The Holy Trinity: Product + Service + Mission

This has nothing to do with religion, so that might have been clickbait. In the world of omnichannel marketing, I’m talking about the holy trinity as: the product one sells, the service one provides to customers, and the mission by which one runs a company. The purpose of this post is that I want to Read More The Holy Trinity: Product + Service + Mission

The YOU in Team

The retail landscape has become more complicated over the years, but as direct marketers, our mission remains the same: to find a group of people that desires a set group of products or services and lead them to a place where they can learn more about them (a store, website, etc.). I call it “inviting Read More The YOU in Team

Integrating Digital Channels into Your Marketing and Circulation Plans

The marketing landscape has changed very dramatically since I started in the industry. Ten years ago, catalog marketing was thought to be complex, but in hindsight, it was reasonably straightforward. Fast forward to today and incorporating several digital marketing channels now affords far greater insights into boosting catalog and direct mail performance. Typically, when we Read More Integrating Digital Channels into Your Marketing and Circulation Plans

It Pays to Incorporate Segmentation

This year at our annual Integrated Marketing Summit, I taught a workshop discussing the ways retailers should incorporate segmentation to boost topline sales and increase bottom-line profits. Segmentation and relevancy would also help to counteract the continued decline in open and click-through rates as indicated in our annual benchmark report below. As the volume of Read More It Pays to Incorporate Segmentation

Print and Catalog Marketing: A Smart Choice in a Crowded Digital World

The adage, “everything old is new again” applies to many industries, and ours is no different. Catalog and print marketing, after years in decline, are experiencing a resurgence in the consumer marketplace.  As consumers are facing an increasing barrage of emails and other digital remarketing efforts, the role of targeted catalog and print programs as Read More Print and Catalog Marketing: A Smart Choice in a Crowded Digital World

Marketers, Are You Still Holiday Planning? Check Out These Tips!

As marketers, we spend more than half the year gearing up for a strong holiday season. Despite all of the preparation, there still may be some “blind spots” where we may not have allocated enough resources in a comprehensive marketing strategy. Our Marketing Partner, Emarsys, has taken their holiday planning learnings from thousands of clients, Read More Marketers, Are You Still Holiday Planning? Check Out These Tips!

Not All Lifetime Value is Created Equal: A Lesson in Housefile Management

I’m going to revisit a portion of the pre-conference intensive session I presented that took place earlier this year at the Catalog and Integrated Marketing Summit in Chicago. I received feedback from many that it has changed the way they have been looking at their business and how they need to position their business for Read More Not All Lifetime Value is Created Equal: A Lesson in Housefile Management

Opinions are Bad Business

A good e-commerce manager is constantly monitoring, maintaining, and (perhaps most importantly) testing and optimizing their website. How do you find areas for improvement or decide what changes to make? I’d imagine that a lot of ideas come from word-of-mouth; a blog post, a conference session, a conversation with a co-worker, a nice (or not!) Read More Opinions are Bad Business

Using Website Data to Understand Intent

We all use purchasing data to guide our marketing plans. The recency since last purchase, frequency of purchases, and the total amount spent have been the cornerstones for predicting customer performance in direct marketing for over 50 years. We have gotten better at refining RFM using other purchasing signals, such as products or category purchased Read More Using Website Data to Understand Intent

From My Inbox: Gentle Critique of an Email Marketing Program Resurrected, Part 1

From time to time I’ll pull a message from my inbox and do a walk-through of its pros and cons. These gentle critiques are intended to educate; I hope that the companies mentioned as well as readers will keep that top of mind. I received this email earlier this year from a long-time industry acquaintance we’ll Read More From My Inbox: Gentle Critique of an Email Marketing Program Resurrected, Part 1