Marketing

Marin Software Rocks Wall Street
March 25, 2013

As initial public offerings go, Marin Software couldn't have asked for much better than its Friday debut on the New York Stock Exchange. Late Thursday, it priced its stock at $14 per unit, higher than the anticipated range of $11-$13. Then it sold 7.5 million shares -- half a million more than originally expected -- raising about $105 million.

Coremotives Has the Whole World in Its Plans
March 25, 2013

CoreMotives is a marketing automation platform that operates completely within Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Acquired by Silverpop about a year ago, CoreMotives remains a separate offering from its parent's flagship Engage platform, which features its own Microsoft Dynamics CRM integration. CoreMotives has been tweaking its feature set and steadily globalizing its product line since the acquisition.

New Targeting Tools Help Ads Zero In on Twitter Users
March 19, 2013

After a year of testing and much feedback, Twitter on Monday released a set of tools for small businesses and self-service advertisers -- tools that will give businesses more of an opportunity to speak directly to consumer interests. Targeting was the most requested feature in the feedback that the social network gathered from select advertisers.

Verizon Tinkers With Payment Model for TV Content
March 19, 2013

Verizon Communications is proposing a novel and potentially disruptive fee structure for its FiOS pay TV service: It wants to link the fees it pays to television channels to how much traffic they get. Verizon reportedly is in negotiations with several mid-tier and smaller media companies over a fee structure based on audience size.

Microsoft Dynamics Gets Major Overhaul
March 19, 2013

Microsoft opened Convergence 2013 Tuesday morning with a keynote address from Microsoft Business Solutions President Kirill Tatarinov -- and the debut of an upgraded CRM application. With 11,000 attendees, this is the largest Convergence Microsoft has held to date, said Seth Patton, senior director of marketing for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. "The key theme for the event is uniting business and IT," he said.

The Time of a Mobile Ad's Life, Part 2
March 14, 2013

Does it matter what time of day a mobile ad is displayed? If a generation's worth of lessons learned from email marketing mean anything, the answer is... maybe. Truth is, there are coherent arguments to be made on both sides. However, as marketers intensify their aim at mobile devices, the balance is shifting to the side that believes timing matters.

The Time of a Mobile Ad's Life, Part 1
March 05, 2013

There is a long-standing debate in the email marketing community about timing -- that is, whether time of day makes a difference in open and click-through rates. In other words, will an email marketing message sent early Monday morning be more likely to be opened than one sent Wednesday around noon or one delivered late on a Friday afternoon in July?

Rumored Specs, Tantalizing Ad Fuel Galaxy S IV Launch Excitement
March 04, 2013

Samsung is poised to introduce the next generation of its flagship Galaxy smartphone next week in New York City. It will be the first U.S. launch of a Galaxy handset in three years, and Samsung is heralding it with a "Samsung Unpacked" advertising blitz. It's official that Samsung will debut the Galaxy S IV, but apart from the name, all the details circulating are still rumor.

Demandbase Tech Targeting Trims B2B Marketing Waste
March 04, 2013

Demandbase has incorporated a new filter in its Demandbase Company-Targeted Advertising platform. The filter, called "Technology Targeting," lets users target and personalize display ads based on the technology they use. In other words, users can now include the specific criteria of 'technologies used' as part of their campaign targeting requirements with the Demandbase platform.

Mason Marches, Groupon Regroups
March 01, 2013

A day after posting disappointing quarterly earnings, Groupon ousted its founder and CEO Andrew Mason. The company's stock jumped 4 percent in after-hours trading as the news became public. "I've decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding -- I was fired today. If you're wondering why... you haven't been paying attention," Mason said in a letter to employees.

Facebook's New Ad Tool Targets You Online and Off
February 28, 2013

Facebook users will soon see ads in their feeds that are more specifically targeted to what they like and where they've shopped -- both online and offline -- thanks to a series of agreements with data companies announced Wednesday. The agreements expand the social network's Custom Audiences program released last September, which was designed to allow advertisers to target their existing customers via Facebook.

A Little Extra Digital Spend in the Online/TV Ad Mix Goes a Long Way
February 26, 2013

For the past several years, the money spent on online advertising has grown at the expense of other media platforms. That trend will probably continue, suggests a new report released Monday by the Interactive Advertising Bureau suggests; it finds that brands will benefit from a 15 percent shift from the TV ad spend to online video.

Google Juices Mobile Ad Delivery
February 22, 2013

Advertisers targeting mobile device users have some homework to do on the Google mobile ads system. The search giant this week provided more specificity about its AdWords Enhanced Campaigns, which lets mobile advertisers adjust bids by device, location and time of day within a single campaign.

Google May Set Up Shop Around the Corner
February 20, 2013

Google may be planning to launch an ambitious brick-and-mortar retail operation to show off its consumer products. It will open standalone retail stores across the U.S. in time for the holidays, according to the latest rumor, to showcase its Nexus tablets, Chromebooks, Glass and other products.

Burger King Grilled, Jeep Sideswiped During Twitter Hacks
February 19, 2013

The Twitter accounts for fast-food chain Burger King and automaker Jeep were taken over by hackers this week, prompting calls for stronger authentication practices while forcing marketing professionals to once again confront the shadowy regions of social media. Burger King was the first brand to report problems Monday.

BlackBerry's Do-or-Die Marketing Challenge
February 14, 2013

Frank Boulben is the new chief marketing officer at BlackBerry and he has his hands full. Did you ever stand in front of a mountain of work and wonder how to get started? Marketing was one of several key weaknesses before RIM became BlackBerry. Can Boulben refresh, reinvigorate and save the smartphone maker? No one yet knows; however, marketing is key -- and Boulben is now center stage.

The 2nd Screen's Super Bowl Coup
February 12, 2013

It has been a week since the Super Bowl, but its lessons for marketers are becoming increasingly clear. At the top of the list: The synergy between the mobile channel and the overall campaign is getting tighter. Another lesson gleaned from this year's big game, courtesy of the New Orleans' Superdome's short-lived blackout, is that old fashioned quick-witted thinking never goes out of style.

The Key to Mobile Marketing: A Strong Opt-In List
February 09, 2013

Mobile messaging -- which includes SMS, MMS and rich media messaging -- has quickly become a staple in the world of marketing campaigns for many large brands. Mobile messaging, although still in its infancy, has drastically impacted the marketing landscape and is vital to any program. Mobile messaging creates a very personal link between a brand and its customers.

Cross-Domain Semantics and the End of 'Solution Sales'
February 08, 2013

Do your customers think of you as one of them? Do they think you truly understand their business challenges, their opportunities and what keeps them up at night? These are questions you should very seriously consider, because in the extraordinarily demanding B2B sales climate of our post-recession world, it's the vendor who can answer "yes" who will win the business.

5 Business Lessons to Learn From PR Flacks
February 07, 2013

As a journalist covering technology, you get bombarded with material from PR people trying to get you to write about their clients. Although there are some stellar PR people, the majority of pitches I get are not targeted at what I write about, addressed to the wrong person, or make claims that are demonstrably false or inaccurate.