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What is Branding?
What is branding exactly? This video by Norwich Business School tries to capture the essence of one of the things in marketing and advertising that’s so hard to pinpoint: the Brand. Originally a way of telling apart cows from different farms, brands have become complex and dynamic concepts. And since the rise of the Internet and (yes, there they are again) social media, marketers have been forced to release at least some control over their brands in order to let them flourish.
A brand is not just a logo, according to the video. It’s the feeling of familiarity and trust that it sparks in the consumer. That’s what makes them so versatile: Virgin is a music label, an airline company, a chain of media stores, a telecom provider… And still all these should be recognizable as part of one umbrella brand. And this is exactly where Marketing Operations comes in: it provides the structure and management to make sure brands can present a unified image, even if the manifestations of that brand are very different.
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CRM According to ACT
Remember Moe the CMO? It looks like he has a cousin: Mike the Napkin Guy. Mike is here to tell you about CRM software by Sage ACT. The systems brings all contact information (email addresses, conversations, social network profiles, memos and notes) together in one place.
‘And I like to plug in a few personal details, it gives me a little edge over the competition.’ ACT allows you to be personal without the hassle of having to remember every little detail about each of your clients. And if you’ve got your customer info straight in your CRM system, then it may become easier to attract and close new business, like it does for Mike:
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The Evolving Role of DAM in CXM – Part 2
As some readers already know, I recently participated in a Tweet Jam hosted by CMSWire that discussed the evolving role of digital asset management (DAM) in customer experience management (CXM). You can read CMSWire’s summary of the Tweet Jam here.
In my last post, I reviewed the first three discussion questions that were addressed in the Tweet Jam. In this post, I’ll provide my take on the issues covered by the final three discussion questions.
Question 4: How do DAM and CXM and WEM currently relate?
Most participants in the Tweet Jam believed that there should be a strong relationship between DAM and the broader set of CXM technologies (web content management, marketing campaign management, etc.). Unfortunately, however, there are still many instances where digital asset management is viewed as a silo application that is used primarily by creatives. Read More…
Gartner Highlights Cool Vendors to Watch in 2012
Cloud, social, mobile and information are the four key IT forces — alongside the continued impact of consumerization — that are combining to produce a ‘nexus’ in which ‘Cool Vendors’ will operate, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner’s 2012 Cool Vendors research series identifies the innovative companies, products and services that will shape business and consumer strategies in the future. Cool vendors are minor software vendors that nonetheless deserve some attention and recognition for the pioneering work they are doing, according to research institute Gartner.
This year Gartner has profiled more than 320 Cool Vendors, which offer innovations relating to data analysis and management, marketing, cloud services brokerage, people-centered computing, software infrastructure, consulting, outsourcing, and telecom operations management, as well as other markets. By definition, Cool Vendors are small vendors that offer innovative products or services. The innovation may be in how the product works or in what can be accomplished by those using the product or service. Read More…
A Marketer’s Guide to Pinterest
Pinterest! A new social platform and the next big thing in marketing. Or is it just a digital notice board for bored housewives surfing the net for pictures of cupcakes, cats, and Ryan Gosling?
Good news: ad agency MDG Advertising has created this Pinterest 101 video. Why should you be on Pinterest? Basically, because others are, and apparently the site is a good traffic driver. As ever in content marketing, it’s key to strike a balance between providing attractive content for the prospective audience and brand visibility. As the site only allows pins and re-pins of content that has an image attached to it, it’s not as accessible as, say, Facebook or Twitter. However, if you’re able to create great and varied content you might entice a few of those 11 million users to come your way.
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MRM According to Brandworkz
‘You control your brand, its assets and its information with just a few clicks.’ MRM vendor Brandworkz demonstrates its features in this (rather modest) video. It covers multiple areas of the marketing production process, from production to reporting. Customizable for each organization, it includes web-to-print, an extensive DAM function with access rights, a planning and workflow tool and a reporting function.
Brandworkz promises to increase brand consistency, quicker time-to-market, and fewer man hours required to do the same tasks. The system looks fresh and easy to use, but this video also create the impression that the benefits will are attainable by simply implementing a marketing software tool. And that’s not true. While a well-oiled marketing system is certainly a requirement for a smooth marketing production process, it must be backed up by a solid organizational structure, with clearly defined tasks, roles and responsibilities.
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Teradata to Acquire eCircle
Teradata, the analytic data solutions company, and Aprimo, a Teradata company specialized in Integrated Marketing Management software, announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Munich-based eCircle, European leader in cloud-based digital marketing.
With the acquisition, the three companies hope to combine Teradata’s analytical capabilities, Aprimo’s Integrated Marketing Management, and eCircle’s digital messaging solution. This will enable marketers to create integrated customer experiences across online and offline channels that leverage Big Data insights to grow existing customers, attract new customers, and increase revenues. The addition of eCircle more than triples Aprimo’s European team, expertise and reach in all major European countries, creating the largest marketing applications provider in Europe and enabling the delivery of eCircle solutions globally. Read More…
The Evolving Role of DAM in CXM – Part 1
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a Tweet Jam hosted by CMSWire that discussed the evolving role of digital asset management (DAM) in customer experience management (CXM). The participants included DAM/CXM industry thought leaders, marketing professionals, and representatives of several leading marketing technology providers. You can read CMSWire’s summary of the Tweet Jam here .
The Tweet Jam focused on six important questions, and the discussion produced many valuable insights. Given the limitations of Twitter, however, it was almost impossible to give these questions the treatment they deserve. So in this post, I’ll provide my take on the issues addressed in the first three discussion questions, and I’ll cover the final three questions in my next post.
Question 1: Given how digital we are, what is your current definition of DAM?
As you might expect, the Tweet Jam produced a wide range of definitions for digital asset management. The discipline of digital asset management has evolved significantly over the past two decades, and it continues to evolve in response to changes in the practice of marketing. For me, any ‘definition’ of digital asset management must include three core concepts: Read More…
Social CRM Has Low ROI
Although the adoption of social applications by sales, marketing and customer service departments continues to grow rapidly, Gartner, Inc. said that, by the end of 2012, only 50 percent of Fortune 1000 companies will receive a worthwhile return on investment (ROI) from their social customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives.
Adam Sarner, research director at Gartner, said:
For the 50 percent of Fortune 1000 organizations not determining, or even measuring, ROI, ignorance will mean failed projects. Among the companies who will not see a worthwhile return, only 20 percent will even have the data to evaluate where their social strategy is falling short. These organizations will be unable to justify future funding.
During the next two years, the success of social CRM will depend on how well companies and social CRM technology providers can make social CRM projects more than just social objectives by tying them to clear and measurable business objectives. Gartner predicts that by the end of 2012 three-quarters of new social CRM initiatives that receive funding will have a business case incorporating measurable ROI. Read More…
How to Train Employees to Handle Social Media
Ok. So you’ve got your Social Media plan all worked out. You’ve launched a Facebook campaign, pasted the city full of QR code stickers, customers can leave a comment or complaint about the brand via Twitter. Everything’s fully integrated and you’ve even got the software (such as this) to support it all.
But how do you have a social media policy in place? What can your staff share, what can’t they share? In this infographic, Mindflash gives a crash course on how to train your workforce to work with social media. From Savvy Technologist to Digital Newbie.
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