BtoB articles from January 2006

BtoB archives from January 2006

NK celebrates 25 years of ads; President-CEO Kovac reflects on evolution, future of agency, industry.(Advertising)(Nicholson Kovac )(Peter Kovac)(Interview)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX This month, Kansas City, Mo., ad agency Nicholson Kovac (formerly NKH&W), celebrates 25 years in business. Starting out as a pure b-to-b agency serving agricultural and industrial clients in the Midwest, NK has...

Agenda.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 16, 2006... Jan. 19 IDC Marketing Performance Measurement Summit IDC Hyatt Regency Santa Clara Santa Clara, Calif. www.idc.com April 19 IDC Marketing Performance Measurement Summit IDC Millennium Broadway Hotel ...

Demand grows for analytics; Forrester study assesses strengths of database marketing services firms.(Direct & Database)
January 16, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL In a marketplace where the call for accountability and return on investment seems to drown out other marketing goals, strategic database marketing services that include advanced analytics are in more demand and more...

In Direct.(direct marketing mergers and acquisitions)(Wunderman acquires Bridge Worldwide)(Acxiom Corp. and EMC Corp. announced partnership )(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Direct M&A transactions down but value on the rise While there were fewer direct marketing-related mergers and acquisitions in 2005, the estimated value of the deals rose sharply compared with 2004, according to Petsky Prunier's "Deal...

Dow Jones picks Zannino to succeed Kann.(Dow Jones and Co. )(Peter Kann. )(Richard Zannino)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Matthew Schwartz As he prepares to take the helm of Dow Jones & Co. next month, incoming CEO Richard Zannino says he will move aggressively to integrate the publisher's print and online sales staffs. By wedding the two sides more...

Goat or Gloat.(Chasers)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Company: Hitachi Agency: N/A Market: CIOs, network administrators Quick chase: Kudos to Hitachi for bringing a human presence to the industrial world of data storage. The photo of the little girl holding a toy airplane and gazing toward the...

Do you need an agency search consultant?(consultant in agency searches)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Source: "Best Practices and Processes for Finding a New Agency,'' by Joanne Davis for the American Association of Advertising Agencies, January 2006. When to use a consultant in agency searches: You don't have the time,...

Top criteria in agency searches; Marketers that have recently conducted searches list the following as top qualities they want in an agency.(BtoB Special Report: Selecting an Agency)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... 1. Ability to develop big brand ideas. 2. Exceptional creative capabilities. 3. Expertise in the client's industry. 4. In-depth research capabilities. 5. A strategic work process. 6. Good chemistry with the client. 7....

Tired of status quo in ad industry, exec says, 'Supersize me'.(News)(Mothers of Invention)(Robert Rosenthal)
January 16, 2006... DIRECT MARKETING AGENCY EXECUTIVE ROBERT ROSENTHAL, founder of Mothers of Invention, a direct marketing agency in Maynard, Mass., has unleashed a mother of a rant. Rosenthal announced last week that he is going on a "reverse hunger strike''...

Shops get creative in pitching accounts.(BtoB Special Report: Selecting an Agency)
January 16, 2006... While b-to-b agencies aren't known for outrageous antics in client pitches, such as singing company jingles or dressing up in character costumes, they are finding ingenious ways to differentiate themselves during account reviews. "We don't...

Conde Nast reorganizes operations.(News)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: MATTHEW SCHWARTZ In a management shakeup, Conde Nast Publications said Jan. 4 that Mary Berner has resigned as group president of the publisher's Fairchild unit. As part of the revamp, the unit will be renamed the Fashion & Retail...

Google shares still capable of big gains, firm predicts.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL Piper Jaffray & Co. sees a huge spike in the stock price for search leader Google this year. It predicts Google will fetch $600 per share by the end of this year from its current price of about $460 per share. The...

Next-generation e-mail marketing: Podcasts, handhelds, anti-spam.(NetMarketing)
January 16, 2006... Question: Should I try podcasting from my b-to-b e-newsletters? Answer: Yes. Podcasting has been rapidly adopted by b-to-b marketers over the past year-most notably through Web sites-and for good reason. In this age of information overload,...

New Campaigns.(Advertising)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... AT&T "Your World. Delivered.'' Agency: GSD&M, Austin, Texas Target audience: Consumers, small and midsize businesses, large enterprises, government Campaign objective: Launch the new AT&T, which was recently acquired by SBC...

Looking for the right type.(Chasers)
January 16, 2006... Messages are carried on the wings of type. Yet typography is sorely misunderstood in business-to-business advertising. The most essential part of an advertiser's message-the copy-often appears in type that's too small for easy reading, or is...

Cut to the Chase.(Chasers)(Apani Networks)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Company: Sybase, Dublin, Calif. Agency: Sicola Martin, Austin, Texas Market: Data, network administrators Quick chase: A woman watching TV lifts her remote and clicks. In an instant, her reaction to a commercial is captured by Nielsen Media...

Successful corporate blogs strive to keep 'marketing copy' out.(Tools & Metrics)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Paul Gillin Interested in business blogging but don't know where to start? Here are some guidelines for effective business blogging from Debbie Weil, an online marketing and blogging consultant and author of "The Corporate Blogging...

How to monitor the blogosphere; An array of Web sites and software has arrived to help marketers listen in on the conversation.(Tools & Metrics)
January 16, 2006... Byline: PAUL GILLIN With more than 20 million Weblogs already online and another 10,000 being launched each day, the challenge of keeping up with all the chatter is mind-boggling. But new tools are emerging almost daily that can help....

Why you should care about wikis.(Opinion)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Paul Gillin The day before Christmas, a draft article appeared on the Wikinews.org Internet news site reporting that an unnamed customer at Pano's restaurant in Buffalo, N.Y., earlier that morning had found a rubber glove in his...

Tech Tools.(AQuantive)(EMC Corp)(Unica Corp)
January 16, 2006... Unica bolsters offers by acquiring MarketSoft Unica Corp., an enterprise marketing management software company, announced it has acquired MarketSoft Software Corp., a lead management and event-detection application provider, for $7.25...

New Guide to Vertical Marketing.(Guide to Vertical Marketing )(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... BtoB's new Guide to Vertical Marketing online section will compile the "Vertical Insight'' features published in the print edition over the past year. The Guide, which is posted on BtoBOnline.com, will help marketers target select industry...

Pay-for-performance PR; This innovative alternative is more client-focused, more results-based.(public relations)
January 16, 2006... Byline: George Schildge The pay-for-performance concept has been widely recognized by a variety of industries looking to increase employee performance and productivity while offering improved quality. This concept has arrived in the PR...

Best practices for managing joint marketing.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Glenn Gow Crimson Consulting Group recently conducted extensive research into best practices in alliances and joint marketing by interviewing more than 60 individuals from a variety of vendors worldwide including BMC, BEA, Computer...

2006: The year of the employee.(Opinion)(Editorial)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Ellis Booker For family, friends and colleagues who know me, the headline above may come as a surprise. They're thinking, "Aren't you the guy who's been bragging for weeks about downloading and installing a Linux distribution on an...

In always-changing industry, keeping up with trends is key.(Vertical Insight: Restaurants)(Jack Fordi)(SmartBrief)(Interview)
January 16, 2006... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS In June 2001, the National Restaurant Association turned over its primary news delivery duties to SmartBrief, publisher of industry vertical newsletters. The partnership has been successful: Circulation has more than...

Forrester evaluates e-mail providers.(NetMarketing)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KAREN J. BANNAN Choosing the right e-mail service provider can be a bit overwhelming, given that there are more than 50 such companies. Add in the fact that many have similar offerings and you see the conundrum, according to a...

Reaching restaurant owners, managers; Face-to-face interaction, tailored messaging are key to success.(Vertical Insight: Restaurants)
January 16, 2006... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS The U.S. restaurant industry is massive, and it continues to grow at a record pace. Annual industry direct sales are expected to reach $511 billion this year, originating from more than 925,000 restaurant locations,...

Searching for search marketers; In-house departments struggle to find qualified employees.(search engine marketing)
January 16, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL A majority of marketers want to bring search strategy in-house rather than using agencies or SEM companies, according to the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization. But there's a problem: a dearth of talented...

Search engine marketing up 44% in 2005.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL Advertisers spent $5.75 billion on search engine marketing in 2005, a 44% increase compared with 2004, according to a report from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization. The nonprofit group projects...

Traditional marketers ease into emerging tech.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX As technology opens up new ways for companies to communicate, b-to-b marketers are starting to use emerging media such as blogs, podcasts and really simple syndication (RSS) to reach customers, employees, prospects and...

Advertisers glide past Super Bowl to Olympics.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX In the competition for b-to-b advertisers in February, when Super Bowl XL and the Olympic Winter Games XX fall within five days of each other, the Olympics is bringing home the gold. ABC, which will broadcast Super...

BMA to expand beyond marketing communications.(News)(Business Marketing Association)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX The Business Marketing Association, which turns 100 this year, is changing its strategic plan to broaden its scope beyond marketing communications. The changes come during a time of leadership flux at the...

Study: SMB sector upbeat about prospects for new year.(small and medium sized companies)
January 16, 2006... Byline: MATTHEW SCHWARTZ Small and midsize business owners active in e-commerce expect a better economy this year, according to a recently released survey. The survey was conducted by Avalara, a provider of online sales tax assistance,...

AHEAD OF THE CURVE; Six tips to help you make sure your e-mail marketing stays fresh and effective.(NetMarketing)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Karen J. Bannan New year, new marketing program-or so the saying goes. In fact, there are plenty of steps you can take to keep your e-mail marketing efforts fresh and effective. Our experts weigh in with some ideas to help you stay...

Quick change; Rapid CMO turnover, corporate mergers and increased accountability demands have prompted a wave of agency searches.(BtoB Special Report: Selecting an Agency)(chief marketing officer)
January 16, 2006... Byline: kate maddox As corporations overhaul their marketing operations to improve the bottom line, they're reassessing their agency relationships and, in many cases, deciding to look elsewhere. Over the past year, dozens of b-to-b...

Clients devise models to track return on agency investment.(BtoB Special Report: Selecting an Agency)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX As pressure is brought to bear on marketers to show return on investment for their marketing programs, many are developing models to prove ROI on agency performance as well. "We are struggling over it,'' said Tom...

Newsweeklies look for revenue; Publications add special sections and issues, boost online presence in face of ad page declines.(Business Media)
January 16, 2006... Byline: MATTHEW SCHWARTZ For years, FedEx Corp. bought ad space in most of the mainstream newsweeklies to capitalize on the tremendous reach they provided. But in the past 18 months, as the newsweeklies have faced growing competition for...

Quick Hits.(Yahoo! Inc. has partnered with Marketing Management Analytics)(Laurence Boschetto has been promoted to president-COO)(marketings strategies of Visa U.S.A. Inc.)
January 16, 2006... Year ends on positive note for magazines Total magazine rate card-reported ad revenue increased 9.7% year-over-year in December to $2.2 billion, while ad pages rose 3.4%, according to a report by the Magazine Publishers of America. For the...

Intel rebrands outside the box; Chipmaker's new brand highlights platforms; `Intel Inside' dropped.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX In a move designed to expand its market presence beyond silicon chips for the PC, Intel Corp. this month launched a corporate rebranding effort that will do away with the well-known "Intel Inside'' logo it has used...

New Campaigns.(Advertising)(Correction Notice)
January 16, 2006... ***** Correction: In "New Campaigns'' (Jan. 16, page 14), an agency that worked on the AT&T campaign was omitted. GSD&M, Austin, Texas, and Rodgers Townsend, St. Louis, worked together on the campaign. GSD&M is the agency for AT&T, which...