Madonna's Super Bowl half-time show won't be the only attention grabber this Sunday. Mobile ads and location-based services will play an important role in this year's Super Bowl as companies include them in their marketing strategy in a bid to reach more customers and transform a moving image into a sale.
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1to1 Media's Tom Hoffman speaks with Dan McDade, President and CEO of PointClear, about best practices for generating sales leads effectively.
Continue reading "Hoffman's Hot Seat: The Key to Generating Sales Leads" »
This year, on Black Friday, I had to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Since the one in Manhattan is situated right across the street from Macy's, I couldn't help but pop in. But the crowds of people quickly made me do a 180-degree turn out of the store and I made my purchases on my phone while in a cab.
I wasn't the only one using my mobile to clinch some Black Friday deals. According to an IBM Coremetrics report, mobile sales increased by almost 10 percent on November 25, up from 3.2 percent on Black Friday last year. Apple led mobile shopping with the iPhone and the iPad ranking in the first and second places among mobile devices used for shopping on the day.
Continue reading "Ensuring a Superior Mobile Shopping Experience" »
With only one retail location, Zane's Cycles of Connecticut is one of the three largest bike shops in the United States. It sells $15 million each year in bicycles and bike supplies, with a relationship grounded in customer trust. For example, on any given day you might see a $6,000 bike go out the door for a test drive without any one of Zane's folks asking to collect the customer's identification or any type of collateral. "Do you want my license?" customers often ask. The response is always, "Nope, just have a good ride." Zane's takes this approach because it wants potential customers to know that in this world there's a store that trusts them, and it's Zane's. Although made as a decision to embrace customers, this approach also sends a strong message to Zane's staff. "This is not about protecting ourselves," owner and president Chris Zane says. "We're in the people business, not the thing business. This decision helps our staff understand and act on that key difference." It gives customers confidence and a lasting impression that they have found a place where they'll want to do business.
With just a week until Thanksgiving my main concern is whether the 16-pound turkey I've ordered will fit in my apartment-sized oven. Stores, on the other hand, are thinking beyond the bird, the stuffing, and the cranberry sauce and focusing more on the following day, the much anticipated Black Friday.
Continue reading "5 Tips for a Successful Black Friday Customer Experience" »
