MediaWhiz In the News: Week of Nov. 12-16, 2012
By Sultan Riaz | @Riaz_MediaWhiz | Marketing Coordinator
MediaWhiz’s leaders are continually sought after as resources for opinions, advice and expertise, based on our deep understanding of industry trends, the needs of our customers and the broader marketplace in which we operate.
For the week of Nov. 12-16, 2012, MediaWhiz experts were quoted or featured on a variety of digital media news and trends, including online lead-generation in the post-PC era; extolling the role and value of affiliate marketing; best practices for online lead conversion; and what it’s like to be a digital media buyer. | Read previous MediaWhiz In the News posts.
source: DMConfidential
Roundtable Discussion: Lead Generation in a Post-PC World
DMConfidential | Nov. 15, 2012 | Featuring Ori Carmel
Ori Carmel, VP of performance strategy, MediaWhiz
To understand the impact of mobile on the lead-gen industry, and online marketing as a whole, marketers should look toward the developing countries in Africa and Central and South America. There they will find the future of mobile lead generation and e-commerce.
Lacking infrastructure, entire regions in the developing world have leapfrogged the PC era. People in these regions rely on mobile technology to operate and streamline many aspects of everyday life, including business interactions, regardless of how large or small those businesses are. At the click of a button individuals can conduct their entire business cycle, including acquiring new customers and solidifying existing ones through mobile-optimized e-commerce and lead-gen platforms.
For the lead-gen world, the implications are massive. As the U.S. transitions to the complete mobilization and personalization of both information and access, potential and existing consumers can now be reached at any time, in any place. This ongoing shift, which is only speeding up, is changing consumption patterns of information and purchasing right before our eyes. Marketers can gather more precise and relevant information to better tailor offers to behavioral and demographic profiles. Brands can pinpoint the exact moment at which the potential client is most receptive to signing up or converting.
Furthermore, with increasing resources going toward tailoring brands’ mobile presences and usability, consumers continually grow accustomed and now expect to be able to gather info, sign up and transact online. As a result, consumers are more receptive than ever to being targeted for intelligent, value-driven offers and opportunities on their mobile devices.
The future of PC usage in the U.S., or anywhere else for that matter, is far from obsolete. However, it is certainly past the growth stages of its life cycle.
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Let’s Give Affiliate Marketing Its Due Respect
DMConfidential | Nov. 12, 2012 | Op-Ed by Peter Klein
Rodney Dangerfield would have loved affiliate marketing. It gets no respect, at least not from CMOs and senior marketers.
Long considered the ugly stepchild of digital marketing, affiliate marketing has grown to become one of the leading drivers of brands’ online marketing success. It accounts for more than $21 billion in online advertising revenues in 2011, according to the IAB.
Thankfully, this lack of respect is starting to change. Marketers are taking notice — affiliate marketing is a powerful force in brands’ online marketing strategies. Read more …
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Need Better Leads? Ask a Conversion Optimization Whiz
Website Magazine | Nov. 12, 2012 | Interview with Jeremy Leonard
If you’re looking for an edge (and who isn’t) check out Website Magazine‘s interview of Jeremy Leonard, the SVP of Strategy and Operations at digital media agency MediaWhiz and a real whiz when it comes to conversion optimization.
Numerous well-known names fill the MediaWhiz client roster including Nielsen, Home Depot, Discover and many others — and Leonard’s experience with these brands and their challenges shines through in the interview below, providing Website Magazine readers with compelling insights into high-level lead generation and conversion optimization, some guidance on the debate over form length, and how traffic quality and mobile devices are forcing advertisers to shift their approach quickly.
WM: From a high level, what are some of the most serious mistakes made in conversion optimization for lead generation paths?
JL: First and foremost is having an inconspicuous call-to-action on your site. This is a lead-generation site, not a research site or comparison-shopping site. You want consumers to do something! Tell them exactly what you want them to do and exactly what they will get in return. Don’t be shy.
Second, is a lack of focus. Lead-generation sites expect a direct response from the consumer. Don’t provide the consumer multiple points of leakage on a lead-gen site where they can wander away – that is what homepages are for. Keep the consumer focused with just enough information to convince them to make the decision put forth by your call-to-action. Read more …
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Meet a Media Planner: Michael Greenberg of MediaWhiz
Yahoo! Advertising Blog | Nov. 14, 2012 | Interview with Michael Greenberg
Editor’s Note: “Meet a Media Planner” is our ongoing series of Q&As where we find out what’s on the minds of media planners at agencies across the country. Today we’d like to introduce Michael Greenberg, a paid search manager at MediaWhiz in Plantation, Fla. Michael started with MediaWhiz in 2007 after dabbling in website development, market research and, ultimately, his great passion—search marketing. As a search expert at MediaWhiz, Michael focuses on lead generation for clients across categories such as education, beauty, and flooring.
Yahoo! Ad Blog: You’ve been in the industry for five years. What do you find to be the most satisfying part of the job?
Michael Greenberg: One of the most satisfying things is when I’m at a quarterly business review and I meet someone I’ve never met before, and they shake my hand and give me a smile and say, “You’re doing a great job for us, and we’re at a level we never expected.”
I love to think outside the box and come to work with new ideas and suggestions that clients can implement to see more success, like “that’s a channel I should tackle” or “that’s a keyword topic I should explore.” In such a competitive environment, it’s great being able to achieve something with an approach that nobody else is even thinking about.
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‘Nonline’ Shopping: The Next Great Digital Marketing Opportunity
iMedia Connection | Nov. 12, 2012 | Op-Ed by Keith Trivitt
As the 2012 holiday shopping season heats up, one trend many marketers and analysts will closely monitor is the concept of “showrooming.” Showrooming occurs when consumers try out merchandise in stores then go online to buy them, often at a discounted price.
Fifty-six percent of American consumers are expected to participate in some aspect of showrooming this holiday season, according to Mobile Marketer.
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Executive Moves: Nov. 12, 2012
Crain’s New York Business | Nov. 12, 2012 | Featuring Adam Riff & Steve La Peruta
MediaWhiz: Steve La Peruta, 50, was promoted to senior vice president, information technology, at the integrated digital media agency. He was previously vice president, information technology. Adam Riff, 33, was promoted to senior vice president, digital strategy. He was previously general manager for search.
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