Comments for Marketing That's Measurable http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com Musings about the World of Marketing Thu, 15 May 2008 23:29:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on Don’t Forget To Test Email Subject Lines by Scott Wilson http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/dont-forget-to-test-email-subject-lines/#comment-660 Scott Wilson Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:47:46 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/?p=134#comment-660 Always split test email subject especially building up to a big launch as the result help make the main sales headline. Bad News headlines always get good open rates. Always split test email subject especially building up to a big launch as the result help make the main sales headline. Bad News headlines always get good open rates.

]]> Comment on The Direct Marketing Difference by Grant A Johnson http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/the-direct-marketing-difference/#comment-651 Grant A Johnson Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:42:27 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/?p=132#comment-651 Thanks, Ted. You are correct: those who test best are usually the most successful. Grant Thanks, Ted. You are correct: those who test best are usually the most successful.

Grant

]]> Comment on The Direct Marketing Difference by Ted Grigg http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/the-direct-marketing-difference/#comment-650 Ted Grigg Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:36:48 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/?p=132#comment-650 Your emphasis on testing brings up another important characteristic of the direct marketing discipline. A company that doesn't test at every turn is not in the direct marketing business. Ted Your emphasis on testing brings up another important characteristic of the direct marketing discipline. A company that doesn’t test at every turn is not in the direct marketing business.

Ted

]]> Comment on Super Bowl Ads Near Sell-out … WHY????? by Cheyenne - PR Curmudgeon http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/super-bowl-ads-near-sell-out-why/#comment-648 Cheyenne - PR Curmudgeon Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:04:31 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/super-bowl-ads-near-sell-out-why/#comment-648 First observation: Marvin Donkey must work in advertising, because you certainly hit a nerve. But branding, advertising, or whatever for the sake of making a splash is just a grand gesture. However, depending on the purpose, if it is part of a well-planned, strategic overall plan, then it does have a place. The problem is that Super Bowl ads seem to have taken on a life of their own, to the point where they are no longer effective as ads because they've become entertainment. I've made a similar point in my most recent blog (I hope) about publicity, one of the many tools in the PR exec's toolbox - and since I took your name in vain in the post, I thought I'd better make sure to let you know I tend to agree with you. First observation: Marvin Donkey must work in advertising, because you certainly hit a nerve. But branding, advertising, or whatever for the sake of making a splash is just a grand gesture. However, depending on the purpose, if it is part of a well-planned, strategic overall plan, then it does have a place. The problem is that Super Bowl ads seem to have taken on a life of their own, to the point where they are no longer effective as ads because they’ve become entertainment. I’ve made a similar point in my most recent blog (I hope) about publicity, one of the many tools in the PR exec’s toolbox - and since I took your name in vain in the post, I thought I’d better make sure to let you know I tend to agree with you.

]]> Comment on What’s a CMO To Do? by johnsondirect http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/whats-the-role-of-the-cmo/#comment-617 johnsondirect Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:41:06 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/whats-the-role-of-the-cmo/#comment-617 Thanks for the information, Hunter. It will be useful for us to monitor this trend. I like your new website as well! Grant A. Johnson Thanks for the information, Hunter. It will be useful for us to monitor this trend. I like your new website as well!

Grant A. Johnson

]]> Comment on What’s a CMO To Do? by Hunter http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/whats-the-role-of-the-cmo/#comment-616 Hunter Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:54:25 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/whats-the-role-of-the-cmo/#comment-616 The American Marketing Association Brand Strategy SIG has an excellent discussion thread going on now about CMO tenure and the top ten skill sets for effective CMO's. It comes from the Spencer Stuart executive search firm. If you're not an AMA member and can't read the thread, here's a link to the list: http://www.spencerstuart.com/about/media/45/ The American Marketing Association Brand Strategy SIG has an excellent discussion thread going on now about CMO tenure and the top ten skill sets for effective CMO’s. It comes from the Spencer Stuart executive search firm.

If you’re not an AMA member and can’t read the thread, here’s a link to the list:

http://www.spencerstuart.com/about/media/45/

]]> Comment on Advertising Results Should Matter by johnsondirect http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/advertising-results-should-matter/#comment-551 johnsondirect Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:39:47 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/advertising-results-should-matter/#comment-551 Good feedback and a good article Hunter. You raise a great point; that is you must test -- both "old" and "new" media to find the right mix to determine your best ROI. Personally, it saddens me that newspaper readership is down in the "old" printed format. Then again, I was a paperboy at 12 and read the whole paper before most of my customers awoke. Grant Good feedback and a good article Hunter. You raise a great point; that is you must test — both “old” and “new” media to find the right mix to determine your best ROI. Personally, it saddens me that newspaper readership is down in the “old” printed format. Then again, I was a paperboy at 12 and read the whole paper before most of my customers awoke.

Grant

]]> Comment on Advertising Results Should Matter by Hunter http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/advertising-results-should-matter/#comment-550 Hunter Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:22:02 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/advertising-results-should-matter/#comment-550 Grant, a lot of the media you mention are considered "new," and a lot of the problem is that advertisers do not trust them, even though they can be measured. This is particularly a problem on a local basis. I submit this article as an example of problems we are having in this market (mainly because I'm quoted in it!) http://www.downeast.com/Articles-2007/Where-are-the-Web-Riches/ Grant, a lot of the media you mention are considered “new,” and a lot of the problem is that advertisers do not trust them, even though they can be measured. This is particularly a problem on a local basis.

I submit this article as an example of problems we are having in this market (mainly because I’m quoted in it!)

http://www.downeast.com/Articles-2007/Where-are-the-Web-Riches/

]]> Comment on “Word of Mouth” Marketing is Expensive! by johnsondirect http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/word-of-mouth-marketing-is-expensive/#comment-542 johnsondirect Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:21:35 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/word-of-mouth-marketing-is-expensive/#comment-542 Thanks for the response, Steve. I know WOM works, I just don't think you should have to pay absurd amounts of money to practice it. Shouldn't the ROI be 100%? My business is growing by 85% and a lot of it has to do with referrals that cost be nary a penny. Simply do great work and folks WANT to tell other folks. Grant A. Johnson Thanks for the response, Steve. I know WOM works, I just don’t think you should have to pay absurd amounts of money to practice it. Shouldn’t the ROI be 100%? My business is growing by 85% and a lot of it has to do with referrals that cost be nary a penny. Simply do great work and folks WANT to tell other folks.

Grant A. Johnson

]]> Comment on “Word of Mouth” Marketing is Expensive! by steve hershberger http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/word-of-mouth-marketing-is-expensive/#comment-541 steve hershberger Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:01:33 +0000 http://johnsondirect.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/word-of-mouth-marketing-is-expensive/#comment-541 I stumbled across your posting and felt I should respond. As a charter member of WOMMA (The word of mouth marketing association) and a chair or member of many of the committees, I have had an insider's look into how the concept has grown into a discipline. I must say that your posting represents a position that speaks from a position of having a lack of insight into what drives WOMM. This might be due to a desire to defend a service offering position (ie. direct marketing or traditional advertising) or a lack of understanding as to what drives WOMM (word of mouth marketing). A good WOMM program can generate measurable returns that exceed 10:1 regularly. Even with such results, some are stuck on relying on the traditional alone. In a recent symposium, a marketer from a major pharma posed such an argument. This pharma spent almost a billion dollars on traditional advertising last year. In that meeting, my friend and colleague Barak Libai (MIT Sloan Scool) http://recanati.tau.ac.il/_Uploads/28libai.pdf defied this marketer to measure the value of a traditional advertising 'impression'. He could not. However, in this debate, we were able to track back and measure-in net present value- the impact of a WOMM program. Recently, other similar results were presented at the WOMMA conference in Las Vegas (www.womma.org) by brands such as Microsoft, Dell, Southwest Airlines, Cranium and a host of others. The common theme was tremendous and measurable results. So, is WOMM expensive? If I am a brand and can deliver a program that yields 10 million (or more) for a million invested and know what happened and why, this makes sense. I'd hardly call such a program expensive as compared with a number of more traditional alternatives. FYI, at the WOMMA conference, we also saw in attendance every major PR firm and media firm there trying to learn and adopt. My parting comment is people fear what they do not understand. I'd invite you to learn more about WOMM by visiting a WOMMA event, read the reports on the topic written by the Keller Fay Group (www.kellerfaygroup.com), Sean O'Driscoll of Microsoft's blog www.communitygrouptherapy.com or the London School of Economics (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/PDF/AdvocacyDrivesGrowth_5-9-05.pdf) or even the recent article in the Harvard Business Review (http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=R0710J). Granted, these resources, articles and reports aren't as exciting as the Ad Age story but they do prove out the facts that are in contradiction to your blog posting. I stumbled across your posting and felt I should respond. As a charter member of WOMMA (The word of mouth marketing association) and a chair or member of many of the committees, I have had an insider’s look into how the concept has grown into a discipline.

I must say that your posting represents a position that speaks from a position of having a lack of insight into what drives WOMM. This might be due to a desire to defend a service offering position (ie. direct marketing or traditional advertising) or a lack of understanding as to what drives WOMM (word of mouth marketing).

A good WOMM program can generate measurable returns that exceed 10:1 regularly.

Even with such results, some are stuck on relying on the traditional alone. In a recent symposium, a marketer from a major pharma posed such an argument. This pharma spent almost a billion dollars on traditional advertising last year. In that meeting, my friend and colleague Barak Libai (MIT Sloan Scool) http://recanati.tau.ac.il/_Uploads/28libai.pdf defied this marketer to measure the value of a traditional advertising ‘impression’. He could not. However, in this debate, we were able to track back and measure-in net present value- the impact of a WOMM program.

Recently, other similar results were presented at the WOMMA conference in Las Vegas (www.womma.org) by brands such as Microsoft, Dell, Southwest Airlines, Cranium and a host of others. The common theme was tremendous and measurable results.

So, is WOMM expensive? If I am a brand and can deliver a program that yields 10 million (or more) for a million invested and know what happened and why, this makes sense. I’d hardly call such a program expensive as compared with a number of more traditional alternatives.

FYI, at the WOMMA conference, we also saw in attendance every major PR firm and media firm there trying to learn and adopt.

My parting comment is people fear what they do not understand. I’d invite you to learn more about WOMM by visiting a WOMMA event, read the reports on the topic written by the Keller Fay Group (www.kellerfaygroup.com), Sean O’Driscoll of Microsoft’s blog http://www.communitygrouptherapy.com or the London School of Economics (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/PDF/AdvocacyDrivesGrowth_5-9-05.pdf) or even the recent article in the Harvard Business Review (http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=R0710J).

Granted, these resources, articles and reports aren’t as exciting as the Ad Age story but they do prove out the facts that are in contradiction to your blog posting.

]]>