Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Freaky Fusion Beguiles

I just got a press release from Adtoma about Fusion, their new "all-in-one ad management platform," that sets up one central database system for proposals, orders, and campaigns ("obviating the need for spreadsheets," the release says). What's so great about that? Well, reportedly, Fusion is a "software solution that integrates and streamlines the entire media chain, from C.R.M. to proposal and sales management, to advertising operations." Why am I so struck by this? Maybe because I just spent two weeks, and employed three very heavy brains, to publish a teeny tiny proprietary database (104 records) on the Web. It was a big pain (yes, it works, but it hurt). So, right about now, I have an inkling of where the world is going with databases and online access, with everybody from everywhere marching to one digital beat. It's both scary and exhilarating. Incidentally, Adtoma is headquartered in Sweden. First the furniture, now the Internet. It's certain to be a beautiful thing, and, hopefully, no assembly will be required for Fusion users.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Are You Dumping More?

How’s your email trash folder looking? Are you sending more electronic newsletters straight to the storage bin? How often are you able to actually browse – let alone read – the marketing messages that pour in? All that good information.. lost… or is it (good information I mean?). The Wise Marketer just touted “Five Ways to Protect Brands During A Downturn.” Okay, I thought. I’ll bite. What are the five gems? Help your clients, empower your employees; solidify your links with suppliers; appeal to shareholders; recruit the best collaborators. That’s really no-brainer stuff and there's a lot of it out there lately. Rock and roll author Dave Thompson has this observation. "Books are still being published because people still demand them ... there's a lot of information on the net, but unless a reader has the time , energy and inclination to search, collate and ultimately rewrite it all for themselves, they're going to want to read a book.” Or something real, anyway.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Who's Listening NOW?

1to1 Media has an interesting piece about JetBlue’s use of software to track customer complaints and comments. Like many airlines, JetBlue hears a lot (30,000 emails poured into JetBlue when the February 2007 ice storm led to 1,000 cancelled flights). But help is on the way. Using Attensity’s “Voice of the Customer” text analytics, Jetblue analyzes not only emails and survey responses, but also call center notes, blogs, and other customer communications. Lotsa data. In August, Attensity partnered with BzzAgent to gain more insight into consumer “conversations.” Stephen Arnold blogging at “Beyond Search” thinks the scramble among search and content vendors is headed to new customers first. Arnold thinks Attensity is leading the stampede.