For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Europe Grows Via Distributed Content Management Platform

ChannelNet Solution Improves Network Of Web Sites For Local Dealers

by Chad Mitchell, November 16, 2009

Hunter Douglas, a leading manufacturer of window coverings and architectural products, distributes its products through thousands of local dealers. Hunter Douglas saw an expanding online consumer retail market in Europe and wanted to use eBusiness to . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Favorite Online Brands Succeed On Traditional Brand Values

How Marketers Can Position Their Brands With Online-Friendly Attributes

by David Card, November 16, 2009

Google remains consumers' favorite online brand, with Yahoo! and Amazon not far behind. In the minds of their fans, the top online brands exhibit very traditional attributes such as trustworthiness, helpfulness, and relevance, all at the expense of more-predictable . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Adaptive Brand Marketing: An eBusiness Perspective

by Sucharita Mulpuru, November 13, 2009

Adaptive Brand Marketing is a flexible approach in which marketers respond quickly to their environment to align consumer and brand goals and maximize return on brand equity. We expect marketing professionals to embrace this new approach in order to keep . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Is The Time Right To Build A Mobile App?

Balance The Buzz With Real Customer Value And Revenue Opportunities

by Brian K. Walker, October 29, 2009

The rapid growth of the iPhone and iPod touch application market has fueled a race to develop these applications on the part of eBusiness and channel strategy professionals. Recently, Forrester published a useful outline to help determine if a mobile . . .

For Customer Intelligence Professionals

Case Study: ING Delivers Personalized Product Offers Across Channels In Real Time

by Alexander Hesse, October 27, 2009

Dutch bank ING's marketing campaigns were losing effectiveness because many of them weren't relevant to the bank's customers. The bank's organizational structure, processes, applications, and heavy reliance on direct mail were not meeting the needs of . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Emotional Experience Design

Creating Online Experiences That Deeply Engage Customers

by Ron Rogowski, October 26, 2009

As consumers increasingly look to connect with companies online, lackluster Web experiences will damage many brands. But better functional design won't solve the problem. Instead, Forrester recommends that companies master the three principles of a new . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Marketing Leaders: Make Marketing Innovation A Mandate

Seed And Source Innovation From Within, Based On A Plan

by Mary Beth Kemp, October 16, 2009

Consumers, and the marketing strategies to engage with them, change with every technology twist. Although many marketers dabble in new marketing initiatives, most don't approach experimentation and innovation on a consistent basis. CMOs must tie experimentation . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Adaptive Brand Marketing

Rethinking Your Approach To Brands In The Digital Age

by Lisa Bradner, October 9, 2009

Today's brand marketing organizations are ill equipped to handle the world of "always on" marketing in the digital age. To remain relevant, marketing leaders will embrace Adaptive Brand Marketing — an approach encouraging rapid response to align consumer . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

How Has The Recession Changed European Consumers' Attitudes Toward Brands?

by Mary Beth Kemp, September 24, 2009

Europeans are more pessimistic than North Americans about the evolution of their national economies. And they are feeling restrained personally too — 40% find themselves worse off than last year. But marketing leaders must resist the temptation to chase . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Creating Value From "How-To" Videos

Use "Content As Marketing" To Engage Online Audiences

by Nick Thomas, September 11, 2009

We are all media companies now. One effect of the digitization of content is that the barriers to entry have come down: While the creation and distribution of content used to be the preserve of specialized companies with deep pockets and expertise, in . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

eBusiness Is The Right Channel To Go Green

Leverage Your eBusiness To Customer And Employee Green Behavior

by Chad Mitchell, September 8, 2009

Consumers are being bombarded with green messaging online, in print, and on TV. Repositioning a brand to be greener is a top planning activity among marketers. Firms are trying to tap into the growing segment of consumers who may pay a premium for a product . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Integrated Marketing Strategies For Low-Consideration Brands

by David M. Cooperstein, September 1, 2009

Consumers' relationships with butter, detergent, or cotton balls are fleeting. But these consumers are engaged in topics like cooking, cleaning, and beauty, which indirectly drive interest in products in low-consideration categories. As social media penetration . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

The Media Meltdown Makes Integrated Marketing An Imperative

by David Card, August 24, 2009

Created by digitization and accelerated by the recession, the Media Meltdown of fragmented audiences and broken business models is disrupting traditional marketing strategies and partnerships. Marketing leaders must work with their teams, agencies, and . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Financial Services Brand Building Web Sites, 2009: Credit Card Providers

by Ron Rogowski, August 17, 2009

How good are the brand experiences offered by major credit card Web sites? To find out, we graded the sites of four top brands — American Express, Capital One, Citigroup, and Discover — on how well they communicate their Brand Image and deliver value . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Financial Services Brand Building Web Sites, 2009: Banks

by Ron Rogowski, August 14, 2009

The banking industry features some of the most recognizable brand names in the US, like Bank of America, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. But how good are the brand experiences offered by major banks' Web sites? To find out, we graded the sites . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Case Study: How Commonwealth Bank Of Australia Redesigned The Secure Site For Sales

by Vanessa Niemeyer, Ph.D., August 13, 2009

In the course of its "Finest Online" project, Commonwealth Bank of Australia redesigned its NetBank Internet banking service with the objectives of building an excellent customer experience and driving online sales. The bank has implemented new content . . .

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

Use Online Communities For Strategic Insight

Member Opinions Will Strengthen Your Marketing Strategies

by Lisa Bradner, August 12, 2009

Community input offers marketers an intimate — and continuous — understanding of brands, but only if you're willing to listen closely to what members have to say. If you're ready to improve your brand strategy using community insights, partner with market . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Financial Services Brand Building Web Sites, 2009: Investment Firms

by Ron Rogowski, August 7, 2009

How good is the brand experience offered by major investment Web sites? To find out, we graded the sites of four top brands — Charles Schwab, Edward Jones, Fidelity Investments, and Vanguard — on how well they communicate their Brand Image and deliver . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Financial Services Brand Building Web Sites, 2009: Insurers

by Ron Rogowski, August 6, 2009

The fiercely competitive insurance industry features some of the most esteemed brand names in the US, like Allstate Insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, and USAA. But how good are the brand experiences offered . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

What The Media Meltdown Means For Marketing

by David Card, July 21, 2009

The recession has accelerated systemic changes in the media landscape: Audiences are fragmenting, taking more control, and seeking inexpensive — or free — alternatives. Combined, print and television will lose almost $17 billion in US ad spending in 2008 . . .

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

Dos And Don'ts For Dealing With Detractors

by Emily Riley, July 21, 2009

Detractors — consumers who will publicly make negative comments about your brand — are found throughout online social media sites. Instead of simply ignoring them, interactive marketers should take the time to evaluate the validity of their complaints . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Five Ways CPG Marketers Are Fighting The Recession

And What All Marketing Leaders Can Learn From Them

by Lisa Bradner, July 16, 2009

The recession has battered the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry as it has almost every other sector. But while many large CPG companies are bruised, they are certainly not taking things lying down. Instead they're using their celebrated marketing . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Green Marketing Will Grow In 2009

Successful Green Strategies Save Costs And Generate Additional Revenues

by Steven Noble, July 16, 2009

Does green marketing still matter? With consumer concern for the environment, standards and regulations changing, and the ability for organizations to save by being green, green strategies are more important than ever. Organizations have launched a number . . .

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

Committing To Meaningful Digital Metrics

by Emily Riley, July 15, 2009

Online marketers are much more comfortable measuring their direct response campaigns than either brand or social marketing ones in part because they lack useful key performance indicators (KPIs) for brand and social media efforts. In order to measure . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Best And Worst Of Financial Services Brand Building Web Sites, 2009

Forrester Applies Its Web Site Brand Review Methodology To The Sites Of 16 Top Financial Services Brands

by Ron Rogowski, July 10, 2009

How good is the overall experience offered by leading financial services brands' Web sites in 2009? To find out, Forrester graded the sites of 16 top financial services brands using Forrester's Web Site Brand Review methodology. Our tests measure how . . .