For marketers who walk the walk
You know the theory. Now here's the practice. If you want opinions you can trust, advice you can use and real-world experience to learn from, then there's no better collection of marketing experts than here.
Why 2012 is the year you absolutely must get up to speed with mobile
Amid the doom and gloom of the Eurozone crisis, the possible knock-on effect of double-dip recession and the ongoing carnage for many High Street retailers, we should all feel bullish about the prospects for mobile in 2012. Market leaders in most sectors now have a taste for what mobile can achieve for their business, whether growing the customer base, building targeted CRM and loyalty programmes, or harnessing the uptake of mobile commerce with transactional sites and apps. However, the majority of brands are still coasting down the hard shoulder. Few have moved from trial phase and fully harnessed mobile to drive greater efficiencies by better optimising their marketing budgets, to improve customer retention, or to generate an effective, robust new revenue channel.
0 comments | Full storyData industry heading for the rocks?
The fate of the Costa Concordia has been seen by many in Italy as a metaphor for the country itself. A noble ship brought to disaster by a captain allegedly more interested in showing off than in the safety of his passengers. Offsetting this is the everyday heroism of ordinary people going about their jobs and saving lives. Two sides of the tragedy – two dimensions to Italian life.
0 comments | Full storyAre events still effective marketing activities?
If you asked any sales director in IT and telecommunications the question: are events still effective marketing activities? I believe you would receive a variation of the same response: “I think so but I don’t know for certain, I would have to ask my marketing team.”
2 comments | Full storyHow are IBM and Cisco connecting with today’s B2B buyer?
These are thrilling yet difficult times for B2B technology marketers. The end of 2011 finds us in a buyer’s market, having to work harder and smarter to encourage sustainable customer loyalty and brand advocacy – but also having a wealth of new tools and channels to help us achieve our goals. Guest blogger, Laura Nolan, Director at Marketing Options International introduces a great new video series.
1 comment | Full story10 Things I wish I’d known…
Beverly Barker F IDM was recently awarded the prestigious IDM Educator of the Year Award for her exceptional contribution to direct and digital marketing education. A seasoned marketer with 20+ years experience and one of the leading tutors across the IDM qualifications portfolio, we asked Beverly what ten things she had learned in her career that she would love to have known when she started out.
4 comments | Full storySmart, smarter… or Smarterer? Try our digital quizzes
You may have noticed that the IDM recently teamed up with digital quiz people, Smarterer, by compiling a couple of quizzes that test your marketing knowledge. One’s in social media, the other mobile. It’s a fun way to test yourself on what you know, and at the same time take on your colleagues in the race to the top of the leader board. There’s even a badge so you can show off your score on the social web! We fired a few questions at Smarterer CEO, Jennifer Fremont-Smith, to find out what they’re all about.
0 comments | Full storyIs the past an indicator for success in the future?
The question that keeps me awake at night is will the risk pay off or will I fail? I have a huge passion for digital, media and technology and before I began my current role at Nectar I worked for News International. I am sure most of you are drawing breath right now but up until a few years ago it was thought of as a leader in its industry and very much an innovator. I remember being in many meetings where it was the News International way for new start-ups to be grilled by the M&A department to find out if it was worthy of investing and one thing always struck me, NI was a risk taker and would take chances in times of uncertainty and was not afraid of failing. Yes it has made many poor decisions along the way but looking back I didn’t appreciate how unique it is to take risks in our industry.
0 comments | Full storyGetting the IDM Summer School experience
First we make them submit a detailed and rigorous application. If they survive the first cut, we put them through their paces in a gruelling IDM HQ boot camp. Then there’s a tense wait while the judges vote, before the very best are called back to take part in the live shows. Or, to use the official title: the IDM Barrie Spelling Top Student Summer School! Our latest Guest Blog spot goes to Owen Lee, who graduated this summer with a University of Sussex law degree. Owen was one of the bright young things who not only made it to Summer School - but survived to write the diary…
0 comments | Full storyMarketers – stop whining and pick up a bat!!
Marketers you need to start standing up for yourselves if you want to succeed and be taken seriously. Too many marketers are setting themselves up to fail by agreeing to requests from the business without acquiring additional support. If the business is asking you to change what you deliver, you need to ensure you have the right knowledge, capabilities and tools in place.
3 comments | Full storyHumans – we’re a fickle lot!
“Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together.” According to William Turner (1545) – humans find some comfort in behaving like sheep. Nothing wrong with sheep of course! This behaviour was probably observed many hundreds of years prior to being put into print as a proverb. Even Plato makes reference to this flock-like tendency in his words of wisdom. I’m sure that the basis of its origination was more to do with survival rather than opinion but there is no excuse today for always adopting the same flock-like behaviour as everyone else.
0 comments | Full storyWhy train marketers up when you can buy them in ready-trained?
I can see how the Royal Family goes about its succession planning: have children. But what about businesses where bloodlines are irrelevant? Where do we expect our future managers and directors to come from?
6 comments | Full storyB2B Marketing Skills: which ones do you need?
Last week at the IDM B2B Marketing Conference I was part of a panel, tasked with discussing the key skills and knowledge that a B2B marketer will need for the future. The starting point and the backdrop for the whole event (which also unveiled the IDM’s new name and branding) was that B2B marketing today is more complex than ever before. Technology has changed how customers research and buy, and the range of tools and channels that a B2B marketers has at their disposal. So what knowledge and skills are required by today’s and tomorrow’s marketer?
5 comments | Full storyWhat’s in a name?
Quite a lot, we feel. Which is why last week we were pleased, and not a little proud, to reveal our new livery, new brand identity – and yes, new name: the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing. The profession’s reaction so far has been overwhelmingly positive. You love the colours, you think the fresher, more contemporary look is exactly what’s needed to take us forward. But we’re being asked by many: what’s the story?
0 comments | Full storyBuyersphere 2011: would the real Customer 2.0 please stand up?
There’s a lot of talk going on about the new breed of customer. Not only on this blog, but throughout the B2B marketing world and, of course, at next week’s IDM B2B Marketing Conference, where it is understandably the main theme of the event. But with all this talk, there is a big question to ask: is this Customer 2.0 real or imagined?
2 comments | Full storyIn denial. My world is fine without any changes, thank you!
We live in a world of denial. It’s a human mechanism – a weakness. We spend money and don’t worry about paying it back. We damage our environment and see it as the responsibility of others. We pursue activities that may not be kind to our bodies but refuse to accept the potential consequences. Some might say that denial is born from naive optimism. Sadly, reality is often too hard to face so we park the unpleasant bits or those tasks we just don’t want to face in the back of our minds – sometimes to our detriment.
0 comments | Full story
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