03/19/2006
Top Ten Email Tips Complements of the Diva of Email Marketing ... Teresa Caro.
- Get relevant - It's what's in it for "me" not "you." Integrating traditional and intractive strategies can produce strong results.
- Deliverability and rendering - Is what you send what they see?
- Preview panes and blocking images - The importance of the "little window."
- First impressions are lasting impressions - Engage your audience immediately.
- Get on the permission train - Not everyone knows "buzz words." Talk in "people language" when you request "opt-in" permission.
- Metrics that matter - Focus on metrics that matter.
- Long-term subscribers - Develop strategies to that will help you interact with your readers.
- Maximize your traffic - Keep the conversation going.
- Test, test, test and improve - Throw out what doesn't work and capitalize on the strategies that produce results.
- Create a plan and align your resources - Collecting email address is sure fun but if you don't have a strategy in place to "talk" to your customers in a timely manner...they may forget they gave permission and forget about you!
Technorati Tags: email_marketing, interactive_marketing, , marketing_strategies

03/17/2006
I want! I want! I wants! Sprinkled with a few I need! I need! I needs! Any parent will tell you that is the mantra chant of children.
Marketing messages from broadcast media entice, persuade and encourage peer pressure for the newest, greatest most expensive Game-boy, Barbie or whatever. Parents beware. New media, Web 2.0 ... call is whatever you'd like, presents unexplored opportunities for advertisers. From ads in games to ads in podcasts to ads in online videos. Great for the marketers. Harder for the parents to monitor.
Please don't get me wrong. This is not an anti-marketing post. Rather a shout out to those in our industry who will innovate in this new space advertising to kids.
One of the first out of the box to put ads in children's podcasts is Radio Disney. Starting June 2006, Radio Disney will begin inserting ads into its weekly podcasts. THQ, video-game maker, is among the first to sign on.
In an Ad Age article about Disney's latest strategy, Jeff Minsky, OMD Digital, was quoted: "Kids are more likely to download podcasts from well-known brands. And we know it probably won't be the kids who are doing the downloading. Parents are going to be gravitating toward safe brands,and ...advertisers will, too." Hello Mister Minsky! What planet are you living on?
First, most kids run circles around their parents when it comes to this stuff. Give a kid an iPod or any old MP3 player and watch what happens. I'm betting you an appletini Mister Minsky it won't be "Mommy dearest please download this awesome podcast for me."
Second, it's not so much "well-known" brands but cool brands where kids hang out.
Third, although I love our industry, there are a few shall we say, shysters. So while parents may well indeed "gravitate towards safe brands" this diva is not so sure about the other companies and advertisers who want to tap into 2.0 marketing.
Radio Disney please set the podcast-to-kids ad bar high! If we don't create our own standards I can promise you there will be some action group and government agency that will do it for us.
Sidebar:
Pheedo and BlogAds were ahead of the curve tapping into RSS feeds and ads on blogs. Who will be the firm - or shall I say firms plural - to jump into the ad network podcast and vlog ad games?

03/13/2006
A Blog Story - On my way back from talking about blogs in Dallas last week, I sat next to a guy who asked if I was on my way to the ACC. Hmmm..thought I..ACC what could that one be? Active Communication Collaborators? Nope. Turns out my flight mate was a doc on his way to the American College of Cardiology Summit.
When he learned that I was doing work in the blog the space, his immediate reaction was to tell me blogs were a waste of time ... nothing more than a bunch of rant opinions and oh by the way, people are getting fired for blogging and colleges are now demanding that students hand over their blogs to them. And who has time to write those things anyway forget reading them. Much too busy.
Sidebar: Interesting article in USAToday about colleges that are expelling students for blog posts.
That might hold some truth, said I, but the applications for business blogging is quite exciting. So I proceeded to enlighten him about some of the cool happenings and the innovative people who are exploring blogs ... Kevin Pho, MD for example. Dr. Pho is a graduate from Boston University Medical School blogging at Kevin, MD Medical Weblog.
Of course I mentioned the great work that Nick Jacobs, Winber Medical Center has been doing, as well as the March of Dimes and the ACS. Oh a hospital blogging? That's a business they can write about things that doctors just couldn't, the friendly, open-to-new ideas doc responded.
Sidebar: And your practice is what? Thought I. A free service open to all? Some how I didn't think so.
Said the doc, what would I write about? Why would I want to do that? All sorts of things, said I. Information about new happenings in the field, how to cope better, a little about you and your staff. And your patients can comment back to you. Since there are lots of docs and people have a choice who they can go to this would give you a competitive advantage. People would really appreciate who you are and understand what makes you different and special.
Sidebar: The good physician looked at me like I gone off the deep end. If he were a shrink I'm betting he would have made a referral before we deboarded.
I don't want to give them that information. There's too much on the internet already, the doc declared. Great opportunity to make sure they have correct information, I replied. But they don't need to know all that, he proclaimed. It would only confuse them. Besides there are not too many physicians, in fact there are not enough. And I'm too busy now. I don't need any more patients.
The old school doc volleyed a last remark, I don't practice medicine that way.
My volley back, Perhaps you need to change the way you practice medicine. If I were you I'd keep on eye on blogs.
With the extent of current and correct information online (yeah sure this is ton of incorrect stuff) dynamics of the patient-physician relationship is shifting from one where the doc held all the answers to one where with a click of a mouse patients .. called often "consumers" have access to as much or more than their healthcare provider.
Way back in 2002 Harrris Interactive's research indicated that 90% of all adults who were internet savvy wanted to communicate with their physicians online.
Another 2002 research study this one by Greenfield Consulting Group and Roper ASW reported that beyond basic criteria (see the Future of Family Medicine Report) patients value the relationship. Couldn't not post a few verbatims:
There are so many doctors that if you're not happy with the relationship you should just leave.
I want a doctor who is interested in me and has genuine concern for me.
I don't want to be treated like a number they should be friendly and caring.
Where is this leading in terms of marketing and blogs?
No matter what my doc flight friend may think, as in so many other industries, his patients have much more control than he realizes. As the research (and common sense) shows us what might be termed "bedside manner" is becoming more critical to patients.
And why not?! People want to do business, and medicine is more than a business, with people they like and who they feel like them too. Yes, credentials and experience may play a more important role in choosing a heart surgeon than a barber or a marketer but as the above patient said - There are so many doctors that if you're not happy with the relationship you should just leave.
Blogs would be a powerful way to help build those relationships. Perhaps (some) physicians should take their cue from (some) biz bloggers. Just a thought....
Read more about medical blogs in Diva Marketing Biz Blog Profiles:
Windber Medical
Center March of Dimes
ACS
Technorati Tags: Blogs, Marketing, Healthcare_Blogs, Consumer_Control, Services_Marketing, Hospitals, Doctors

03/09/2006
oog
I'm right here!! No it's not my lame efforts to find old friends or lovers. It's in response to the new tag line from Tourism Australia. Australia wants to entice more Yanks to visit down under.
According to an Ad Age article, Tourism Australia spent oodles of $ .. about $6.2 million on research and branding. The result ..the a more direct "invitation" to visit. Ian Macfarlane, marketing director, tells us that "Where the bloody hell are you" is "authentic" Aussie lingo. Altho I love the cheeky over the top tag, I can't help but wonder if the target audience will too. Will American think it's rude or will they get the intention. This is one of those "cultural marketing" challenges.
Sidebar: Is that true Mick and Cameron (G'Day World)?
Seems the Australian tourist board flies about 750 journalists and producers down each year. Might it be interesting to spin off what the Netherlands did and invite a few bloggers down. Thus my response" "I'm right here!" If y'all like some help putting together a blog strategy I'm most happy to help ;-)
Heard it from Ad Age
Update: Link to the Where The Bloody Hell Are You Commercial. Heard it from travel.iafrica The shots of Australia are well worth a look at the commercial. Yeah, where the bloody hell am I? Would love to go to the other end of the world.
Since the Australian Tourist Bureau hasn't sent me any comp tickets (still think a blogger campaign would be nifty) ... catch Tim's impressions of Australia on the Masi Guy Bike Blog!
Toss of a pink boa to Aussie, Darren Rowse, Pro Blogger, who popped in on comments with an update that Canada banned the ad. The Canadian government is okay with the bloody language; but not with a shot of a guy drinking a beer. Seems that implies unbranded alcohol consumption. See the Reuters story on Yahoo!News.
Technorati Tags: Australia, Tourism_Marketing, , Marketing
