Due to an unusual travel schedule the last two weeks, I’m playing catch-up this week with an expanded group of articles.
Front-line Employees are Key for a Successful Loyalty Program
So many companies forget this simple fact: your front-line employees are the ones that sell your loyalty program; they are the “face” of your brand to the customer. Employee acceptance of the program and evangelism to your customers are critical components of the program. If the front-line doesn’t buy it, they will not sell it. No doubt about it. This excellent article from Colloquy provides the steps that leadership can take to open the dialogue with front-line employees.
Did It Work?
For the last couple of weeks, everyone (especially the media) has been captivated by the Old Spice Guy. The 180 personalized videos that were posted to YouTube were highly targeted to social media influencers, industry leaders, celebrities and some average Joe’s. So has the campaign increased sales?
YahooTV has the answer (and Old Spice’s response)
Free Ebook from Seth Godin
Seth Godin is giving away an ebook addendum to Linchpin. It’s free. It’s Seth. What’s not to like?
Interruption vs. Engagement
This article from AdAge sparked an interesting discussion of general advertising vs. social media and how that results in sales. Make sure you read the comments for alternative viewpoints. I’m definitely on the side of “both.” It is not a “zero sum game”. We should always consider all the tools at our disposal as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy.
The Experience Gap
Scott Stratten provides an interesting case study of his personal experience with coffee. He theorizes that it is not usually a momentous event that alienates your customers. It is a combination of many small problems. Eventually, your business has created a gap that allows the competition to slip in the space. Very good lesson for anyone who’s in a customer service business, and isn’t that just about all of us?
Article from Scott Stratten at UnMarketing
How Clorox Entered the Social Media Game
Mike Stelzner of Social Media Examiner interviews the Social Media Architect of Clorox, Greg Piche. Greg discusses how Clorox stared their social media program. He also explains how they incorporate a points system into their Facebook page, and how Clorox addresses different audiences – consumers, employees and vendors.
Video from Social Media Examiner
Does Social Media Produce Business Leads?
Many companies continue to struggle with social media as it relates to measuring sales and ROI. A new study finds that BtoB customers who visit websites from Twitter and Facebook, are more likely to interact with content than the “Contact Us” form. This article from American Express’ Open Forum argues that while these visitors may not directly result in sales at this time, these interactions are still important to the future growth of a company.
Article on American Express’ Open Forum
Kmart Online Reviews Go In-store
Kmart has started an interesting pilot program to connect their online community with visitors in-store. Select video game reviews written by customers online will be posted in store. It is a very clever way to bridge the gap between online and traditional point of sale. I will be very interested to see how it plays out (pun intended.)
The details from the Kmart Blog
Leadership – Earn Credibility Before You Can Gain Respect
This article is an interview with Dawn Lepore, Chairman and CEO of Drugstore.com. She makes many good points about the nature of leadership.
Article from the New York Times
Groupon Moves Into Cause Marketing
I’m a big fan of the Groupon business model and have watched their explosive growth with great interest. This month, Groupon announced the formation of the G-Team to match causes with merchants. This program, currently a pilot in the Chicago area, will allow non-profits to partner with businesses and be included in the Groupon daily offers. This could be a very exciting, targeted way to further engage communities.
Blog on ReadWriteWeb (Including a link for non-profits to apply)
Seth Godin on Direct Marketing
This blog on direct marketing vs. traditional media encapsulates why I’ve always found direct marketing to be so exciting: you know the answer, and you know it quickly.