Brand Evaluation - Task Assignment #1

Let's get started!

Your first task is to identify which business model your brand is using.  Do some homework - has this always been their model?  How are they creating value for the customer and generating income from this website? (4 points)

Next, consider our discussion about the 4I's today.  How is your brand making use of these 4 I's?  How does this affect the customer experience on the site?  What kind of data is being collected?  How could they improve the use of the 4I's on their site? (5 points)

Last, what direct response mechanisms is your brand using (anywhere on-line)?  What are they trying to achieve with each call to action? (6 points)

Don't forget to clearly identify each task in your report so I can easily allocate the correct number of points when I read your findings.

Cheers,
Christina

Blog Schedule is updated!

If you signed up today please check the schedule page - I have added everyone to the list and updated the posting dates.

Please let me know if I have missed anyone.

Cheers,
Christina

Do you Database? Do it Right!

Do you Database?  Do it Right!

 

 

 

 

Database marketing is precision. Plain and simple.

 
 

“The foundations of virtually all the capabilities that differentiate  direct response marketing from mass media marketing reside in the marketing database.”

 – Page 101 Internet Marketing – Integrating Offline and Online strategies

 

 

 

 

Effective use of your customer database allows for more precise market segmentation, and accurate prediction of customer and prospect behavior.

 

“I have a very comprehensive database with more demographic and lifestyle data on my customers than I will ever need!”

Here's the thing, as marketers, we need to take a holistic approach to our decision making process. The information we use to make decisions must follow suit. Thus, the database we need is not JUST demographic and lifestyle data about our customers.

 

We need EVERYTHING.

This database MUST combine several individual databases into one, functional data warehouse that depicts a total landscape of your business. If not, you are missing a large part of the picture:

Take, for example, Mohawk College.

Mohawk College is a large organization with many departments that use separate databases and, in some cases, even utilize different software packages.

 

Just to name a few...

 

College Staff:

Administration, Support Staff and Faculty

Students:
Current Students, Co-op Students, Gradute Students, Mohawk Students Association, Banner, Co-op/Job Centre, Program Specific, Disability Services, Continuing Education, Locker systems.

Alumni:

Alumni Association database, Graduate Employment Rates

Marketing and Recruitment Prospects:

High Schools, Guidance Counselors,   Community Centres, Continuing education Prospects, Full Time,   Post Graduate Prospects

Other Business Areas:
Program enrollment trends, Residence information and Trends, Meal sales (meal plans etc), Book Sales

External Data Sources

Census data per geographic region
Highschool graduate data

....and this is not even close to the whole picture. This is not a complete listing by any means, but all of these data are useful to each other with regard to effective decision making…and the relentless attention to the needs of your target market.

Think about all of the information contained in these databases. Think of how cumbersome the decision making process would be if we couldn’t make them work together.

How would Mohawk make decisions regarding additional residence space without comparing geographical demographics? How would Mohawk make program and course ordering decisions without cross referencing enrollment? 

Obviously, making all these databases talk to one another is a technical challenge. And as marketers, we are not generally responsible for creating the database, but it is our job to decide what information is valuable for the decision making process, and drive its creation, based on that information.

 

How do you think Mohawk is doing? Do you think we can do better?

Thinking about writing your blog post?

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1.   Review the chapter associated with your topic.  What is most interesting to you?  Is there anything that surprises you?  Look for something you would like to explore further.

2.   Do some research.  Who are the experts related to your topic? What do they say about it?  Is there anything to support your opinion?  Did you find any best practices or great examples you can share? 

3.     Share your thoughts.  Share what you have found with your peers.  Tell them what you think about the topic.  Ask them to consider a different perspective? 

Check out these 26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts from Social Media Examiner.

Schedule is Posted!

I have posted the schedule for you on the Schedule page of this blog.  Please take a look and make sure I have entered your name into the correct topic.  I have added a few topics as there are more students than anticipated.

If you haven't signed up for your topic yet please do so ASAP.  The topics are going fast!

I will ensure you are all added as contributors by the EOD tomorrow.

Happy Blogging!
Christina

Welcome to Web Marketing!

WELCOME!

Have you ever contributed to a blog? 

If your answer is no, that is about to change.  Business is blogging and so should you.

This class blog is designed to:

·        Showcase the topics discussed in class
·        Be a resource for you as you learn the concepts related to Web Marketing
·        Help you to learn about new web technologies
·        Help you shape your writing skills and create thought leadership on a selected topic

Over the next 13 weeks this class blog will be updated daily.  In addition to my instructions for your self-study tasks, students will be posting interesting entries related to our in-class topics.  

During week 1, each student will select a topic and post date.  Students are encouraged to share their comments about each post and add value to the conversation, which will be continued in class. You will receive credit for each blog entry you write and your participation online will count towards your grade. 

Happy Blogging!