Will You Add? - Business

Productivity Profiles - Blogger Versus Journalist
The Rise of blogging has not really changed journalism yet, but will keep on influencing journalism. The autonomy of the journalist is at stake and cooperation with the blogosphere will be a new requirement.One difference between the two is that the journalist is an official profession, whereas the blogger is much more of an amateur. The journalist – whether freelance or employee of a publishing company – is part of a professional network of different signatures and social ideologies. The blogger is more of an individualist and less dependent. The free and democratic information market is a fertile soil where independent and new information is powerfull and can easily change the hierarchies, by a newcomer. This is actually happening with the newspapers, where free tabloids and free information on the internet is changing the newspaper market

n outside resource to help create a framework for their plan. They chose VisionEdge Marketing because the company’s metrics expertise and a model ties marketing metrics to the goals of the company.

Laura Shay, VCON’s Global Product Marketing Manager, wanted an approach that went beyond tracking results from a variety of marketing activities, such as metrics associated with web site visits, click-throughs, and participants at a webinar. Rather she wanted a way to connect the marketing initiatives to the company’s market share, partner development, and up-sell objectives. “We had a good idea of the adoption process for our technology and we were monitoring dozens of activities and outcomes.

Why PR?
Public relations and advertising are both great ways to reach key audiences. However, I think PR should be the foundation upon which all other marketing communications tactics are built.Now, it is true that you have more control over your initial advertising message than you do over your public relations generated messages. You pay for that luxury and that is the problem.Your audience knows that you paid for the message delivery and immediately discounts it because it is from you. Also, your advertising message has a very limited shelf-life, although that is changing. With the advent of sites like YouTube TV ads can be archived forever.Enter PR. You lose some control over the message once you set it free, but the message has legs.People are more likely to believe a PR message because there is an implied third-p

Imagine an office without a desk, or lights, a computer, or even something as simple as a chair. When the architects and designers started planning a building or office space they knew they would have to make concessions for these items during each of the building activities. As marketers, we take part in many activities, much like a builder or designer does.

Of these activities, there is one that precludes each of these; the annual planning and budgeting process. One part of planning often gets left out though, measuring the effectiveness of the activities we plan. Yet plans without metrics are like offices without chairs, conference rooms without tables, or buildings without a foundation. Parts of each exist, but there is a major component missing.

Recently surveys have concluded that 55% of business to business marketing executives face the challenge of measuring marketing’s effectiveness. A recent survey conducted by Unica made this statement: "However, survey respondents also said they faced numerous challenges, chief among them measuring marketing effectiveness, which was cited by 55% of respondents." It was also stated that many executives don't believe marketing is measurable. And 63% of them don’t consider marketing to be measurable. So it should be no surprise to learn that as many as 57% of marketing plans overlook metrics and that plans are more about counting activities rather than measuring the impact on business outcomes as was determined the fifth Business Readiness Survey conducted by VisionEdge Marketing.

Can we measure marketing’s effectiveness? Does it really make a difference?

It certainly does for many companies. One company in particular, VCON, found incorporating a metrics framework into their planning process to be extremely valuable. Founded in 1994, VCON develops and manufactures collaborative communication solutions that include videoconferencing and audio conferencing products. VCON's entire portfolio is integrated together with a suite of management systems and development tools, providing a unique and fully integrated conferencing experience for the user. The company relies on an indirect channel to sell their solutions worldwide. For the past decade, VCON has consistently been the first to market with innovative products and technologies, both in the conferencing market and in the solutions needed to manage and deploy conferencing systems.

The marketing team realized that securing a larger marketing budget would require taking a more metrics-related approach as a means to demonstrate the marketing organization’s contribution to the company. So when they realized the need for a metrics-based approach, they hired VisionEdge Marketing to help them develop the right set of metrics. VCON turned to an outside resource to help create a framework for their plan. They chose VisionEdge Marketing because the company’s metrics expertise and a model ties marketing metrics to the goals of the company.

Service Franchises and Nationwide Credit Card Processing in the Field in Real Time; case study
Large service company franchise systems are a lot to manage. Luckily with many franchise owners they work much more efficient than straight managers because it is their money on the line and they know it. Franchise services companies which clean carpets, pave driveways, clean mini blinds, change oil in cars or even groom dogs need nationwide systems for customer credit card approvals, as well as gift cards and perhaps even loyalty credit cards too. With such system it is indeed important to have Universal Credit Card Approval. How so you ask?Well for instance what about a Nationwide franchise credit card processing software program? Your franchisees can log on (secured) and enter the customer’s credit card and charge it appropriately, via wireless device and it would go into the Intranet System and would be able to take the company credit l

ion. Parts of each exist, but there is a major component missing.

Can we measure marketing’s effectiveness? Does it really make a difference?

How Online Purchasing Will Drive Foolish Business Owners Out Of Business
Many small business owners can get away with jacking up their prices just because they may be the only store of their type in their area. The U.S. is filled with people who own stores which sell things. Selling things is really not a very difficult thing to do, all one needs is a little money from his inheritance (like most republicans, for example). Using this money, a little store can be rented and some shelves can be erected, and inventory can be purchased. The inventory can be sold for 20% more, its really a no-brainer, and all the owner has to do is sit behind the counter and wait.The internet, however, will rid the world of stupid people who make their living by taking advantage of their location. People who have no intelligence and rely purely on location for their success will soon be wiped out of the business world by an increa

unting activities rather than measuring the impact on business outcomes as was determined the fifth Business Readiness Survey conducted by VisionEdge Marketing.

Can we measure marketing’s effectiveness? Does it really make a difference?

Leaders Make Decisions: It's Not Part of the Job; It Is the Job
I was watching one of my favorite television mini-series, HBO’s Band of Brothers, and I came across a forgotten viewpoint from the production.Although the program centered around the time immediately following the Battle of the Bulge and the besieged 101st Airborn during World War II, part of the drama focused on the leadership of a lieutenant and his platoon. This lieutenant would simply leave his men and wander off for a walk . . . to talk to regiment . . . to get help . . . or god knows what. He was never there to set direction, to discuss operations, to counsel, or even to listen. One scene has him asking questions of a soldier in a foxhole. The soldier answers and then asks the officer a question, but the soldier is talking to thin air. The officer had already turned his back and faded away . . . as if he had never been there at all.grated conferencing experience for the user. The company relies on an indirect channel to sell their solutions worldwide. For the past decade, VCON has consistently been the first to market with innovative products and technologies, both in the conferencing market and in the solutions needed to manage and deploy conferencing systems.

Postage Meters
Postage meters save money and time on any type of mailing that people need for their business. They can be easily made use of for mail, handouts, or invitations.Postage meters are an excellent way to handle precanceled stamps or sanction imprints, as well as bulk mailing of a business. Individuals can make use of the same postage meter for any of their mail. However a special permit is required in order to be able to use it for bulk mail. Additionally, special markings are required for bulk mailings that must be applied with the meter stamp. Individuals have to visit a local branch of the post office, in order to get the permit that is required, and they also need to find out exactly how are they are suppose to stamp their mail.A lot of business owners have preference for postage meters because of the flexibility they provide, as well

n outside resource to help create a framework for their plan. They chose VisionEdge Marketing because the company’s metrics expertise and a model ties marketing metrics to the goals of the company.

VCON’s limited marketing resources were overwhelmed with the number of things that were possible to track. The challenge was getting the team out of the weeds of tracking various marcom activities and more focused on identifying metrics that would really indicate whether the marketing initiatives were moving the needle for the business.

Prior to the metrics development and framework session, VisionEdge Marketing examined the metrics currently being used by the company and the company’s business objectives for the coming year. “This preparatory stage was very helpful,” commented Laura. “It enabled us to start thinking about tying our marketing initiatives to very specific business outcomes such as market share, order value, and repeat business.” The business goals were used as a framework for the plan. By understanding the specific business outcomes, the session could focus on where marketing could make an impact and how to measure this impact. Within a half day or so the marketing department was able to develop a manageable set of metrics. A key part of the process was to clarify what outcomes have real impact on the business.

The metrics focused on two primary areas: The channel's role in VCON's success, and a goal of achieving 25% quarter-to-quarter growth from new products across all sales regions. Three metrics were selected: revenue/partner, qualified leads/region, and new products sold vs. previous product sold. Key indicators were defined for each of these and appropriate objectives and strategies were then incorporated into the annual plan. A side benefit was that the planning session was far more productive. “We didn’t get bogged down in discussing the nuances of each region and why tracking certain activities would or wouldn’t work. We could keep our eye on the larger picture and each region could address its individual differences,” added Laura.

The process enabled the VCON team to achieve two important outcomes:

1. A set of key metrics that crossed markets and regions

2. A plan and budget the management team could evaluate based on business outcomes

Of course the best outcome was the team was able to deliver a plan and a budget request the management team could relate to. “We were more successful in securing faster approval and a better budget, because the plan very clearly connected the dots between marcom activities and business outcomes,” said Laura.

VCON has learned the importance of a complete marketing plan and have already reaped the benefits by securing a higher marketing budget. They have learned the importance and ab

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Companies Without Strategies Are Heading For Tragedies

Planning is critical in a stable as well as changing environment. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In the fast tracked world, it is so easy to forget to plan and merely blindly execute without a proper plan in place. This is a recipe for failure.

Franchising Entire Nations; What Form of Leadership Will Be Set Up to Run the Franchisee Country?

Recently a think tank has proposed the franchising of nations. Why you ask? Well because what we are doing with the World Bank, WHO, Catholic Churches, Aid From first worlds, United Nations, Doctors without Borders and Corporate Foundations and Sponsors is mix matched and often leads to chaos

Does Your Marketing Pass This 10-Point Test?

Good marketing, whatever form it takes, always meets certain criteria. That's what makes it good. The following 10-Point checklist will help you determine if your marketing passes the test. I challenge you to evaluate one of your recent ads, promotions or other marketing activities to see how it measures up. You may be surprised.

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Will You Add? - Completing the Annual Planning Process

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