Trained as a journalist from the age of 18 and enjoying a long career in regional newspaper reporting and editing, Sally Hooton joined DMI (Direct Marketing International) magazine as editor in 2001. DMI then morphed into The GMA, taking her with it!
One of the greatest shifts in customer loyalty is the movement towards digital. Tim Barton discusses how retailers can rise to the challenge, raising the standard of customer loyalty programmes.
Andy Wood says it takes more than just reward points to fully engage today’s consumers via a customer loyalty scheme.
The London School of Marketing (LSM) has released a whitepaper titled Facebook Advertising through the Years, in which marketing experts claim Facebook advertising is no longer a cost-effective option for marketers who are seeking to build new audiences or attract new customers. The whitepaper states: ‘From its early days, Facebook showed great promise to marketers. However, between…
Personalisation and loyalty are key to the success of brands on the high street, according to new research out today, commissioned by Tangent Snowball. However, they are also the largest threat to brands if they over-step the mark, with just under half of respondents stating they don’t want to be addressed on a first-name basis.
The research, which investigated the relationship we hold with different sectors of the high street and the future of the high street as a whole, revealed a huge difference between the sexes, including:
The research also revealed some surprising results when it comes to those born in the 1990s:
Steve Grout (left), CEO, Tangent Snowball, said: “The results of our research will surprise many, I’m sure. Personalisation has been one of the biggest buzzwords in the industry over the past decade, but our research shows that, in fact, personalisation is a huge risk for brands.
“No sector is immune; all of them need to make sure that they’re not being overly familiar with consumers and are actually delivering the service, experience and loyalty programme that is expected of them.
“The challenge will be to know where to draw the line, which requires constant discussion with consumers, something that not many brands seem suitably set up to do without over-stepping the mark.”
In today’s competitive marketplace, e-commerce companies need to capture a 360-degree picture of their potential consumers and create a single customer view (SCV), says Neil Capel.
Mobile marketing is an increasingly powerful tool for businesses looking for an effective boost, says Tami Briesies.
Brands’ and celebrities’ worst nightmares could become a reality this June, when hundreds of questionable web domain 
names go up for grabs.
Names such as .sucks, .porn and .adult are just some of the TDLs that will become available, and experts are now advising businesses to purchase uncomplimentary names, before it’s too late.
Web hosting company 34SP.com has predicted that some of the world’s biggest brands could be subject to torrents of abuse from online trolls purchasing unfavourable domain names with the sole aim of tormenting brands and celebrities.
Indeed, Taylor Swift has already registered taylorswift.porn and taylorswift.sucks, while Microsoft has reserved Office.porn and Office.adult.
34SP predicts that thousands more registries will be made ahead of the June 1st deadline, when generic domain names are expanded to include more variations.
Daniel Foster (left), co-founder and technical director of 34SP.com, said: “Businesses should do everything in their power to avoid being associated with negative messages – it’s hard to imagine domain names like .sucks and .porn will foster positivity.
“Clearly some big brands are already taking this seriously by registering controversial names while we are still in a mandated period. However, after June 1st it becomes a free-for-all, so I’d advise all businesses with even a slight worry about how this could affect their business to swoop up the domains sooner rather than later.
“While some might use domains for good causes, by creating sites such as cancer.sucks for example, I’d predict that many will be swooping up the new names solely for defamatory purposes.”
Those who want to keep an eye on all the savoury and unsavoury new TLDs being released and applied for can do so on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) website.
The prominence of digital natives is throwing the customer journey into a state of flux. This latest generation of tech-savvy customers is driving demand for a hyper-personalised experience that is challenging the dynamics of traditional brand engagement. Ben Rund provides top tips on how organisations can start to rethink the customer journey to create personalised, interactive, omni-channel campaigns that boost brand advocacy and customer loyalty.
Columnist Doug Sacks looks beyond the days of BRIC. Mardi Gras is behind us and so the Lenten season is under way. And it is not just drunken college girls in New Orleans who are showing off their assets. Access to mobile phones and mobile phone technologies among the poorest populations are transforming how business…
Our mobiles are our constant companion and when it comes to mobile marketing, marketers must take advantage in allowing consumers to use them to connect via all their messages. James Galpin explains.