Archive for March, 2007
On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog. Meow!
The other day I came across this:
That’s a screen shot from the National Association of Manufacturers site, and it’s quite fascinating (and well done).
Note the text under the logo (part of an animated banner with different phrases coming by): “We are the millions of people who make things in America.”
Well, not really; [...]
dogpile? Is this the worst web site name ever?
Or is it the best web site name ever.
Anyway, I just stepped into something called dogpile.com which claims to be “all the best search engines piled into one.”
A name that brings things like smelly yucky sneaker, bad dog, and the urban pooper scooper law, to the personal search engine of my mind is probably not one I’m [...]
People in Glass Skywalks: Another Look at the Grand Canyon
As anyone who’s driven around some of the farther reaches of this country knows, native Americans got stuck with some pretty darn bleak places when they were put on reservations. So at least the Hualapai Indian Tribe got something scenic. They make their home at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately for the Hualapai, at [...]
Circuit City: The Rebate Rip-Off Roundabout
I hate rebates. I really, really hate rebates. You see a product advertised at a good price, and then you notice in the fine print that this price is after a rebate. So you have to go and pay more, then fill out forms and photocopy and mail things, and then wait and hope that [...]
Pay Per Action: Trouble for Media?
Vario Creative Blog has a nice piece about pay-per-action advertising, which Google is now doing in a beta.
The idea is incredibly appealing for advertisers: instead of paying for an impression, or a click, you pay for a conversion. Since that’s really the point of many programs (especially search marketing programs), that’s a great thing. (And, [...]
Così Fan Tutte: Stop shrinking our daily flatbread
I’m not sure how geographically wide-spread the chain is, but there are a few Cosis in the Boston area, and they are my all time favorite place to grab a lunch salad. For those unfamiliar with Cosi, they sell sandwiches and salads (and, I think but am not sure, breakfast-y type bakery goods), and the place [...]
Traffic’s Nice, but Money’s Nicer
This piece from OM Strategy on conversion rates nicely illustrates an important idea: the visitor-to-customer funnel on your web site. We often get distracted by site traffic, because it’s the easiest thing to measure; but unless you’re making money just because somebody visits your site, it’s not the whole picture.
More importantly, focusing too much [...]
Karcher’s unwelcome political endorsement
Most marketers dream of creating a brand that becomes so iconic that it takes on a life of its own. In the wayback, I’m sure that Kimberly Clark, had no idea when it introduced Kleenex in the 1920’s that the product would become the eponym for facial tissue. Coke - sorry, Pepsi - became synonymous [...]
Making it Easy to Leave
I just called Bank of America about a credit card I have with them regarding a question on my account. It was, of course, an adventure in a nest of voice menus… but here’s what was kind of interesting.
I went through all of them, being one of the good sheeple they anticipate. I was [...]
Hi, I’m an Opportunistic Marketer
If your competitor is making a big splash with an ad campaign, sometimes you can ride their coattails for some very cost-effective exposure. For example, these Novell spots for the Linux OS. Thanks to YouTube, they don’t even have to pay for media placements.
I think that making Linux a young, non-annoying woman is a [...]
