The Globe and Mail

CMO priorities; Canadians & social media; daily deals

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:54:38 GMT

Say goodbye to ‘random acts of marketing’

According to a report released on Monday, it’s time to say goodbye to “random acts of marketing” as improved integration, alignment, visibility and ROI top the list of marketing performance requirements through 2011. Among the priorities cited by those CMOs surveyed was adding a one-two-punch of marketing analytics talent coupled with strategic planning and business development experience to better target, segment and then act on growth opportunities. The study was conducted by the U.S.-based CMO Council and included CMA’s involvement as a fielding partner. In other findings:

While marketing spend is being influenced by a shift to digital media and online marketing effectiveness, only 5% of respondents give themselves high marks specific to current online marketing performance capabilities. To bolster capabilities, CMOs are planning headcount increases in interactive design, online advertising, search engine marketing, web analytics and integrated campaign management.
Marketing, as a function, continues to reach beyond the borders of branding. CMOs surveyed indicated a growing authority in high-value areas, such as strategic planning and forecasting (74%), business development and collaborating (46%), pricing (36%), distribution/channel management (36%) and product design and specification (27%).

Canada’s love affair with online social networking continues

A new Ipsos Reid report finds that one-half of all Canadians and most online Canadians (60%) now have a social networking profile. And it’s no longer the exclusive domain of youth, either. While younger online Canadians aged 18-34 years (86%) are most likely to have a social networking profile, a majority (62%) of those aged 35-54 now have profiles and a good portion (43%) of those 55 years and older have one too. There’s also been a dramatic increase in the frequency in which online Canadians use social networks -- nearly one-half (45%) are now visiting a social networking site at least once a week and 30% visit daily. That compares to 35% who were visiting weekly and 19% who were visiting daily this time last year. Also significant: Nearly half (48%) of Canadians with social networking profiles “like” or “follow” at least one brand or company through their social networking site (the number of brands followed averages 6.7).

“A new era has dawned in the social networking space,” notes Steve Mossop, President of Ipsos Reid’s Western Canada practice. “The first five years was about building awareness and usage around socializing, and consumers responded positively. The next five years will be about commercialization of social networking. Companies who understand and enter this space will gain a whole new way of interacting with and engaging their customers.”

Brand campaigns on Facebook up 104%: Research

Results from a global study by London-based TBG Digital show that paid brand advertising campaigns on Facebook rose 104% in Q2 2011 when compared to Q1. According to the research, retail is the hottest growth sector on Facebook. From being nearly non-existent in Q3 2010, it has shown steady growth and accounts for 36% of all impressions in Q2 2011. TBG Digital used a subset of total data across 167 clients, running in 21 countries worldwide generating a total of 200 billion impressions to provide this analysis. Results were audited by the University of Cambridge's Psychometrics Centre.

Do daily deals encourage repeat business?

While daily deals become increasingly popular with consumers, there’s mixed views about whether such offers are worth it for businesses. In a June 2011 MerchantCircle survey of small businesses, the leading reason for liking daily deals was customer acquisition (58%) while at the same time ineffective customer acquisition was also listed as the top reason for not offering a daily deal again (42.4%). Giving discounts to consumers who would have patronized the establishment anyway is also a concern. According to a ForeSee Results survey, this is not unfounded. A full 38% of daily deal buyers -- the largest share -- said they were already loyal to the business offering a deal. However, nearly one-third were new customers and the same percentage had been swayed by a discount after having either visited only sporadically or had stopped patronizing the establishment altogether.
Source: eMarketer

Smart Media Buying in Tough Times Requires Creativity Backed with Hard Data

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 13:40:22 GMT

By Tim Peel, Vice President, Canadian Circulations Audit Board (CCAB)

The ongoing economic slump means doing more with less, as marketers face shrinking budgets and growing pressure to maximize value for every dollar.

Creative thinking and a cross-platform mix of print, digital and event can help extend the reach of your media buy on a limited budget, but outside-the-box thinking also needs to go hand-in-hand with accountability.

It’s no secret that publishers, website owners and event managers are seeing a drop in advertising revenue during these tough times. Many are more willing to negotiate—and are more flexible in those negotiations—than they might have been in the past. But media buyers should remember that little phrase caveat emptor or ‘buyer beware’ when considering where to invest. If a deal seems too good to be true, it might well be.

This is where the checks and balances afforded by audited media can help you be accountable with your media budget. The rate you pay to promote your brand—whether in print, online or on the tradeshow floor—is based on the number of people likely to see your message. An independent, impartial media auditing organization examines the circulation, website traffic or event attendance data to ensure it is accurate.

Remember, the auditors do not have a stake in the outcome of an audit—they get paid whether or not the results are favorable to the media owner—so when you read the auditor’s report, you can be pretty sure that when you pay $X to reach Y people, you will get what you pay for.

Of course, you still need the right product at the right price, targeted to the right audience with a message that resonates. But when you have your product, price and channel solidified, the creative bang-on and the audience identified, audited media can help you select the best forums for reaching that target audience.

Isn’t it just for print?

Not anymore. Media auditing has its roots in the print publishing world, but just as the media game has changed drastically over the last several years—most notably by the inception of the Internet—so has media auditing. Today, there are audits for website traffic, e-newsletter distribution, databases and live events, as well as the traditional newspaper and magazine circulation audits.

This is where you can get really creative with your media channels to maximize your reach, while still enjoying the ability to back up your decisions with hard numbers—the best mix of art and science. Here’s how...

Print audits

Print circulation audit reports give you an accurate, independently verified view of the number of people who receive a print publication, be it a major daily newspaper, community newspaper, consumer magazine or business-to-business periodical.

The data is broken down by categories pertinent to that publication type, so you can drill down based on your specific needs.

Audited circulation reports for newspapers usually include:

Total circulation
Paid circulation by day of the week
Paid for by Individual Recipient
Sponsored by third party or free
Paid-subscription and single-copy pricing
Subscriber’s geographic area (CMA and outside CMA for urban dailies)
Average circulation by day for each month for dailies

Audited circulation reports for consumer magazines usually include:

Total circulation
Paid and nonpaid copies
Single-copy sales
Sponsored copies
Paid subscription details (prices paid, terms, premiums)
Recipient geographic location
Subscriber demographics
Source and age of qualifying documents
Average annual order price
Subscriptions in arrears
Bulk distribution (multi-copy)

Audited circulation reports for b2b magazines usually include:

Total circulation
Qualified circulation
Key businesses/industries reached
Recipient occupation/titles
Geographic location
Source and age of qualifying documents
Paid and nonpaid recipient breakouts

You can compare circulation data across multiple publications, and select the outlets that will give you the best ROI for reaching your specific audiences.

E-newsletter audits

Just like print advertising, when you place advertising or paid/sponsored content in an e-newsletter, you need to know how many people receive it so you can set key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure your ROI.

Independent e-newsletter audits verify distribution by examining the SMTP logs for the outbound email server. These logs show records of all outgoing mail and bounce-backs. The logs record the date/time stamp (contains the day, month and year, as well as the hour, minute, and seconds), the sender’s email address, the message identifier (ties outgoing messages to respective bounce-back messages), a unique issue identifier and the email address of the recipient (newsletter subscriber).

The resulting e-newsletter audit report includes:

The publisher’s statement of distribution
The market served
The average net circulation
Gross deliverables and undeliverables for the period
Demographic information about recipients (may be reported at the option of the publisher)

Website traffic audits

Many (sadly too many) media buyers still hold to the philosophy that because they can measure how many people clicked on a banner ad to come to the campaign site, that’s all they really need. Digital advertising is unique in that respect and it allows us to track campaign metrics in a way we could never achieve with print advertising.

Perfect if all your online advertising spending is cost-per-click based.

If you’ve ever negotiated an online media buy, you’ll know that the vast majority of site owners still base their rates on impressions, not clicks. You pay $X to ‘guarantee’ your ad will appear on a specific number of page loads. In some cases, you can pay a premium to occupy a coveted position on the page or to match your message up with site content likely to be of keen interest to site visitors you think are also likely to show an interest in your product, thanks to the magic of browser cookies.

Sounds great. So how does a website traffic audit make it better?

Up to now, media buyers have simply had to trust that the site owner’s (or the sales rep’s) claims about traffic were accurate. Website analytics are still evolving and are much better today than in the early days of the Internet. But they are far from foolproof and are still quite able to be manipulated—whether intentionally or unintentionally. For example, if the site is not coded to exclude internal traffic (hits and visits from the site owner’s own company)—something that’s simple to do but often overlooked—traffic numbers can be vastly inflated. Who doesn’t have their own site as their default homepage? And just think how inflated session stats might become if the developers are working on the site but not excluded from the analytics!

With a website traffic audit, the independent auditing organization installs page tags throughout the site. These tags gather traffic data that should match up with the site owner’s analytics if their claims are accurate. Tag placement, robot/spider filters and internal traffic filters are audited.

What data will a website traffic audit provide to help you make media buying decisions?

Page impressions
Unique browsers
User sessions
Unique browser frequency
User session duration
Page duration

You can compare this data across multiple sites and select the ones that best suit your needs.

Event attendance audits

Exhibiting at a tradeshow or conference can be highly rewarding, but it can also be costly—both in terms of dollars and in human resources required to staff the booth or deliver the talk. Event audits verify attendance numbers, as well as demographic information gathered during the registration process, to help you select events that can provide the most ROI.

Although event audit reports vary depending on the type of event, some of the typical data in an event audit report include:

Event location
Total number of attendees
Number of exhibit-only attendees
Number of conference attendees
Number of speakers
Number of media
Number of exhibitor registrants
Primary business/industry of attendees
Primary job title of attendees
Primary job function of attendees
Geographic breakout of conference and/or exhibit-only attendees

Integrated audits

Some auditing organizations now provide media owners with a single-service price to audit their print, web, e-news and event offerings. This concept can be particularly beneficial to media buyers during negotiations, as they allow you to evaluate and compare package deals offered by competing media outlets.

Not the answer to all accountability challenges

Media auditing verifies delivery. It doesn’t guarantee that the recipient will actually open and read the email or print publication. It can’t ensure that the event attendee will make a thorough tour of the tradeshow booths or that the web visitor will notice the banner ads.

The quality of the content and design of the media property, as well as the volume of advertising it includes, have a significant impact on the user experience and therefore the uptake.

Audited media reports can help you narrow the field at the outset and give you leverage in negotiations—or act as a final quality assurance test before you sign the insertion order—when you’re making media buying decisions.

About the Author
Tim Peel is Vice President of the Canadian Circulations Audit Board (CCAB), the Canadian division of BPA Worldwide. Tim joined CCAB as a field auditor in 1999, was promoted to Internal Audit Supervisor in 2000, to Audit Manager in 2002 and to General Manager in 2004. He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Social Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce.

Developing a Business Case

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 13:42:19 GMT

By Rosalie McGovern, General Manager, Marketing and Business Development, Direct Marketing, Canada Post

Business cases are a key tool for marketers. They have many applications that range from requesting funds to hiring more staff. They should be brief and to the point (generally no more than two pages) with enough content for the decision-maker to quickly and easily come to a resolution.

Below you will find some helpful hints on how to write an impactful business case using an example of a request for marketing funds to illustrate key information that decision makers need. Following the guidelines you will find another example of a business case that requests additional staff and a third example that uses a modified format.

Next time you have a formal business request, use a business case to make it easy for any decision maker to say “approved.”

The Elements of a Simplified Business Case*

Problem or Opportunity Statement

In one paragraph or less, clearly state the specific business problem to be solved or opportunity to be leveraged.

eg: Over the past year the company’s long time customers are reducing spend and/or leaving. The rate of erosion is an alarming 20% higher than previous years. An action plan must be quickly implemented to address the decline revenue. The cost to implement the program is $50,000.

Background / Current State

Include two to four key facts that qualify the business problem or frame the opportunity. Define why it’s a problem or an opportunity and the negative or positive impact on the organization. Specific metrics or values that should be applied to each key fact if possible.

eg: The current annual loss of revenue is approximately $500,000 higher than previous years. New account generation would need to double to offset the loss which would be next to impossible. We asked customers why they were leaving and they told us our competition is aggressively promoting volume-based pricing. They did not know we automatically apply volume discounts with every purchase and said they would have remained with us if they were aware of our pricing structure.

Proposed Solution / Desired State

In one paragraph or less, state the proposed solution or opportunity-engagement needed to reach the desired state. Assert the goal or objective that needs to be satisfied. Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time Specific).

eg: To reduce customer attrition by 50% and increase order volume size by 10% in six months.

We will accomplish this by:

Developing monthly communications to our customers that:
- Reinforce our company benefits (i.e. volume discounts, no charge delivery, 24/7 service)
- Promote new products, services and pricing specials
- Thank them for their business
Re-training sales and telesales representatives to continually reinforce core company strengths.
Updating the website with the same messaging.

Rationale

Support the solution proposal with two or three key rationales, qualified by insight.

eg: Our customers told us that because of our lack of regular communication we are not top of mind. They forgot about why they became our customers in the first place. The competition is very good at promoting themselves. Our customers are busy and need to be reminded about the value we provide. Personalized messages to our key customers will keep our company attributes top of mind. We will ensure that there is consistent messaging over all customer touch points.

Short-Form ROI

Provide three to five key numbers that justify consideration through a short-form return on investment. For example: estimated cost versus revenue, margin, EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) or other financial potential; customer attrition versus retention/cultivation/growth; available universe of market need or spend or quantifiable opportunity; expense reduction, productivity improvement, etc.

eg: For an investment of $50,000, in six months we will:

Reduce attrition by 10% and save $250,000 in lost revenue
Generate $500,000 in incremental revenue

Requirements and Impact

List resources needed to undertake the proposal, such as staff, IT, materials, time, outsource support, and budget. Provide two or three bullet points regarding the likely impact of the proposed undertaking across the organization.

eg: In addition to the funds, we require:

16 hours from IT to set up (ten hours) and run (one hour per month for six months) reports
50 hours from Marketing Services to develop communication and update website
10 hours from Sales Training to develop and retrain Sales force and Tele Sales
15 minutes at next quarterly all staff meeting to announce program

Alternative

Suggest a second option, with a short rationale as to why it’s a second choice.

eg: A customer calling program was considered without the quarterly communication, however our customers told us they don’t always have time for a sales call and like to be able to review marketing messages when it is convenient for them.

Critical Success Factors

List three factors which are critical for the proposal’s success (other than ROI metrics) i.e. executive sponsorship, IT or R&D support, regulatory or compliance approval, staff training.

eg: Everyone in the company needs to be proud that we are still number one in the industry. We have the best products, services and prices despite declining sales. Support from everyone from the mailroom to telesales to the CEO will help us get back on top. We need to demonstrate to all of our customers at every touch point that they are important to us. Finally, we cannot be complacent about our position and must strive to continually improve.

Action Plan

Propose between two and four specific short-term action steps (bullets) necessary for proposal initiation and momentum.

eg:

Complete the communication plan
Finalize the reporting metrics
Launch program

Consequence

Define in one or two sentences the consequential outcome for non-action and continuation of current state.

eg: If we do not address the situation now we will continue to see a decline in revenue.

'The One Thing' (Close)

State in one sentence, the one thing you want the reader to reflect upon and remember at the close of the discussion. The one key benefit for actioning the proposal; the primary reason to seek desired state; the negative consequence for inaction.

eg: The future of our company depends on proactively addressing our attrition problem. By a small investment today of $50,000 we will not only save $250,000 in revenue but also generate an incremental $500,000.

*Courtesy of Data Group of Companies

Example One
Example Two

Business Case: Hire Additional Staff

Example Only

Problem or Opportunity Statement

There are opportunities to generate revenue that are being missed because existing staff are stretched to the limit just keeping the lights on.

The addition of one Full Time Employee (FTE) could generate an additional $2 to $3 million in revenue for the organization.

Background / Current State

Recently one staff member left the company for another employment opportunity and another left for a maternity leave.

To keep headcount down, their work load was divided between remaining staff who are just managing with the additional responsibilities.

Opportunities, however, are not being explored because there is not enough manpower to do the due diligence required to evaluate and bring to market new trends and business. Recently, a business partnership opportunity with a potential of $500,000 was missed because we could not react fast enough without letting one of our existing clients down. Last year these new opportunities generated a total of $2.25 million in incremental revenue for the company.

Proposed Solution / Desired State

Ideally, both employees should be replaced with one full time and one full time contract employee to cover the maternity leave. However, to follow the company’s desire to reduce costs in this fiscal year, the proposal is to staff the positions with 2 contract employees - one full time contract employee and one part time contract employee.

Rationale:

Hiring contract employees vs. FTE would reduce employee benefit costs.
Contract vs. FTE would allow additional time to determine if FTE are required in future, and streamline processes
FTE staff morale would be greatly increased by demonstrating management’s commitment to the department
Influx of new blood with varied experiences can generate new ways of thinking about the business

Short-Form ROI

With a full team, each staff member generates approximately $3 million in revenue from existing clients and $500,000 each from new opportunities. Last year, the new opportunities amounted to $2.25 million in revenue. This potential revenue will be missed in the currently fiscal.

For an investment of $150,000 in consulting fees, an additional $2.5 in revenue could be generated.

Requirements and Impact

Minimal investment is required as capital equipment (desks, laptops, phones, etc) are already in place. Only new user set-up fees will be incurred.

Alternative

A request for one FTE and one full time contract employee was considered; this has considerably more cost and commitment. Also, one contract vs. 1.5 contract employees were considered, but it is estimated the loss in revenue would be 1.5 million.

Critical Success Factors

Time is of the essence to generate revenue in this fiscal year
Employees will need crash course in systems and procedures

Action plan

First, keep current staff members’ morale high by recognizing and thanking them for their contributions. Special thank yous from senior management would be appreciated.
Begin word-of-mouth campaign to find available consultants
Engage HR so they can prepare necessary paperwork
Advise IT to re-engage systems

Consequence

With our current staffing level, our ability to meet our revenue targets is in jeopardy.

Summary

Being a leader takes an investment in people and commitment to resources. A focusing on revenue rather than expenses will ensure our growth in the future.

Business Case: Hire Additional Staff

Example Only

Objectives Hire two contract employees one full time one part time	The Challenge There are opportunities to generate revenue that are being missed because existing staff are stretched to the limit ‘keeping the lights on’. The addition of one Full Time Employee (FTE) could generate an additional $2 to $3 million in revenue for the organization. Recently one staff member left the company for another employment opportunity and another left for a maternity leave. To keep headcount down, their work load was divided between remaining staff who are just managing with the additional responsibilities. Opportunities, however, are not being explored because there is not enough manpower to do the due diligence required to evaluate and bring to market new trends and business. Recently, a business partnership opportunity with a potential of $500,000 was missed because we could not react fast enough without letting one of our existing clients down. Last year these new opportunities generated a total of $2.25 million in incremental revenue for the company.
Numerical facts of outcome 2.5 Million in incremental revenue $150,000 in Fees	The Solution Ideally, both employees should be replaced with one full time and one full time contract employee to cover the maternity leave. However, to follow the company’s desire to reduce costs in this fiscal year, the proposal is to staff the positions with two contract employees - one full time contract employee and one part time contract employee. The Impact Hiring contract employees vs. FTE would reduce employee benefit costs. Contract vs. FTE would allow additional time to determine if FTE are required in future and streamline processes FTE staff morale would be greatly increased by demonstrating management’s commitment to the department Influx of new blood with varied experiences can generate new ways of thinking about the business
	The Future To be a leader takes investment in people and commitment to resources. Focusing on revenue rather than expenses will ensure our growth in the future.

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