What most marketers know with clarity is that they have more options for reaching customers and gauging their interest than ever before. Making sense of all the tools remains a predicament.
Take some tips from people at the top. Three senior executives shared what they've learned about the chaotic new world of marketing with the business journal McKinsey Quarterly.
It can be tempting to focus on targeted, niche efforts, but marketers shouldn't abandon mass media, said Virgin Atlantic Airways CEO Steve Ridgeway. Television campaigns are tried and true in building brand awareness. Virgin Atlantic's "Still Red Hot" campaign from 2009, for example, harkened back to the airline's 1984 launch.
Social media can signal as "early indicators," said American Express CMO John Hayes. Hayes cited Amex's "Small Business Saturday" promotion first launched in 2010. Some 1.5 million people liked the promotion on Facebook, so Hayes knew the campaign was headed in the right direction.
Pay attention to clicks, said Duncan Watts, the principal research scientist at Yahoo! Research. To see what kind of page design or display ads people prefer, test different combinations. Minutes later, millions of clicks will indicate what works best. (McKinsey Quarterly)
Sales Buzz
Gannett's New Strategy (FINS)
The McLean, Va.-based newspaper company appointed its latest in a series of hires. Gannett is hiring digital and marketing execs and adding salespeople.
Retail Layoffs Abound (FINS)
The retail sector announced 12,911 layoffs last month, up from 1,415 in June, according to a report from Chicago-based outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Borders Group Inc. alone was responsible for 10,700 of the job losses.
Job Opportunities for Pharma Reps (FINS)
Pharmaceutical sales reps may find new opportunity in contract sales companies. The outsourcing organizations are expected to employ about 13,000 reps by 2015, up from 6,000 last year.
Marketing Buzz
Working for Free (FINS)
More than half of respondents in a FINS survey said they would decline a job if they didn't get paid in the first three months. Does it make sense for you? Consider if you can afford it, and if there's the promise of pay at a later date.
What Would You Do?
Answer the question and see how you match up with the rest of the FINS community.
You've just been offered your dream job, but... you don't get paid for three months.
Sign ...or... Decline
One Less Zuckerberg at Facebook (AllThingsDigital)
Randi Zuckerberg, Mark Zuckerberg's sister and Facebook's marketing director, is leaving the company to start her own social-media firm, RtoZ Media.
Squawk (Ad Age)
Let the games begin. After spending 40 years with New York-based agency Deutsch Inc., the chicken company Perdue is looking for a new shop for its creative account.
Buzz Around the Office
Que Romantico (YouTube)
Everyone loves a good serenade.
List of the Day: Getting Off on the Right Foot
To make a good impression in your new job, consider the following tips.
1. Show up on time. Or early.
2. Take clothing cues from your boss, even if there's no dress code.
3. Be friendly.
4. Be positive.
5. Listen more than you speak,
(Source: Glassdoor)
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