Surf Expo

1/13 All Day
Multichannel Marketing for Retailing
Today’s retail operations include more venues than ever before. As websites compete with brick and mortar stores and catalogs, new media marketing channels such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter are rapidly growing to compete with traditional advertising. In this seminar, you’ll learn to utilize all of these marketing channels to drive traffic to your retail store. You’ll learn new ways to grow your retail business and reach new customers now. From the basics of driving web traffic through search engine marketing to landing page optimization, this seminar will prepare you to navigate the new retail marketing landscape to maximize your reach.

1/14 11am
Navigating the Social Web
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island CEO
This seminar will give you tips to improve your website’s promotional strategy through blogging, social marketing, and Web 2.0 results. Learn to utilize the social web to connect with your client base, improve customer service, and generate sales leads. Streamline your blogging and social media marketing methods with the latest tools, techniques, and innovation. You will leave the seminar with actionable tactics you can use to make money NOW.

1/16 2pm
Learning the World of Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island CEO
PPC Advertising isn’t just about sponsored search listings anymore. In this seminar, you’ll learn about emerging pay-per-click methods, including product feeds for shopping search engines like Google Base, affiliate marketing techniques, and more. You’ll also learn tried and true methods for getting your business at the top of the search results in Google, Yahoo, and Bing instantly with sponsored listings. Get instant visibility and measurable results for your business with these tips and tricks.

SIA

Fri, 1/29 – 8am
Get started in the world of Ecommerce: Ecommerce for Beginners
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island CEO
In this seminar, you’ll learn tips and tricks for beginners in ecommerce. From using a Yahoo shopping cart to building a custom ecommerce website with an integrated POS system, this seminar offers simple step-by-step instructions for how to sell and market your products online and where to take your online business next. Utilize the top tools and techniques for ecommerce success along with analytics to track your conversion rate and maximize your selling power. You’ll learn the techniques that make ecommerce giants like Amazon and Endless successful to turn your mom and pop store into an online selling machine.

Fri, 1/29 – 11:30am
Tricks to Improve E-Commerce Website Traffic
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island CEO
This seminar will outline best practices for analyzing and refining your ecommerce website to maximize your online sales power. Turn your website into a selling machine with optimized graphics and landing pages that convert. We explore how to analyze web data to determine if your category pages, detail pages and checkout process are performing up to par, and discuss best practices to help improve performance and increase revenue.

ASR

Wed. 2/3 at 11:00
Pay-Per-Click Advertising the basics and beyond
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island CEO
In this seminar, you’ll learn the ins and outs of paid search engine listings as well as emerging pay-per-click methods, including product feeds for shopping search engines like Google Base, affiliate marketing techniques, and more. Learn how to get your website to the top of the search results in Google, Yahoo, and Bing instantly with sponsored listings. PPC offers instant visibility and measurable results for your business. Master it with these tips and tricks!

Surf Expo – Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida
Friday, August 21 at 2:00

ECOMMERCE STRATEGIES FOR MULTI-CHANNEL SUCCESS
In this seminar you will learn everything from the state of retailing online to driving web traffic, search engine marketing and POS integration. The digital channel is retail’s new growth engine and you must master this domain in order to be a successful retailer. Learn ten things that you can do to improve your ecommerce website.

On Monday, General Motors launched a new ad campaign and website to promote the RE: Invention of GM.  This new campaign coincides with the seemingly inevitable Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing which also occurred on Monday. In a very apparent and smart move, the new television commercials directly address many concerns that consumers have with the recent bankruptcy.  Coincidentally enough, the first time I saw this commercial, was near a recent news segment about the GM bankruptcy filing.

The commercial can be seen below and includes iconic American imagery and an honesty that they are hoping will resonate with all Americans.  It is the great American dream in a 1-minute commercial spot.  There is the element of defeat, the one-in-a-million odds for success, to illustrate how GM can no longer continue with their past business practices of many weak brands and an inferior cost structure.

The message of hope provides solutions on how GM plans to give rebirth to the American car. Clearly and concisely GM states how it will change for the future of their company.  By focusing on few stronger brands and models, increasing efficiency, striving for better fuel economy and developing new technology, GM hopes that they can re-emerge as a strong contender in the automobile industry.

The conclusion of the advertisement encourages a focus on success, reinvention and Chapter 1.  For GM, this is a great opportunity to streamline their business to reinstate themselves as a powerhouse in the American automobile industry.  While many Americans and news channels focus on Chapter 11, GM is focusing on Chapter 1, the beginning of a new era of innovation for General Motors.

Feel free to browse the new GM micro-site for their Reinvention of GM campaign to further explore how GM is connecting with their customers.  They are reaching out to answer customer questions and begin a conversation about the reinvention and recent court filing.  While we all hope the best for this American company, it will be interesting to follow how this positioning and conversation will affect American and world-wide consumers.

Amazing! Barely looking half her age, Barbie just turned 50! Originally marketed as a teenage fashion model in 1959, this popular fashion icon toy has undergone 5 decades of facelifts and wardrobe changes.

Despite a sales slump of 20 percent, Mattel is investing in an extravagant marketing campaign in honor of Barbie’s milestone birthday. They’re hoping the multimedia campaign will increase sales by reaching out to 3 generations of consumers.

Though Barbie’s actual birthday was March 9, Mattel will promote the 50th anniversary campaign throughout the remainder of the year. Not only does Barbie the doll get a makeover with the 2009 Golden Anniversary Barbie, but the official website also has a new look and feel.

By partnering with other companies and brands, Mattel extends marketing beyond the basic media relations and aims to touch everyone from brick and mortar stores to online events and much more! Here’s a small sampling of some of the promotional campaigns seen in honor of our plastic symbol of pop culture:

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Barbie marketers tag teamed with Mercedes Benz for a Broadway Runway Show produced during the coveted fashion week. With a live broadcast of the show on Barbie.com, viewers witnessed a beautiful runway in which 50 designers showed off Barbie-inspired collections.

Limited Edition Barbie VW Beetle

In celebration of the big 5-0, Volkswagen of America created 13 hot pink Beetle convertibles. The limited edition car is fully equipped with rhinestones, paint that sparkles and a motorized vanity.

Facebook Page

The Barbie Facebook page shares Barbie’s secrets, favorite things, messages and a regularly updated status.

Malibu Dream House

On the eve of Barbie’s birthday celebration, interior decorators spruced up a 3,500-square-foot villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean. After 6 months of planning, this Dream House became a Real House that hosted Monday’s 50th birthday bash. One word to describe the dream house: PINK! Decorators thought of everything when decorating for the 11.5” doll. This fantasy land was complete with wall-to-wall pink carpeting, 50 pairs of pink heeled shoes lining the closet, an original Andy Warhol portrait of Barbie and much more!

Bloomingdale’s

Bloomingdale’s in New York is uniting with Mattel to promote the Barbie celebration. This retail partner dolled up the store to feature amazing window décor honoring Barbie, an in-store display of 120 historic Barbie dolls, and a 242-square-foot in-store Barbie boutique that highlights accessories, apparel, and dolls.

Jeopardy

Contestants were put to the test on Monday, March 9th as Jeopardy included a whole category dedicated to Barbie. Trivia questions such as Barbie’s history, favorite designer, and favorite shoes were presented on the show.

Barbie Candy Bar

Partnering with Dylan’s Candy Bar, the creation of a sassy and all girl candy line is scheduled to make an appearance in early April. This candy line will include fun chocolate assortments, such as a shoebox of “The Perfect Pair of Chocolate Heels.”

It was the finale heard around the world.  ABC’s “The Bachelor,” Jason Mesnick, chose Melissa Rycroft. Then in the after-show special, he broke off the engagement (GASP!) and gave another shot to runner-up Molly Malaney (GASP!).

The finale marked the end of the 13th season for the series, which has also spawned another show, “The Bachelorette.”  Early seasons of the shows picked up millions of viewers, often being the most watched shows on their respective nights.  But in recent years, viewership has lagged.  Until now.

The much hyped finale aired on Monday, March 2 before 14 million viewers; over 16.5 million stayed tuned to watch the after-show special.  But the marketing didn’t stop after the show aired. All week news reports have swirled with rumors that the show is fake, leaked emails between Melissa and Jason, reactions from the show’s host and producers, and the list goes on.  Even here in our office, heated conversations filled with gasps and screams filled the production area.

Fake or not, there is no getting around the fact that some brilliant (and fairly new age) marketing has gone on here.  Reality TV and our country’s obsession with celebrity culture have opened up a new channel for entertainment marketing.  Rumors run rampant in Hollywood about every celebrity, some of which are completely made up (even by the celebrity’s publicist) as a way to get back (or remain) in the public eye.

The lightning speed of the Internet rumor mill on social media networks and blogs fans the flames. During the controversial finale, angry fans and gossip bloggers flooded Twitter and entertainment blogs to rant about the bachelor’s decision, perhaps leading to the jump in viewers for the after-show special.

My guess is that the upcoming seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” will continue to ride the high that this finale has produced (producers announced the new bachelorette for next season — a reject from this season’s “Bachelor”). The show has a lot to live up to now -– viewers will now expect more sudden twists & turns, and of course more broken hearts.

Today our nation’s teens are paying attention to the issues with our economy and our new president more than ever before. Recently Scarborough Kids Internet Panel released the findings of a new study that indicates America’s youth population is highly interested in the state of our economy and very optimistic that President Obama will help resolve these economic issues. As many as 75% of those surveyed felt that Obama will help solve our current economic problems.

Many teens are seeing for the first time the impact an economic downturn can have on their lives. Teens surveyed say they have had to quit playing a sport, missed doctors’ appointments and changed their eating habits due to the economic pressures their families face. These experiences are leading to an increased interest in politics and government affairs — 81% of teen surveyed are interested in understanding more about the causes of our current economic issues. Today kids are turning to parents and teachers to learn and understand more about our country’s issues. In fact 47% want to talk more to their parents about these issues and 64% are discussing the downturn with their teachers.

What does this mean for those of us marketing to teens and their families? It is good news. This data gives us a window into what Americans are facing on a daily basis and helps give us a better understanding of how to talk to them. It helps us speak their language and develop innovative products designed to fulfill needs and be budget friendly.

Additionally, today’s messaging needs to be smarter and more aligned with what the target audience is looking for. No longer are consumers buying on a whim — price and need are of the utmost concern. Marketers need to be aware of this and focus their messaging accordingly.

Marketers can take this opportunity to stay top of mind with their consumers. Though buyers may not be able to afford their favorite brand right now, staying in front of your audience with consistent messaging will put in the right place when consumers are ready to resume their typical buying habits.

Are you trying to market to an older audience and aren’t sure the best way to reach them? Well the Internet might be your best option. According to a study by Pew Internet and American Life Project, increasing percentages of older American are now online and doing more once they get there. The largest increase in internet use since 2005 was seen in the 70 to 75 age group, now more than 45% of that group is online – compared to only 26% in ’05.

This huge increase means great things to marketers. With the increasing number of senior targeted websites, reaching the 65+ market is easier than ever before. These older Americans are not just sending email, they are downloading videos, shopping and researching health information.

Additionally, Generation X is age group most likely to bank, shop and buy online. This leaves teens and Generation Y as the most likely to seek entertainment online, including gaming, videos and virtual worlds.

This data only proves that the internet is not just a medium to reach young Americans, it is a valid media source for all generations.

Check out the entire report from Pew Internet and American Life Project.