Branding is important.  The perceptions that customers have about a company, and its products and services, play a big part in how they make purchasing decisions.  Personas are important, too.  Social media has changed how brands are defined online and enabled companies to create more robust, almost lifelike, personalities.  Increased brand loyalty, customer acquisition and retention are high on the list of goals for marketers, and branding efforts, be they online or offline, and through digital, social and traditional channels, play a critical role in helping to achieve those goals.   (more…)

As a marketer, I hear my fair share of four-letter words. In fact, I utter many of them myself. But there’s one word in particular that has come to dominate my (professional) conversations, thoughts and planning more than any other word: lead. Web-to-lead, lead generation, lead nurturing, lead scoring, qualified lead, lead management…the list goes on. (more…)

I recently presented at the OMS Virtual Summit 2010, an online-only event that included an all-virtual expo hall, keynote theatre and breakout sessions in a variety of marketing disciplines.  As a featured presenter, I decided to put on my tech hat and present a webinar and case study on “multivariate testing.” (more…)