Yesterday in New York, Martha Rogers and I had lunch with one of our favorite people, Phillip Riese. Phillip, an ex-American Express senior executive, is a literal fount of entrepreneurial wisdom. We cited him in our first book, The One to One Future, in 1993. Phillip’s insight is that business books come and go sort of like diet books. Everyone’s always trying to find the right diet in their own personal lives, and business executives seem to be on the same treadmill with their business policies.

Continue reading "Are You on the Right Business Diet?" »

Posted by Don Peppers at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Using social media is easy. Anyone with a computer or even mobile phone can set up a blog, social network profile, wiki, or podcast. The trick is building an audience. We were asked by a number of the attendees of our Get Past the Social Media Hype webinar about how to attract the right people. For companies used to paying for advertising where audiences already exist, this is a whole new way of thinking.

Continue reading "How to Build it So They Will Come" »

Posted by Jeremy Nedelka at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever shop online and get so frustrated when you can’t find something that you’re looking for? Have you ever had trouble filling out an online registration or billing form? Seems like it happens more often than not these days—even with Forrester Research reporting earlier this year that online customer experience spending was to intensify in 2008 with attention being paid to usability.

Continue reading "Make Online CEM a Priority" »

Posted by Mila D'Antonio at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the subjects that came up at our July 16 webinar, "Get Past the Social Media Hype," was wikis -- what they are and what they're for. Based on the Hawaiian word for "fast," wikis haven't made much of an impact yet (notwithstanding Wikipedia, of course)...but that doesn't mean that they never will.

Continue reading "Whither the Wiki?" »

Posted by Kevin Zimmerman at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A week after I heard about local bank IndyMac's abrupt closing, a few more regional banks in the southwest were shuttered by the FDIC for "shady" practices. And even with the big banks the stress of mergers, a weak dollar, and the subprime meltdown are causing lots of strain. What happened to financial services industry? It's quite obvious actually. Banks and other financial services, in many cases, lost site of what is truly important -- customers.

Continue reading "Banking Industry Gets a Wake-Up Call" »

Posted by Elizabeth Glagowski at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

During our editorial webcast “Get Past the Social Media Hype” last week, several attendees expressed concerns about creating an online customer community and potentially opening the door to a barrage of negative—and very public—feedback. To that we say: Customers are already talking about you, good or bad, in other public forums, online and off. An online customer community won’t increase your control of the conversation, but it will make it much easier to communicate with your customers about their concerns.

But that was only one concern.

Continue reading "Don’t Fear the Customer" »

Posted by Ginger Conlon at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

During last week’s webinar on social media, we received a number of questions about metrics, KPI’s, and other measurements related to social media. The prevailing confusion seemed to be over what to measure. The answer I gave at the time was “well, that depends.” Since then, I’ve developed a more refined answer that will hopefully allay some of the fears with justifying a social media strategy.

Continue reading "What do you want to measure?" »

Posted by Jeremy Nedelka at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The success of an organization largely depends on the motivation of its employees. When it comes to encouraging employees to participate in social media on behalf of their company, it can be like moving mountains.

Continue reading "Do as I Do" »

Posted by Mila D'Antonio at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week's 1to1 webinar "Get Past the Social Media Hype" was a solid success, at least according to those I've heard from so far. My part of the presentation revolved around content-sharing, and included a brief discussion about widgets. Now with a bit more space, I thought it worthwhile to expand upon the subject.

Continue reading "The Widget Fidget" »

Posted by Kevin Zimmerman at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Heck yeah it does. Or, at least, it should. I would argue that B2B companies have a lot more to bring to social media -- many high-tech or manufacturing companies deal with very specific products and customers. The community already exists. I would say that all that's needed is to give customers, partners, employees and potential customers an online area to join. The sad reality, however, is that B2B companies in general lag behind the B2C space when it comes to social media.

Continue reading "Does Social Media Work for B2B Companies?" »

Posted by Elizabeth Glagowski at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Barry Herstein just became the new Chief Marketing Officer at PayPal. The online payment company is taking its strategy beyond its traditional eBay relationship to become a global financial services powerhouse. In the newly created position, Herstein is challenged to build a global brand and advance its unique business model. We recently sat down with him to discuss the details.

Continue reading "PayPal's CMO On Playing Nice With Others" »

Posted by Elizabeth Glagowski at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

With all the stories lately about the airlines, one may have been overlooked earlier this week. Delta announced it was placing ads to its boarding passes, as a way to increase revenue in addition to bag fees, meal and drink fees, and fuel surcharges (not to mention the increased price of tickets). Airlines have experimented with advertising before. Some have placed ads on meal carts, overhead bins, and even the outside of planes. What struck me about the story, however, was a quote from the CEO of the technology company behind creating the ads, Sojern Inc.

Continue reading "What to Do With 250 Million Unused Billboards" »

Posted by Jeremy Nedelka at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

During 1to1’s editorial webinar today, “Get Past the Social Media Hype?”, we asked attendees a few questions about what types of social media they’re currently using, and what their plans are for the next six months.

Continue reading "Who’s Using Social Media?" »

Posted by Ginger Conlon at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

During the edit team’s numerous interviews we’ve conducted over the last few months, we discovered that in talking to executives, many are still confused about how to leverage social media to create value for their businesses.

So today in a webinar at 2 p.m. EST, the 1to1 Media edit team will give advice, define social media, offer some examples of companies that are seeing success from using social media, and explain the benefits of leveraging social media tools for your company.

Continue reading "Mastering Social Media" »

Posted by Mila D'Antonio at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you’re looking for ideas on how to use social media in your marketing plans, you need look no further than Jeremiah Owyang’s blog, where he synthesizes a list of 50 social media ideas into five broader strategies. Jeremiah is an analyst with Forrester, and the five broad strategies come from Forrester, while the 50 ideas come from Chris Brogan’s blog. Brogan describes himself as a “social media evangelist.” One look around his site will convince you of the veracity of that statement.

However you find this list, it’s a terrific supplement to the social media thinking we’ve already posted on our own microsite, Get Past the Hype.

Posted by Don Peppers at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

When does an ad campaign go so far? If you're the state of South Carolina, it's when you're promoting yourself as "So Gay"--at least for some lawmakers.

According to a July 11 article in Columbia, SC newspaper The State, the state's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has pulled out of an agreement with London-based travel agency Amro Worldwide for an overseas campaign with the tagline "South Carolina Is So Gay."

A June 27 press release announcing the campaign quoted South Carolina tourism spokesperson Kirsty Dillury as saying, “South Carolina has a lot to offer gay travelers, and we think that people may be surprised to see our destination reaching out to the gay market. We are delighted to be involved with the ‘So Gay’ campaign in particular as it sends a powerful positive message to everyone that there is nothing wrong at all with a destination being described as ’so gay.’”

Not so fast, Kirsty.

Continue reading "Just Look Away, Dixie Land" »

Posted by Kevin Zimmerman at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently returned from an 8 1/2 day trip, during which I had engagements in four continents. I've captured it all in an 8 1/2 minute video. From Brazil to Qatar to Prague to Halifax, I exchanged insights during presentations, workshops, and one-on-one meetings. I met with executives from such industries as financial services, contact centers, and hospitality, and shared information on such issues as customer loyalty and employee engagement. I also learned about their business strategies. You can hear all about my trip in "The Frequent Flier."

Posted by Don Peppers at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A week before school let out at the end of June my 10-year-old daughter, Claudia, announced that she and two of her friends decided that they wanted to go to Sylvan Learning Center in the fall to improve their study habits. After inspecting my daughter for a possible alien possession (think: Invasion of the Body Snatchers), I gleefully said I would call Sylvan and look into it.

Aside from being excited about this for obvious reasons, I was also looking forward to the Sylvan customer experience. Sylvan won a 1to1 Impact Award earlier this year (Sylvan’s Sara Costello, director of direct mail and conversion marketing, talked more about that strategy on a recent webinar), and I love having the opportunity to experience firsthand the customer strategies of the companies we write about.

Continue reading "A Successful Customer Strategy in Action—Really" »

Posted by Ginger Conlon at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

While tools like social networking, blogs, and other new media are the talk of the tech and marketing worlds, many in so-called "traditional" companies may think it wouldn't fit their business model. But for Wells Fargo, a 156-year-old financial services company, it's a major component to interact with customers and prospects.

Continue reading "Even a 156-Year-Old Can Use Social Media " »

Posted by Elizabeth Glagowski at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sen. Phil Gramm, an advisor to Sen. John McCain, just stirred a big controversy by maintaining that the economic downturn causing so much angst is largely the result of pessimistic thinking, rather than serious economic problems. Pointing out that we aren’t actually in a recession at all, with real economic growth anemic but still respectable at a 1% positive rate, he called this a “mental recession,” and said the problem is we are becoming a “nation of whiners.” McCain repudiated these comments as the Obama camp gleefully leaped on them as further proof that McCain was out of touch.

Continue reading "The Economy: Is It All In Your Head?" »

Posted by Don Peppers at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Email is a great communications tool; it’s environmentally friendly, costs next to nothing, and reaches the masses instantly. But because it provides instant gratification with little risk, email can very easily be misused. I recently got an email from ACS, the company that handles my student loans. Since I’m blogging about it, you can probably guess that I wasn’t thrilled with what the company had to say.

Continue reading "Congratulations! We’ve opted you in." »

Posted by Jeremy Nedelka at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

There is increasing controversy about new personalized ad technologies able to track your every online move. Unlike most personalized online advertising, this new technology, from companies like NebuAds in the United States, and Phorm in the UK, is based on the cable TV or phone company that provides your overall Web access – your Internet-service provider (“ISP”). There’s an article about this in today’s Wall Street Journal.

Continue reading "We Know What You’re Doing Online" »

Posted by Don Peppers at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

As the de facto book reviewer at 1to1, I confess that I've been letting the side down of late. Blogging instead about conferences, notable news developments, and the much-beloved Hydrox cookie, I've been remiss in keeping up with the barrage of business books that largely land in my lap. (I have, however, been keeping up with my alliteration assignments.)

So while everyone else is enjoying Child 44 and When You Are Engulfed in Flames and Goodnight Bush, I'm curling up on the 1to1 chaise lounge with Steve Yastrow, David Vinjamuri, and Richard S. Gallagher. It's a little crowded, but we're learning a few things.

Continue reading "Summer Reading" »

Posted by Kevin Zimmerman at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

When you think of an organization that is effective at building customer loyalty, you think of companies like Starbucks, USAA, and The Ritz-Carlton, right? Well add a new one to the mix. But this one isn’t a business; it’s singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren, of the song “Bang on the Drum All Day” fame.

Continue reading "Todd Rundgren, Rocker or Loyalty Leader?" »

Posted by Mila D'Antonio at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

If you feel a sense of deja vu when the topic of social media comes up, don’t be surprised. As with many approaches to building profitable customer relationships (think: CRM), social media marketing is going through its own hype cycle. Some companies have well-planned strategies with goals and metrics, while others are rushing in just to be a part of the action. Still others haven’t quite discerned the best approach to using social media as a customer strategy tool that delivers ROI. We’re here to help make sense of it all.

Continue reading "Welcome to Social Media Month" »

Posted by Ginger Conlon at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The role of customer care in the contact center has never been more pivotal to a company’s success. As a result, contact center leaders continuously strive to develop innovative ways to improve service, increase productivity, and integrate the contact center with the rest of the organization.

Continue reading "Staying Ahead of the Curve" »

Posted by Mila D'Antonio at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

No sooner had my story on Dimension Data's 10th annual "Call Center Benchmarking Report" appeared in yesterday's 1to1 Weekly than I received another call center survey -- which, as opposed to the Dimension report, seems to indicate that call center-related satisfaction is improving.

The "Contact Center Satisfaction Index 2008: How Call Center Customer Satisfaction Impacts the Bottom Line," by CFI Group North America CEO Sheri Teodoru and coming out today, finds that call center c-sat gained 3 percent over last year, scoring 72 on the index's 100-point scale. A three-point improvement is admittedly not earth-shaking, but in today's climate it certainly does count for something.

But, not to put too fine a point on it, what?

Continue reading "The Call Center Cha-Cha" »

Posted by Kevin Zimmerman at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)