Archives for best practices
I say potato, you think Vichyssoise. Let’s talk.
In my 10+ years of managing projects, teams and client expectations, I’ve come to the conclusion that the most common threat to the success of relationships and projects is simple lack of communication. Why simple? Because usually the simplest misunderstanding at the outset of an engagement is where it all starts to skid downhill. For example, [...]
Trust, but Verify
Greg Hughes, one of the rock stars I had the pleasure of working with on a gig has a nice phrase that he likes to whip out from time to time: trust, but verify. Greg didn’t coin the term. Wikipedia says Ronald Regan used it and others before him. The term indicates you should trust what [...]
Why Projects Fail
I listened to a recent podcast (several times in fact) featuring Patrick Hynds on DotNetRocks.com. I thought I would share some real gems I found in there. The following info was culled from that interview. Let’s start with some agonizing realities: About 50% of software development projects fail About 60% of off shore projects fail, but they’re cheap, so people [...]
Interactive Shopping: Nordstrom’s 2: Macy’s 2
Interactive Shopping, Social Media and Customer Service — these topics are closely related, because the most critical elements of success for a brand are: Relevance: Do you matter to your customers? Can your product or service create superior value for them? Engagement: Do you reach out to your customer? Do you have methods and platforms for marketing, [...]
Use Loyalty Programs to improve your Net Promoter Score
The Net Promoter score is very popular in business and marketing circles these days. Proponents of the Net Promoter scores claim that it is a better metric than customer satisfaction. The thesis is that satisfied customers aren’t good enough. In an increasingly networked world, you need customers who are brand evangelists – customers who refer their [...]
Interactive Shopping: Nordstrom’s 1: Macy’s 0.
At Pop Art, we preach that “Interactive” and “Online” are not synonyms! Companies should invest in making their brands and customer relationships more interactive — this means interacting better with your customers, both online and in-person. Based upon my experiences in the past 24 hours, I think Nordstrom’s gets it, but Macy’s doesn’t. Yesterday, I was [...]
Why Clients and Agencies Need to Take a Holistic Approach to E-Business
The most successful e-business implementations excel, not just by being great in one area, but by being good in all areas and great in some areas. Critical E-Business Success Factors Clear business vision and measurable goals A marketing plan that drives your campaigns and programs Scalable and diversified advertising channels A technology framework that is secure, reliable, [...]
Every Blog has a Beginning
I run an interactive marketing consultancy. I have advised our clients on their blog strategies – finally, I am heeding my own advice and doing the blog thing. This blog will house some of my thoughts on business, society, information design and the interactive marketing industry. Recently, we had some great conversations at Pop Art about what [...]
