Catalogs and e-Commerce

A recent article (December 4, 2006) in Business Week entitled "Catalogs, Catalogs Everywhere" talks about the changing role of catalogs in the age of Net Shopping.

The article talks about the increasing role of e-commerce or Net Shopping as part of the channel mix of many retailers, and in particular, Catalogers such as Victoria's Secret. Victoria's Secret will mail, according to the article, 400 Million Catalogs in 2006. Also, the article points out that in 2002, 16.6 Billion catalogs were mailed versus 19.2 Billion in 2005. So much for the web killing the catalog business.

What do you think of the role of the catalog in B2B? Changing? How?

What do you think of the role of the catalog in the age of the internet? What should it morph to?

Gene A. Wright

Human Computation

If you have ever been asked to enter the numbers in an image to prove you are a human, versus a computer program perhaps while subscribing to something or requesting information or posting something like a comment to this blog, you have been using some of the work created by the person in this video.

The video is a speech by the person who created the ESP Game. It is great.

The speech is very interesting, well, to me anyway. But it brings to light the importance of the work of humans on the internet and the power of community.

The video will give you some insight.

To play the game go to the site.

What do you think, are humans actually smarter than computers?

What do you think of the power of "community" now?

Gene A. Wright

Beatles on iPod?

One of the things we often discuss is "channels". Is iTunes a "channel" for music distribution? Of course it is. Why then, would some bands or their management choose NOT to be distributed in iTunes?

In the FORTUNE article, "Happiness is a warm iPod" the author, Tim Arango talks about the Beatles as well as a couple other artists who choose not to be available in iTunes. Some are Led Zepplin, Garth Brooks and AC/DC. It was only a few months ago that Metallica agreed to be in iTunes.

What do you think about these choices?

Why would they NOT want to be in iTunes?

What are the tactical issues associated with iTunes and other MP3 Distribution services?

Gene A. Wright

Mader's Restaurant Launches Hummel Website

The famous Milwaukee restaurant, Mader's, has launched a website called Mader's Hummels. The site is attempting to extend the authentic German-style restaurant to the German-made figurines by M.I. Hummel.

This might be considered a "brand extension".

Mader's has been a Hummel seller for many years using traditional direct marketing and advertising techniques. It has had a website for a few years, but had not incorporated e-tailing (e-commerce technology plus retailing) until just recently.

Looking at the site, Mader's Hummels uses images of the restaurant in the masthead of the site.

What do you think of the site and the brand extension?

Can the brand's authenticity carry a price premium because of its tie to authentic German food since 1902?

Gene A. Wright

"Seth Godin Thinks Big"

An article in Issue Number 9 of DELIVER - A Magazine for Marketers, published for the USPS (United States Postal Service) is a little difficult to link to, however, I have found the articles to be quite good, especially as they relate to Direct Marketing.

Anyway, the article in Issue Number 9 (You will need to go to their archive) entitled "Seth Godin Thinks Big" you will find some interesting advice on rethinking your marketing strategy. Seth Godin, Author of "The Purple Cow" and the person you wrote the book, literally, on "Permission Marketing" gives some advice on how to make messages resonate with your target audience. The article is written by Scott Smith.

One of the key messages is about story telling. Relate this to our previous posting on FORD. In his book, "All Marketers are Liars", Seth Godin also talks about branding and stories.

What do you think about brand stories? Are they important to Business to Business marketing? Why?

How do you suggest building a brand or telling the story of your company?

Did you follow the link to Seth's Blog? What do you think?

Gene A. Wright

PS What do you think about how hard it is to get to the information in this PRINT publication?

"FORD on the Web" Marketing or Corporate Transformation?

A Business Week article entitled "Ford on the Web, Warts and All" prompted me to take a look. The article discusses Ford's launch of a website called "FORD Bold Moves".

The article goes a bit into the launch of a blog and website created by the Ford ad agency, J. Walter Thomoson. The move was in response to Mark Fields' (Executive Vice President of Ford Motor Company) request to "create a "new brand platform", and create a "shift (in) Ford's traditional - some would say banal --sales driven advertising to something that would resonate even with Ford's critics".

A marketing consultant, Dennis Keene, in the BW article says "engaging consumers about your products and creating stories around your brand that people talk about is a good thing".

The best way to get a feel for what the article is talking about is to go to the Ford Bold Moves website watch at least the first webisode.

What do you think of this move?

Will this technique of brand building work for Business -to- Business Marketing?

Do you know of any other examples of this type of marketing?

Gene A. Wright

Welcome to Marketing Strategies

This Blog will be used to discuss issues related to Integrated Direct Marketing Strategies and Business to Business Marketing in general. The postings will be used to spur discussion related to our classroom topics. Everyone is welcome to comment to the postings. Only those postings that are thoughtful and serious will be published.

We will be using a book for this class. The text, "Business to Business Marketing - Creating a Community of Customers" by Victor L. Hunter and David Tietyen has a great outline and wonderful content related to this subject.

The issues posted will not necessarily follow the outline of the text or the class syllabus. Where possible, they will be used to illustrate or apply an important concept related to the subject.

Anyone wishing to understand the base subject matter of our discussions need only review the Table of Contents of the text.

Engage and Enjoy.

Gene A. Wright
MSOE