March 27th, 2007

Working with Widgets, Gadgets, Modules

I’m not sure what impact widgets, also known as gadgets and modules, will have on interactive marketing yet, but they are catching on very quickly. In case you’re not yet aware, I’m talking about the self-contained mini-windows that pull content, and even functionality in Web 2.0 versions, from other sources and are being made available for placement by anyone with a desktop, browser and/or website.

I started using Netvibes several weeks back, which allows the user to create a personalized homepage. In my case, that’s meant a complete dashboard-like personal page that provides me, at a glance, a summary of weather in my area over the next four days; the clickable headlines for the NY Times, BBC News, Guardian Unlimited newspaper, Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company magazine, complete with subheads upon scroll-over; and an electronic to-do list, calendar, and quick search from Google, Yahoo and other search engines.

I also tried working even more recently with a new service in beta called Coghead that allows non-programmers to build customized applications with a drag-and-drop interface that includes widgets for elements of data entry forms, objects and behavior, and displays of records. I thought this may help us improve over the Excel spreadsheet we now use for online media planning and placement for our clients — a sometimes complex process that involves different online publishers and email list owners, inventory, pricing models, dates, and other parameters.

Widgets are definitely a useful tool that will continue to grow in popularity and evolve into may other forms and applications. From a marketing perspective, it’s a great and convenient way for an audience to exert greater control over the content it accesses, which assures its future ubiquity. Already VW, Nike, Target, and UPS have created branded widgets.

For more information about widgets, check out this useful blog, which includes further links to its explanation of widgets.

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March 21st, 2007

Will Google Bring Affiliate Marketing to the Masses?

The NY Times reported today that Google is testing a system where advertisers pay only for results, also known as “cost per action.” Under this system, advertisers determine what they are willing to pay for a specific action, whether a purchase or a lead. Web site publishers can then chose whether to run any such ads on their sites.

While the article is short on details, probably limited by what Google will reveal, the implications are tremendous. Google is essentially creating its own affiliate network, which, with its reach, savvy, and typical ease of use, may make affiliate marketing available to the masses. While affiliate marketing has grown and makes sense for many companies, there are generally more challenges and upfront costs involved than with other interactive channels, including search advertising.

This could be nirvana for advertisers if Google can convince and make it profitable enough for a critical mass of publishers. While advertisers would still need to develop great offers and creative to make it work, the upfront risks with advertising campaigns would be greatly reduced from their perspective — and they could potentially test creative and offers at little or no loss.

For publishers, it could be an effective way to generate revenue from remnant inventory. And if Google can develop an effective, automated way to predict how much revenue a specific ad on a specific website would generate, publishers may be able to use such a system even more profitably. The Times article points out that Advertising.com uses such a system to determine placement for cost-per-action ads on publishers’ sites now.

Website visitors will benefit with maximum relevancy of the ads presented to them, since all parties will be incented to make sure of that.

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March 13th, 2007

Will "Green Hot" Replace "Red Hot"?

The evidence that greening business is now a sizzling hot trend just keeps coming at head-spinning speed. There was a BusinessWeek.com article last week on marketing a green product; an email today from the DMA on its upcoming seminar on profiting from being environmentally friendly; and I also got a call today from a publisher that puts out a paper newsletter for Inc. Magazine and Verizon asking about the benefits of green marketing for small businesses.

The BusinessWeek.com article on marketing a green product

The BusinessWeek.com article cited a study showing what many in the green space already know — namely that while people say that environmentalism impacts their product choices, a variety of factors can impede green purchasing behavior, ranging from immediate green product availability to price to convenience to perceived product effectiveness. These factors make targeting the elusive ‘green consumer’ potentially challenging, especially for the not-yet initiated.

Educating the consumer is a great opportunity, according to one of the study’s authors. The focus should remain on the benefits of the product or service, as always. There are many green products that have gone mainstream due to their pratical consumer benefits, including energy-saving (and therefore money-saving) refrigerators, washers and other home appliances, and organic products (health benefits), for example.

My advice to the small business newsletter publisher

Just as I told the newsletter publisher that called me, I would add (to the advice in the BusinessWeek.com article) that the marketer must be sincere in their message as well as their efforts to avoid being considered a green washer – a company that’s just posing as green to get a marketing advantage. There must be substance behind their efforts, authenticity, and preferably some subtlety to their message. A printer, for example, that touts herself as green better be offering print jobs on 100% recycled paper with non-toxic or vegetable- or water-based inks.

Et tu DMA?

Is DMA an example of a green washer?! Here’s an organization that chews through god knows how many trees everyday that is now putting on a seminar about “How to ‘Go Green’ Effectively!” (I’m actually a member and am hoping to affect some change some day).

The DMA’s email they sent about this states:

Business conditions are changing with lightening speed. Consumers have a choice now and they pick the most socially and environmentally responsible companies. It is no longer a luxury or competitive advantage–it is a necessity to have and promote a comprehensive environmental strategy.

Do you fear that being environmentally friendly will only add to your expenses and not show any hope of a financial return? In truth, adhering to the ever increasing, socially conscious standards of your costumer base will garner brand loyalty and add to your bottom line for years to come.

I hope many of the DMA staff attend this seminar to learn “how-to advice for making economic and eco-friendly decisions throughout the direct marketing process,” including design, printing and paper procurement. If the DMA is using green practices in it’s own direct marketing campaigns, I haven’t seen any evidence of it in the almost daily mail pieces I receive from them.

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