September 2008 Blog Posts (52)

CD CD-RoCD-Rom as a Tool in Your Next Mail Campaign

In a direct mail campaign the use of a CD-Rom can pound home your message like no other way can. Yet to maximize the value of this kind of promotion you need to ensure that the multimedia message you put on the CD or DVD be clear, persuasive and completely user friendly.

You will find heat many of the requirements for mailing a CD or DVD are the same as if you were mailing out a paper promo piece. The package design is important because it provides the framework that drives the… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 30, 2008 at 9:00am — No Comments

Trends in Loyalty Programs

70% Offer free enrolment to customers

15.5% Tier their fee structure and rewards program

73.7% Supermarkets and grocery stores with loyalty programs

64.7% Hotel and restaurant with loyalty programs

Source: Direct Marketing Association, June 2008 sample of 250 respondents

Larson note: Why should a person buy from you again (and again and again)? Are you that much better than the competition. We all may like to think we are but with all things… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 30, 2008 at 3:01am — No Comments

The Week Ahead for September 29 – October 3

Monday: August Personal Income and Spending

Tuesday: September Consumer Confidence; July Case-Shiller home price index

Wednesday: September Institute for Supply Management index; September Vehicle Sales; August Construction Spending

Thursday: August Factory Orders; Weekly Initial Jobless Claims

Friday: September Employment Report; Institute for Supply Management Services Index

Larson note: Most of these reports have little… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 30, 2008 at 2:11am — No Comments

Can you help me with this??

Hi everyone!

I have a piece that is being featured here:

http://www.neatostuff.com/

If you could help me out with this, I'd really appreciate it.

Could you visit this link and click on the Trinity bracelet and you will see a link to "stumble upon"... kindly stumble this find!!

It will give me much more visibility....thanks so much in… Continue

Added by Diane on September 28, 2008 at 5:26am — No Comments

Graco moves into Social Marketing for brand success

If you’re a parent and a bloger you can play a major role in Graco’s new integrated marketing campaign that is being rolled out THIS week. I told you the big guys were coming to Social Media Marketing and now they are here!

Their “Ready for the road ahead” campaign kicked off on September 8th with the launching of a web site by the same name in which they are aiming to help parents pick the right car seat for their children as well as addressing the needs of parents who travel with… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 27, 2008 at 5:56am — No Comments

Write You - Your Blog As Your Reflection

A friend on Twitter posted a link to a blog that touched a nerve with me, on the topic of blogging.

Here's a quote from that blog...

"I want to suggest that a truly successful blogger will mainly concern themselves with churning out as much incredible content as they can, day in, day out. And you should do it even if you’re pretty certain the only people reading your blog are your mother… Continue

Added by Lindy Asimus on September 27, 2008 at 1:11am — 2 Comments

What’s 2 Little Degrees?

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), in collaboration with the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the Edison Electric Institute, the U.S. Energy Association and North American Technician Excellence, have launched the 2 Degree Pledge initiative. The Pledge offers simple steps—installing a programmable thermostat, ensuring proper maintenance and a quality installation of heating and air conditioning equipment, and adjusting thermostats—all of which… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 26, 2008 at 11:56pm — No Comments

Our New Site Is Up!

Our New Site Is Up!

http://www.tearsofjoystories.com

Do you love reading stories? Do you love sharing stories with others? We created a site that allows you to do just that. With our site you can share your stories by writing and submitting them to us, but that’s not all. You can also submit your stories by video and audio. Here are the six categories of the stories you can… Continue

Added by Tears of Joy Video on September 26, 2008 at 2:04am — No Comments

Survey: Americans Can't Live Without Washers & DVRs

More than 80% of Americans say that they can't live without a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), according to a new survey of DVR owners commissioned by NDS, a provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV. A DVR or personal video recorder (PVR) lets you record TV shows in digital format to a disk drive within the TV set-top box. NDS technology allows satellite TV subscribers to pause live TV, record, play back, rewind and fast forward their TV programs for viewing when they… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 26, 2008 at 1:07am — No Comments

Your standing in the middle of it

Hi

"Your destiny is NOT a matter of chance, it's a matter of CHOICE." ~ William Jennings Bryan

Do you want life to just happen to you, to be a reactor to events and circumstances that shape your future, maybe in a way that is not so flattering to your dreams?

Or do you want to be a creator, deciding, and actively determining how your life should play out? The achievement of your dreams is not something you wait for, but rather something you… Continue

Added by Karri Vialpando on September 25, 2008 at 11:11am — No Comments

Staff Motivation and Compensation

Businesses are realizing free tea and coffee are not enough to keep associates content and happy. Many are resorting to offering free gym memberships, food, unique bonuses and flexible working hours.

When staff is happy, they are highly motivated; their work is a lot more detailed, they are faster and more efficient.

Thus the traditional motivation style is going the way of the dinosaur and new approaches to motivation are coming into vogue.

To me it’s all about… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 24, 2008 at 12:31am — No Comments

Coaching - Surprise! - It Isn't About The Coach!

You could say that I am fairly active on the social business networks. I encounter a lot of people that way, who bill themselves as coaches and lately I've noticed so many people are now calling themselves "CoachSomeone" and find myself wondering what that is about.

True, it could be a good thing for new people to your network to get that reminder of what it is that you do in your work. I find it isn't something attracts me though. Perhaps it is a different way of approaching… Continue

Added by Lindy Asimus on September 23, 2008 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Going Grid Free

Solar and wind energy devices are slowly coming down in price. Fossil fuel costs are on the rise. When will these cost changes intersect? Taking your home, office or factory off the grid and making it a green energy consuming facility maybe closer than you think.

I’m not talking ethanol, or Hydrogen but wind, sun, water. In my case wind and sun.

After decades of R&D and commercialization at all levels from big power utilities to home systems the costs of solar and wind… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 23, 2008 at 12:44am — No Comments

The Week Ahead for September 22-26

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday: August existing home sales

Thursday: August durable goods orders, August new home sales, Weekly initial jobless claims

Friday: Second quarter gross domestic product

Larson note: That was August this is September. After a very interesting week looking back at last month should, I think warm the heart. The government rebate cheeks were in full swing in the 2nd quarter and exports were up, but now, keep your… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 22, 2008 at 1:08am — No Comments

Consumer Products Companies Lower Growth Targets

The uncertainty in the economy is forcing consumer products companies to lower their revenue growth targets for the upcoming 12 months to 3.2 percent in the second quarter from 5.7 percent in the prior quarter, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Consumer Products.

Despite the drop in growth targets, senior executives from the 59 large, consumer products businesses surveyed do not anticipate a drop in revenue contributions from international sales. The projected contribution from… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 20, 2008 at 6:40am — No Comments

Global competition puts U.S. manufacturers, employees, at odds

Today's cost of operating a manufacturing business in the U.S.-including employee compensation and benefits-is a topic that is flying around a lot and I’m sure next week when I attend two different trade shows I will be questioned about. Everyone is looking for the magic answer.

At the same time, we are all trying to balance rising fuel, food, utility, education, housing and other living costs with incomes that have not kept pace.

The over all perception is that we not… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 20, 2008 at 1:03am — No Comments

The Art of Making A Customer Satisfaction Survey

If you are looking to improve overall customer satisfaction and are looking at doing customer satisfaction surveys you need to ask hard pointed questions. If you survey your customers, what type of questions do you ask, how do you survey (phone, email regular mail) and what type of benchmark or scale do you use? Are there any resources out there that could assist us in setting our benchmark and formulating a process?

• Ask yourself, what do I really need to know from my customers?… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 19, 2008 at 7:37am — 1 Comment

Is Audience or Offer More Important?

In any marketing attack there are two big issues that can divine success, it the target audience more important or is the message paramount?

Now me, I’m an audience kind of guy. Give me a target that fits the company and its product or service line and bingo I believe we are on our way.

Others believe that the audience will self-select itself based on the offer and how enticing it is. They believe a good offer will turn a loser into a winner.

Time and time again… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 19, 2008 at 1:04am — No Comments

See what Success Magazine says!

Hello,

Now that the kids are going back to school and summer fun is over...

what about YOU and your success?

If you believe the media, the financial world is about to end. Forget your dreams of achieving greater wealth - if you even hope to survive, you'd better squirrel away every dime you can find.

I say... baloney!

You'd never guess it from listening to the media ...

but you have… Continue

Added by Karri Vialpando on September 18, 2008 at 11:36am — No Comments

Marketers Use of Emerging Channels

Here are the marketing channels the major interactive marketers are using as well as us here at Larson’s. Where do you stack up?

E-mail: less than 1 year- 6% / Greater than 1 year – 90% / not using but plan to – 4% / will not use – 1% / Larson’s – long time user (over 9 years)

Search: less than1 year- 14% / Greater than 1 year – 71% / not using but plan to – 9% / Will not use – 6% / Larson’s – Planning stages

Video: less than1 year-20% /… Continue

Added by Howard Larson on September 18, 2008 at 5:00am — No Comments