As the end of 2013 approaches and marketing websites post their predictions 2014, I thought it’d be interesting to take a look at forecasts made in the past several years to see if they’ve come true. For my purposes, I only surveyed predictions made in 2010 or later – though perhaps I’ll do a later post looking back further. Exactly how accurate are we at making predictions about our own industry?
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DISTRIBION ANNOUNCES RECORD YEAR FOR 2013
Distribion, leading provider of marketing automation platform and services, surpassed expectations this year, adding 63 new enterprise clients due to its innovative Quick Start Program, several platform upgrades, and the option for clients to use Distribion’s data acquisition, management, and retention capabilities.
Artificial Intelligence
How smart can computers get? Most of us already have smartphones we use for a thousand small tasks that used to take a lot longer to accomplish: check out library books, find the cheapest gas station by your office, Google an authoritative-sounding statistic to use in the heat of an argument. One day we’ll just leave it to the iPhone to cut the grass, babysit the kids, and serve the perfect martini. (What will I do with my weekends then?)
Digital Insanity: Gap Between Online & Offline Marketing
You might think digital marketing is already “mainstream,” but the bulk of marketing budgets still goes toward offline activities such as trade shows, radio, TV, and direct mail. According to a research study conducted in Australia and New Zealand, around 61% of marketing budgets is still spent on offline activities.
Perhaps the most interesting finding in the study shows that a business’ likelihood of investing more in online marketing depends on the size of the company’s overall budget. The study divided respondents into three groups:
Supporting Your Sales Reps: A Marketer’s Dilemma
Sales and marketing should go together like peanut butter and jelly. Unfortunately, many organizations experience friction between these two areas, especially when it comes to meeting goals and hitting sales numbers. Sales tends to blame marketing for lack of sales support and successful advertising campaigns, while marketing becomes frustrated with sales for not using approved advertising […]
Talkin’ to Strangers: A Smart Investment
Chances are, you or someone you know will buy a new smartphone for someone they love this Christmas. As you’re dropping a few hundred dollars on an iPhone that’ll probably have a cracked screen by Easter, you should think about the massive opportunities – and increased accountability – the rise in smartphone users has for […]
Record Thanksgiving for Online Sales
Several big-name stores decided to open their doors on Thanksgiving this year, but shoppers declared their preference for shopping online instead of braving the crowds. According to the first round of data released, online sales rose significantly from Thanksgiving 2012, with mobile devices as the biggest drivers.
What’s Your Thanksgiving Game Plan?
By “game plan,” I don’t mean your strategy to catch all the best football games, even when they’re on at the same time. I don’t mean your kitchen maneuvers to successfully cook a turkey and 10 side dishes with just one oven, and I don’t mean your proven system to avoid talking to your creepy uncle who pops up at Thanksgiving dinner every year (although all of these strategies are necessary – and impressive, I’m sure). Family All Together At Christmas Dinner
The “game plan” I’m talking about is your strategy for marketing during the holidays, since Thanksgiving is the official kickoff. No matter what you’re selling, you’re missing a great chance at your own demographic of merry shoppers if you don’t have a campaign structured around the holiday season.
Cheat Sheet: 2014 Marketing Budget
We’re halfway through November, but you haven’t planned your marketing budget for 2014. Your boss expected a draft of recommendations yesterday (thank goodness you’re familiar with the “I forgot to attach the file” excuse), but you haven’t even started to research what your competitors are doing, much less what you should do.
Luckily, your frantic Googling landed you in the right place this time. We’ve put together a cheat sheet of ideas, trends, and predictions for 2014, each with a handy sentence or two of explanation.
Feel free to use the tips below to impress your boss with your preparation and insight. No need to quote us – this one’s a freebie.
Can Banks ‘Bank’ on Social Media?
Banks as a whole are challenged to optimize social media use. Content generation and management are key concerns. Social media is a two way conversation, not a one way push mechanism for brand content. Banks need to sell product like many companies, and social media serves a way to aid the sales process if used optimally. Social media can be a good driver of brand awareness, research, and the development of brand beliefs that can serve to induce purchase.
Why Marketing Automation Should Be a Part of Your 2014 Marketing Budget
If you are looking to make your marketing spends more efficient and effective in 2014, it is critical to have a multi-channel marketing automation technology solution. Marketing management must build a case for having this solution by understanding the CEO or CFO’s perspective, and position it in language that will have the most impact for them. A smart technology vendor should be happy to help marketing management make a case by showing how the solution has made a difference for existing customers and how they will leverage this experience to make a positive impact on the bottom line.
Motorists Life Insurance Company Teams with Distribion to Streamline Marketing Efforts
Motorists Life Insurance Company uses Distribion’s multi-channel, distributed marketing automation software platform to help boost sales and marketing results. According to Jamie Kibler of Motorists Life “Distribion is enhancing our brand, every single day, every single way.”