Monthly column by Professor Merlin Stone

Relevance and timeliness, by Merlin Stone
[31 Jul 2003] The marketing 'mantra' of "right message, right time, right person" is what should inform all efforts to make customer management systems and processes really effective. But transformation to achieve this costs money and, more importantly, it takes a lot of management time and effort. (Originally published in Database Marketing, July 2003)

Targeting the poor student, by Merlin Stone
[20 Jun 2003] Within the political shenanigans in education lies a nice story of database marketing success. No, I’m not referring to the postcode lottery for secondary school places. Private sector marketers might regard that particular mess as resulting from lack of deployment of geographic information systems to analyse and forecast demand and – more importantly – from complete unwillingness to match resources to geographic demand patterns. Schools are very inflexible. Imagine a retailer saying "None of my branches should ever shrink. All my staff have an absolute right to stay in the branch which currently employs them".

Does marketing measure up to expectations? By Merlin Stone and Jon O'Donnell
[20 May 2003] IBM has just completed some research into how marketing directors view the world, and in particular their priorities for the next few years. One of their top priorities is something called ‘marketing transformation’. We are not sure that most know what they mean — and to be honest it is a term we are wrestling with too. But the idea is exciting! (Reproduced with permission from Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing Vol. 11, 4, 296–298. Copyright Henry Stewart Publications 0967-3237, 2003)

Different world — targeting today's technology-savvy youth market, by Merlin Stone
[09 Apr 2003] At the end of 2001, I wrote about communicating with younger customers. Since then, I've been working with Ian Spero — of youth marketing agency Spero Communications — to develop some ways of helping big brands understand and approach this demographic group. We've been helped in this by Martin Lindstrom's new book, BrandChild, which amongst other things documents an enormous global research project focusing on 8-12 year olds — the "tweens".

I'm a confused expert! By Merlin Stone
[01 Feb 2003] I'm supposed to be an expert in the use of new technology in marketing and customer service. But when I review evidence on the experience companies put their customers through, I must admit to being a little confused. Why? It's the astonishing range of experience.

Marketing planning and implementation in the interactive-e-CRM age, by Merlin Stone
[16 Jan 2003] I spent Christmas luxuriating with my family in a hotel suite in Milan. We did nothing except eat, sleep and visit my daughter (who lives in Milan with her boyfriend). MTV was our constant companion. Now I won't just be a sad 60s addict – I have heard Robbie William's "Feel" at least 50 times. I shall forever associate it with Milan and not a Western ranch.

Predictions for 2003, by Merlin Stone
[05 Dec 2002] 2002 was a year to remember, but not always for the best reasons. I can’t remember a year when I’ve had so many e-mail replies stating that the proposed recipient was 'not found in public address book'. Redundancies, early retirement, people simply changing course, I suppose. However, behind the crazy inconsistency between the housing market and employment in our highest paid service industries is a story which I welcome. It’s a story of truth and realism, of clients realising that throwing money at suppliers may make you look good in the short term, but not for very long. However, as we move into 2003, our New Year resolutions may turn too quickly into a search for new mantras on which to build our careers.

Has direct marketing changed that much? By Merlin Stone
[05 Nov 2002] I’m going through the interesting experience of working on a second edition of our book, Direct Hit. The original authors were myself, Alison Bond (an experienced direct marketer and market researcher) and Derek Davies, one of the best-known lecturers on direct marketing. The book was written in 1994, after direct marketing had established itself as a central marketing discipline for publishing, telecommunications, utilities, financial services and travel and leisure, and for some retailers, but before the new media (so often wrongly regarded as identical with interactive marketing) had made much impact. We are rewriting the book—still as an introductory management text—as a guide to direct and interactive marketing. What we have found is that the world has not changed all that much. However, there are four main areas where some change has been notable.

Interactive and direct marketing – they’re people things. But how do we know? By Merlin Stone
[09 Oct 2002] The IDM is synonymous with direct marketing training and development in the UK. It has enabled UK-based organisations to recruit well-trained direct marketers.

Direct marketing is one of the foundation disciplines of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Research using QCi’s Customer Management Assessment Tool shows that companies are more successful at managing customers where the classic disciplines of direct marketing are deeply and securely embedded in that process and in how management and staff at all levels think and plan customer management. And their customers benefit too (#1).