Social Web Ecosystem » interactive marketing

How Digital Channels Will Change Brand Management Forever – #FCF09

Bert DuMars — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:52:00 +0000

I will be on a panel today at the Forrester Consumer Forum 2009 in Chicago, IL October 27, 2009. The panel is titled: How Digital Channels Will Change Brand Management Forever: A Panel Discussion for Customer Intelligence & Marketing Leadership Professionals. The panel will be moderated by Lisa Bradner (@lisabradner) of Forrester and include:

Jim Cuene: Director of Interactive, General Mills

David Deal: VP of Marketing, Razorfish

Colin Gillespie Global Director of Marketing, Lego

David Kirven, Director of Brand Strategy, Intuit

Here are the questions and topics we will be covering:

Why and how must traditional brand management change in the face of digital channels?
How are brands incorporating new channels into their marketing organizations?
How are organizations balancing global and local branding?
How does theh role of agencies change in the digital era?

Looking forward to meeting the other panelists and having a thoughtful and insightful panel discussion on this important topic.

Forrester Consumer Forum 2009 and eMarketing Conference Atlanta 2009

Bert DuMars — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:12:00 +0000

I will be attending the Forrester Leadership Board: Interactive Marketing Council Meeting in Chicago, IL October 26 and the Forrester Consumer Forum 2009 in Chicago, IL October 27-28, 2009.

The Interactive Marketing Council is a great group of eBusiness, eCommerce and eMarketing leaders from an array of different companies. I always learn a lot from the other members when we get together for these face-to-face meetings. Forrester is constantly innovating ways to make these meetings better and more interactive. I am looking forward to seeing several friends and colleagues I have not seen in many months.

The Forrester Consumer Forum is one of the best conferences I attend every year. The insights on the consumer landscape, social web marketing, interactive and integrated marketing are outstanding. I am looking forward to filling my brain with new ideas, data and tactics we can use to reach our Newell Rubbermaid consumers.

The theme for this years conference is “The Three Dimensional Consumer: Creating Breakthrough Multichannel Relationships.” This fits in well with my thoughts and theories around the social web ecosystem and integrated marketing.

The hashtag for the Forrester Consumer Forum 2009 is #FCF09 and they have a very cool iPhone app that you can download from iTunes or get here developed by ThoughtWorks. The Twitter id is @Forrester.

Here is a summary of what to expect at the forum:

“The Web has come a long way — but not far enough. Many transactional and even brand Web sites began as outgrowths of the catalog or phone channels. As a result, most online experiences are one-dimensional and treat all customers the same, and most sites support buying experiences but fail to engage customers before and after they make a purchase or brand decision. Executives seeking to create profitable relationships must evolve online channel efforts to support three-dimensional consumers. In short, it’s time for the Web to grow up and serve as the center of the relationship that companies have with their customers.

Three-dimensional consumers have needs, interests, and questions. To please these demanding customers, earn their repeat business, and have them recommend you to their networks — offline and online — you’ll need to effectively engage them as they plan their purchase or brand decisions, help them find the most relevant value as they’re buying, and support them during and between their purchases and interactions — all across multiple channels. At this Event, leading Forrester analysts will present research on how evolving consumer online behavior demands that firms step up efforts to engage them, and executives will share their companies’ best practices for creating breakthrough multichannel relationships.”

I will also be the Day 2, October 29, 2009 Keynote Speaker at eM9 eMarketing Conference Atlanta 2009. I will be discussing Newell Rubbermaid’s eBusiness, eMarketing and Social Web Marketing strategies and tactics.

I am very excited and honored to have been asked to deliver a presentation at this conference again. I last presented at eM7 in 2007.

The hashtag for eM9 eMarketing Conference Atlanta 2009 is #eMAtlanta and the Twitter id for the event is @eMAtlanta. Looking forward to seeing everyone at this conference.

Efficient Website Redesigns: 6 Tactics to Guide Your Process

Bert DuMars — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:04:00 +0000

I was interviewed for the MarketingSherpa article: Efficient Website Redesigns: 6 Tactics to Guide Your Process a few weeks back and the article came out very well.

Please read down to the bottom of the article for some great resources for your website redesign efforts.

Here are the 6 Tactics:

Get user feedback from online surveys
Analyze click-stream data
Work from a well-defined brand strategy
Assign at least one (Full-Time) in-house person to oversee the project
Focus redesign on improving common problems
Aim to satisfy the majority of visitors

AMA Atlanta Panel Presentation: Advocacy In The Digital Age

Bert DuMars — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:35:00 +0000

I was honored today to be part of a panel presenting ideas, concepts and case studies related to social media, social web and interactive marketing to the American Marketing Association – Atlanta Chapter. It was an energized, sold out crowd that provided insightful and eloquent questions during the Q&A.

The panel: Advocacy in the Digital Age was moderated by Glen Caruso (@glencaruso), FY 2008-2009 AMA Atlanta President, and Director of Advertising Sales at Tremor Media.

Panel Description:

Social media is greatly impacting the lives of everyday people and as well as the marketers that are trying to reach them. After all, online communities provide businesses with an efficient way to reach targeted segments of the population as well as monitor their customers’ opinions about products, services and brands. But what does this sea change really mean for brands? Join us to learn how to:

Effectively tap into this groundswell of activity.

Leverage your most passionate fans to drive bottom line value.

Foster brand advocacy while adhering to the delicate and varied mores that govern marketing’s role within social networks

Panel members included:

Thought Leader Perspective on Social Media and Advocacy – Dave Rollo (@iRollo) – SVP, Director of Digital Media Strategy, 22squared

WOM as Social Media – Dave Balter (@DaveBalter), CEO, BzzAgent Dave will look at the role of WOM in creating advocacy and spark a discussion of what social media means for brands. Balter will explore a selection of word-of-mouth generating success stories and highlight how marketers have effectively engaged with brand advocates and measured the outcome. Mr. Balter is also the author of several books including: The Word Of Mouth Manual: Volume II and Grapevine: Why Buzz Was a Fad but Word of Mouth is Forever.

Brand Case Study – Bert DuMars (@bwdumars), Vice President E-Business & Interactive Marketing, Newell Rubbermaid. Bert will present how Newell Rubbermaid has successfully used social media to drive business results.

Dave Rollo and David Balter did an excellent job of framing the social web ecosystem and provided a number of statistical insights and case studies from their clients. I discussed our social media marketing efforts at our Graco Baby, Rubbermaid and Sharpie brands. See my post: Newell Rubbermaid Social Web Ecosystem Update.

I want to send a big Thank You out to the AMA Atlanta Chapter and especially Glen Caruso and Tracy Frank for running an excellent event and inviting me to participate.

Newell Rubbermaid Social Web Ecosystem Update

Bert DuMars — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:02:00 +0000

It has been a very busy past couple of weeks. Below is an update on Newell Rubbermaid interactive and social web marketing efforts:

Sharpie launched a new community microsite on June 1, 2009 – sharpieuncapped.com – that focuses on bringing creative Sharpie fans, content, creativity, art work, and innovative uses together in one place. USA Today ran a nice article on the effort: Ad Track: Signing On To Social Media; An Alluring Reader Inquiry. The Sharpie brand also received a lot of attention in a recent Investors Business Daily article: Corporate Marketers Blogging, Tweeting As Part Of Their Job. Also, check out the Sharpie Facebook Fan Page and @SharpieSusan on Twitter.

Rubbermaid launched a new branded microsite on June 1, 2009 – easyfindlids.com – with several social web capabilities including a button for consumers to share Rubbermaid food storage Easy Find Lids on Facebook. The microsite also displays links to the Rubbermaid Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account.

Graco also launched a Facebook Fan Page during the past few weeks. This is another component to the social web marketing strategy and engaging with the community where it lives. You can also engage with Graco through the Graco Baby Blog and Graco Baby Twitter Account. Finally, check out the Graco Baby microsites: My SweatPeace and Ready For The Road Ahead.

I also wanted to provide an update on the various places where you can find out more about Newell Rubbermaid brands in the social web ecosystem.

Newell Rubbermaid Brands on YouTube:

Rubbermaid Commercial

Sharpie

uni-ball

Newell Rubbermaid Brands on Facebook:

Newell Rubbermaid Corporate Fan Page – Corporate Communications and Recruiting

BernzOmatic MAPP Propane and Butane powered Torches and Lighters

Graco Baby Fan Page

Irwin Industrial Tools UK Ultimate Tradesman Challenge

Irwin Vise Grip Appreciation Society

Lenox Tools Fan Page

Mimio Fan Page

Paper Mate Fan Page

Parker Gentleman’s Club Fan Page

Prismacolor Fan Page

Prismacolor Group

Rubbermaid Fan Page

Sharpie Permanent Markers

Sharpie Fan Club

uni-ball Fan Page

Newell Rubbermaid Blogs:

Graco Baby – From The Heart

Rubbermaid – Adventures In Organization

Sharpie – Uncap What’s Inside

Newell Rubbermaid Twitter Accounts:

I will make updates to this list as we increase our presence in the social web ecosystem.

June 9, 2009 Update:

Sharpie “Uncap What’s Inside” integrated marketing campaign additional articles:

PRNewswire: Sharpie Challenges Consumers to “Uncap What’s Inside” with New Multi-Channel Marketing Campaign

Chicago Sun-Times: Sharpie Uncaps Its Creativity

Corporate Marketers Blogging, Tweeting As Part Of Their Job

Bert DuMars — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:05:00 +0000

Jennie Phelps, Investors Business Daily, wrote a very nice article about Newell Rubbermaid’s social media/social web marketing efforts. She interviewed me about six weeks ago and wrote a nice summary and analysis on our efforts with a special focus on the Sharpie brand. The article is titled: Corporate Marketers Blogging, Tweeting As Part of their Job.

I have been thinking a lot about the Skittles interactive marketing campaign and social media marketing focused brand website. I know they have been receiving a lot of flack for their effort, but I think there are parts of their marketing program that are compelling and thought provoking. They took the concept of the “branded website is dead” and took a shot at what that might look like.

So the question is how could the parts of this marketing program that worked be executed on by brands not in the candy business? I believe there are many and will continuing exploring this as time goes on.

Sharpie and Others Offer Lessons in Getting Customers Talking

Bert DuMars — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:52:00 +0000

Susan Wassel (AKA @SharpieSusan on Twitter), PR & Communications Manager at our Sharpie brand, and I were interviewed by Brian Quinton of Promo Magazine for this in depth review of corporate brand, social media efforts: Sharpie and Others Offer Lessons in Getting Customers Talking. Nice to see the article also included other Blog Council members, Nick Ayers from Home Depot and Adam Moffat of Molson.

UGA Grady School Social Media Ecosystem Presentation

Bert DuMars — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:17:00 +0000

I will be presenting on Newell Rubbermaid’s social media marketing efforts at the University of Georgia, Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication on March 5, 2009.

I have the privilege of presenting to both Dr. Karen Russell’s and Dr. Kaye Sweetser’s classes at the Athens, GA campus.

Dr. Karen Russell’s blog is Teaching PR and is a good read on teaching public relations and marketing communications at the university level. She also posts her perspective on social media and other technologies that are and will impact communications.

Dr. Kaye Sweetser’s blog is So This Is Mass Communication? She has been doing some interesting research on viral videos, what works and what does not.

Looking forward to seeing both of them on March 5 and all the wonderful Grady students.

Free Web Metrics Services & Insights

Bert DuMars — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:34:00 +0000

I have moved my explorations from social media back to interactive marketing and website metrics. I wanted to call out a couple of free services and sources of insightful information I have been using lately.

I believe your first stop for learning web analytics, industry best practices should be one of my favorite blogger and website metrics gurus: Avinash Kaushik. I have had the opportunity to hear him speak in person twice and I love his irreverent writing and presenting style. He has a humorous approach to the explanation of website metrics. Also very logical and practical. His most recent post on metrics averages and ratios is outstanding: Actively Avoid Insights: 4 Useful KPI Measurement Techniques. He has also written a book on website metrics: Web Analytics: An Hour A Day. Or you can just read his blog: Occam’s Razor, which has all the content of the book for free. He always talks about how the content is free and you do not have to buy the book, just read the blog. There are also some excellent videos on YouTube. Here is a nice short one, but there are some 1 hour presentations as well:

Google Analytics – Non-Ecommerce Sites: Beyond Averages

A couple services I highly recommend for obtaining web metrics on your branded site, as well as your competitors, are Compete and Quantcast. Quantcast provides some qualitative information as well that includes estimated demographics. Remember that both services use estimates and can be off by as much as 20%. These are nice services to use in addition to your internal web metrics tools. You should also check out Google Trends for additional, online insights into your brand, competitors and industry.

We’re Getting Killed By Customer Reviews Online

Bert DuMars — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:45:00 +0000

This is one of the best and most appropriate Dilbert comic strips I have seen in a long time. Extremely relevant and important to read and think about when you put product and services Ratings and Reviews on your branded website. Read, think and have a little laugh too.