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Archives for January 2009

AMA event notes: Designing and Implementing Marketing Analytics Programs for the Multi-Channel Opportunity

Disclaimer: These are notes, designed to refresh attendees’ memories or to give an idea of what you missed.
This is not in any way final copy.

Designing and Implementing Marketing Analytics Programs for the Multi-Channel Opportunity
Produced by the Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association, Jan 20, 2009

My first AMA event, this sold-out evening provided lots of networking (hard not to chat it up when the room is really crowded), a FANTASTIC artisanal cheese display, and a fairly advanced topic. Many of the attendees were engaged in marketing analytics programs themselves. Luckily, the panelists did a good job is speaking in grasp-able terms.

AMA writeup @ analyizethis.eventbrite.com
“As more marketing goes digital, we’re flooded with potentially valuable
data. Historically, this data has been used to optimize campaigns and
associated investments within single channels. Today marketers
increasingly are using this data to move beyond single-channel
optimization toward a multi-channel perspective.”

“This shift creates the need for new metrics, tools for measuring and
managing them, and processes for developing and deploying them that
span organizational boundaries in sometimes challenging ways.”

“On
January 20, 2008, AMA Boston will host a panel discussion featuring
senior executives from leading local firms. They’ll share how they
approach these larger, inherently strategic and organizational issues
and synthesize their experiences into lessons you can apply as well.”

Participants included
• Chris Madaus – VP of Marketing, Staples Delivery
• Adrian Sosa – Director, Market Intelligence, CVS
• Manu Mathew – CEO, VisualIQ

Which channels?
PR focus: display search, email. the campaigns aren’t always integrated from the planning point of view, but measured as a whole. When there are two separate agencies doing different campaigns, hard to distinguish where money should be put.

Cross-channel synergy?

Staples: Still retains silos; hard to break away from old retail ways to better way on the web.
Social media: integrated social channel. What’s the impact of this platform that I cannot control?

CVS: Targeted web display, yahoo personal circular and sales for the week.
more opportunistic, do we want to play in social media space? Not very high risk, is economical.

How are organizations working more effectively across channels?

CVS: Traditional retail “stack it, let it fly” isn’t going to work anymore, even if things aren’t budgeted, need to be able to move swiftly and leverage. Which pots to put the money? This is decided at most senior level.

Rick from Hubspot small/mid b2b focus: The conversation is happening, so need to find economical way to engage in it.

Staples: Whatever we do costs hundreds of thousands; is it worth spending that much for something that could be low impact?

CVS: Have “a drawerful of ideas, not enough manpower, management time, plus money to chase experiments. … We’re chasing whales, tuna would be great, but we’re chasing whales.”

Next week’s posts:

  • Boston Downtown Womens Club’s “Perfecting your 30 Second Pitch”
  • Nonprofit Consultants’ Network “Capacity, Sustainability, and Assessing Outcomes
  • “Developing a Successful Online Strategy” at Everycompanycounts.com

SEMNE event: Google AdWords Best Practices With Malinda Gagnon of Google

Google Adwords Best Practices
When: January 27, 2009; from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: Newton Marriott, Newton, MA
Speaker: Malinda Gagnon, Google Inc.


SEMNE welcomes new members, but beware that if you’re new to this world, there’s quite a learning curve. That’s another reason to go, eh? Excellent networking and snacks with full bar (and drink coupons). Jonathan Hochman does a great job and is a valuable resource!


Google AdWords highlights from Malinda Gagnon


In this era we need to

Give clients something to make campaigns perform better

Companies are looking to do more with less

Clients relying on us more

Measurable results, use marketing dollars more wisely

Do what we’ve always done that much better


Go back to core competencies: search best practices, content best practices

Search Best Practices

Connect audience with the info the audience is seeking: Reach right audience with the right message at the right time

Adgroup best practices

Have your targeted audience see you

Has to be tightly targeted

Keywords, fairly targeted, related to the ad and the service offered

When trying to determine themes, keep in mind

Differentiate products or services you offer
Different levels of services, specify among each
Same product with various phrases or synonyms used

Keyword best practices

Reflect what users are searching for
Create relevant themes of keywords to relate back to specific ad text

Keep in mind

Users who are familiar with what you’re selling
then think about those who are not experts
Avoid the middle of the road (paying for unyielding clicks)

Accurately reflect the services being offered

Use keyword variations to maximize exposure
Use broad, phrase and exact match, as well as negative keywords to weed out unqualifieds

Adtext best practices

Give customers a very clear call to action: They should immediately know what to do next
Reflect your keywords in ad text: Make ads unique so they stand out, see what else is out there and what competitors are doing
Test multiple ad text variations: change word order, diff phrases


Content Best Practices


Content marketing plans: When designing content campaign

Targeting options
CPC vs CPM

Before you start, you should know

Precise audience
Who: age, gender, household, life like, income
Where: do they spend time online
How: can I reach them online
Contextual, placement or category targeted
Message: How do I want my message portrayed
Think about what would grab their attention

Contextual keywords best practices

Duplication across ad themes is good
Use keywords you expect to see on the page
15 keywords are enough to build on that theme
Use negative keywords
Avoid misspellings
Use keywords URLs
Select and relay ad group theme


Best practices for ad copy

Target browsing mentality of the user
Spark interest with asking questions, gimmicky works well: ask questions
Accurately describe what you’re advertising
Explain how your product relates
Interested in investing? Think about an IRA, on an investment site
Test special offers, test emotional messages: 50% vs $50 off


Choose landing page that immediate addresses what they’re interested in