Direct Marketing Digest

Merging of time-tested tactics, new technology will lead Local Marketing during first year of new decade

Merging of time-tested tactics, new technology will lead Local Marketing during first year of new decade

Boise, ID December 29, 2009 -- This past year was not exactly what businesses had been hoping for -- the down economy not only took its toll nationally, but posed unexpected challenges for local marketers. Balihoo, the premier provider of Local Marketing Automation Local Marketing Automation technology and services to national brands with local marketing needs, has unique insights into local marketing trends. Their work to provide solutions to clients -- including more than 25,000 local affiliates with more than $180 billion in annual revenue -- means that they are on top of the local marketing trends that you will be seeing on a nationwide scale in 2010.

For more information, download Balihoo's Local Marketing Automation Whitepaper. http://www.balihoo.com/lma

Balihoo's predictions for the first year of the new decade include:

    * Local Television: TV audiences may be watching an average of 13 hours a week, but an increase in programming options means that viewers are watching far more programs across the board. This pays off for local TV advertisers, giving them the ability to focus their messages on smaller, more targeted groups of viewers.

Prediction: More local businesses will use TV -- particularly cable -- to reach these more refined, segmented audiences.

    * Local Newspapers: Local newspaper advertising has been rapidly declining as local marketers are looking for a greater ability to target their messages and audiences. Online newspaper advertising, however, has been expanding.

Prediction: Online advertising for local newspapers will halt its expansion and go flat, or even see a slight decline. The year 2010 will be a turning point for news delivered via the web and mobile devices, which are areas in which newspapers typically do not excel. The exception to this prediction: publications -- both print and online -- that serve rural areas or are focused on hyper-local news.

    * Direct Mail: There has been a resurgence in direct mail as no-call lists, e-mail spam rules and untargeted broad media affect local marketers' ability to reach audiences.

Prediction: Better targeting and new, advanced tools to personalize messaging and track results will lead to a surge in direct mail.

    * Mobile: Smart phones are becoming more popular, and technologies are moving mobile advertising from primarily text messaging-based to including images and video. However, Balihoo still sees mobile at the local level as more sizzle than steak.

Prediction: The next year will bring the biggest jump yet in text-based mobile advertising, but more advanced options such as image and video will be limited to all but the trendiest of trendsetters.

    * Search Engine Optimization: Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, efforts were popular in local marketing plans in 2009, moving to the forefront of many local marketing budgets as Internet content has become more local and lively.

Prediction: There will be a big push for local SEO as more local businesses adopt the tactic, increasing competition across the board.

    * E-mail: E-mail marketing at the local level has been slow-growing because of marketers' inability to collect relevant customer data.

Prediction: Local businesses will place a greater emphasis on collecting customer data and using it for e-mail outreach.

    * Social Media: Social media has been the darling of national marketing efforts for the past few years and has made surprising inroads in local marketing.

Prediction: Social media will continue its dramatic rise as local businesses capitalize on this opportunity to engage with their local customers. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter will be favorites of local marketers, who will leave other social media untouched until later in the new decade.

    * Point-of-Purchase: Point-of-purchase -- also known as in-store marketing -- held steady in 2009.

Prediction: There will be a significant rise in these efforts as local marketers look to increase their in-store sales.

    * Integrated Marketing Communications: Historically, local businesses have not done a particularly good job at integrating their marketing communications across multiple channels. As audience sizes shrink and targeting options increase, there has been a renewed interest from local business in pursuing an integrated marketing communications strategy.

Prediction: Local marketers will continue their 2009 trend of pursuing an integrated strategy.

    * Measurement and Metrics: A surprising trend in 2009 was the local marketing focus on measuring and optimizing the ROI of their campaigns. Interest in tracking the effectiveness of local marketing efforts reached unseen levels, driven primarily by the state of the economy and new tracking technology that works at the local level.

Prediction: This trend will continue and expand -- now that local marketers have learned how to measure success, they will continue to capitalize on it.

    * Creative and Branding: Local marketers have been turning to demand generation-based creative that includes a call to action and provides immediate feedback. In 2009, consumers became jaded by the failure of many corporations, and the local marketer is taking advantage of this trend by focusing on the value of their brand.

Prediction: Local marketers will concentrate more on social media, in-store and personal interactions with consumers.

About Balihoo
Balihoo is the premier provider of Local Marketing Automation technology and services to national brands with local marketing needs. Balihoo brings enterprise-class marketing to the local level and gives national brands full visibility into all local marketing activities and results.

For more information, download Balihoo's Local Marketing Automation Whitepaper. http://www.balihoo.com/lma

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Mail Order Business and Direct Marketing Instruction can be found at the National Mail Order Association, NMOA at no cost.
http://www.nmoamembers.org/network/

Amazon Raises the Bar; Macys.com, Gap.com, Overstock.com Most Improved, According to ForeSee Resu

Amazon Raises the Bar; Macys.com, Gap.com, Overstock.com Most Improved, According to ForeSee Results

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --A newly released poll conducted for Ron Sachs Communications depicts a shifting media environment with traditional print media in decline, online media growing, and with television sitting atop the media heap as Florida’s most influential news source.

The poll underscored the crisis and challenge facing Florida’s struggling newspaper industry, whose readership is aging and shrinking. Thirty-two percent of Florida seniors (those aged 65 or older) report that newspapers are their primary source of news, but only 10.7 percent of young Floridians (aged 18 to 34) say so. And while 79 percent of seniors say they read a newspaper daily, so do only 33 percent of young Floridians. Overall, 20 percent of respondents said newspapers were their primary source for news.

“As the shift from newsprint to the Web continues to grow, it will be critical for newspapers to effectively resolve how to best monetize their Web sites and generate the revenues that enable a strong, sustainable news-gathering operation,” said Ron Sachs, President and CEO of Ron Sachs Communications. “So far, newspapers have been able to use print advertising to subsidize their Web operations, but as newsprint subscribers continue to age and are not replaced, media organizations will have to embrace a new paradigm.”

In contrast to the travails of print, online news sources have a young and growing readership, as 28 percent of young Floridians reported that media Web sites are their primary source for news, compared to just 9 percent of seniors. Overall, 16 percent of respondents said Web sites were their primary source for news.

Television, however, remains the largest media source for Floridians in all age categories, with 56 percent of respondents overall rating it as their primary source for news. Fifty-four percent of seniors, 60 percent of those aged 50 to 64, 58 percent of those aged 35 to 49, and 52 percent of young Floridians rated television their primary news source.

“This poll illustrates that while online news sources are steadily replacing newsprint as the primary news source for a significant portion of our population, television is still king of media,” said Michelle Ubben, Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Ron Sachs Communications. “Moreover, its reign appears likely to last several more decades as its dominance spans all age groups.”

Social media are also a growing sector of the media landscape. Thirty percent of respondents said they have a Facebook page, including 55 percent of young Floridians, 34 percent of those aged 35 to 49, 29 percent of those aged 50 to 64, and 11 percent of seniors. Of those with a Facebook page, 51 percent said they visited their page at least once per day.

The Facebook site appears to serve a business and professional function for many Floridians: While 56 percent of those with a Facebook page said they used it for primarily personal purposes, 44 percent said they often use their pages for business purposes, and 35 percent said they used the site primarily for networking.

“This blurring of the lines between personal and professional use of the Internet creates a challenge for employers in figuring out how to regulate this behavior during the workday,” Ubben said. “Employees on Facebook may be wasting time, or they may be cultivating business contacts – or maybe both. This ambiguity will take some getting used to for many employers.”

Other social media sites have much less presence in Florida. While 28 percent of Floridians said they have used the popular video site YouTube, only 4 percent said they have used the networking site LinkedIn, 3 percent said they have used the messaging site Twitter, and 2 percent have used the photo-sharing site Flickr.

The poll of 625 Florida adults was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research from Nov. 6 to 10. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.

Ron Sachs Communications is Florida’s leading public affairs communications firm, building public and opinion leader support for issues of local, state and regional importance. Ron Sachs Communications is based in Tallahassee with offices in Central Florida. For more information, please visit www.ronsachs.com.

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Direct Marketing Business and Mail Order Selling education, information and business contacts can be found at the National Mail Order Association. Join the network at no cost.
http://www.nmoamembers.org/network/

WASHINGTON — If the shoe fits, wear it; if it doesn’t, return it with one of the package return services available from the U.S. Postal Service.

WASHINGTON — If the shoe fits, wear it; if it doesn’t, return it with one of the package return services available from the U.S. Postal Service. Merchants, shippers and consumers looking for reliable, cost-effective solutions for returning holiday gift merchandise have several options available through Returns@Ease http://www.usps.com/business/packages/learnaboutreturns.htm
 
“Our package return services provide a variety of options for consumers and business mailers,” said Robert Bernstock, president, Mailing and Shipping Services. “Whatever the service requirement, we have solutions available for returning merchandise quickly and efficiently.”
 
Merchandise Return Service provides shippers with the flexibility to offer customers package return options using First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, or other package service, according to Bernstock, depending on urgency, size and cost. It is a convenient end-to-end returns solution.
 
Parcel Return Service provides qualifying high-volume business mailers with convenience and cost savings through a work-share discount program. Shippers can take advantage of the work-share discounts by enrolling in the program directly or by working with an approved third-party reverse logistics provider.
 
Shippers choosing either Merchandise Return Service or Parcel Return Service can simply include a return label with the original order or send it to customers via mail or e-mail.
 
Consumers returning holiday gifts from friends and family can rely on the ease and convenience of online solutions at Click-N-Ship to pay for postage, print shipping labels and request package pickup. Click-N-Ship offers consumers a quick and easy way to return gifts using a desktop computer at home or the office. They will also receive an online discount for postage and free Delivery Confirmation service on Priority Mail and Express Mail packages.

Package pickup is available for packages prepared through Click-N-Ship, Parcel Return Service and Merchandise Return Service at http://www.usps.com/business/packages/learnaboutreturns.htm
 
Regardless of the reason why holiday gifts need to be returned, the Postal Service can take care of the “how” through one of the simple and convenient return services found at http://www.usps.com/business/packages/learnaboutreturns.htm
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Chicago (December, 2009)—Just in time for seasonal festivities, Mintel reports that chocolate sales around the world have busted through the recession...and likely our belts as well!

In China and the Ukraine—two countries not necessarily recognized for their rampant chocoholic populations—chocolate confectionery sales rose 18% and 12%, respectively, this year. Each country has seen steady sales increases since 2005 and Mintel predicts continued growth through 2013.

Other countries have also seen chocolate bars, bags and boxes flying off the shelves, albeit at lower rates. Brits drove their chocolate market up 5.9% this year, while Americans purchased 2.6% more chocolate than in 2008. Argentinean sales rose 1.8% from 2008, while in Belgium, a country that claims to produce some of the world’s best chocolate, sales increased by 3.2%.

“It’s clear that despite economic trouble this year, the world’s chocolate lovers didn’t deviate from their favorite treat. Chocolate is a small, affordable indulgence for shoppers who are cutting back on spending elsewhere. Even in countries not known for chocolate consumption, sales are on the rise,” comments Marcia Mogelonsky, global food and drink analyst at Mintel.

It’s the Swiss who flash the most cash for chocolate, forking over the equivalent of US $206 per person per year. Brits and Belgians follow, spending US $106 and $90, respectively, to satisfy their chocolate cravings. In the US, individuals spend just $55 each, while Argentineans devote an average of US $35 per year on chocolate confectionery.

Manufacturers are determined to keep consumers melting over new chocolate varieties. Despite worldwide economic troubles, Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD) reports that manufacturers launched nearly the same number of chocolate products this year as in 2008. In Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, companies have already released more new products than last year.

Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. For more than 35 years, Mintel has provided insight into key worldwide trends, offering unique data that directly impacts client success. With offices in Chicago, London, Belfast, Sydney, Tokyo and Shanghai, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand. For more information on Mintel, please visit www.mintel.com

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Direct Marketing and Mail Order Business information, education and contacts at the National Mail Order Association (NMOA); join the network at no cost today!
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Chicago (December, 2009)—Just in time for seasonal festivities, Mintel reports that chocolate sales around the world have busted through the recession...and likely our belts as well!