What does Google’s new Chrome browser mean for online advertising and, more specifically, paid search? I still haven’t figured out the whole Doubleclick merger…or maybe I just don’t want to think about it that hard.  With each new newsworthy tidbit from the powerhouse, I think increasingly more about how genius Google’s long term strategy is.

 I downloaded Google’s Chrome. Have you? The keyword here is functionality and a radically different approach to controlling one the most powerful communication channels. This really is about “Change.” While part of me understands the fear that this feels like Big Brother is watching, I would hazard to say that Google gets the big picture.

As marketers we struggle every day to understand user behavior. A basic collegiate-level political science class teaches how the mass acts in a certain way, but no one has stopped to apply this to the online world. Google has recognized this, however, and is planning ahead.

Online behavior differs from anything that has existed before. Chrome is the next step in building a powerful data mine. Google not only leads online advertising, but also is beginning to define the entire web experience. I think pundits who believe they have this figured out are missing a key point: This is about audiences and intelligence. Google stands to own priceless information and research, and seem to be working towards being the omniscient force of this space. 

As we near the presidential elections, this is one those times I have to draw a parallel between two campaigns–not those of Obama and McCain, but of Google and Microsoft. Watch out Microsoft! Your previous stronghold seems to be under major attack.

Shaneli Ramratran, Marketing Manager, mobileStorm

A great way to boost sales lies in your own backyard! You have likely spent time and energy building a database of customer information, but if you don’t have a cross selling strategy, you may not getting maximum results. If you lack resources, implementing a cross selling strategy may seem difficult, but keeping it simple can still go a long way when it comes to increasing revenue. Putting together a simple email or SMS cross selling campaign will deliver at little cost.

Some key reasons why your existing customers are great targets:

Quick revenue source: Because your existing clients have already purchased your products or used your services, there is no need to go through the “getting to know you” phase. Your brand is already familiar to them, so introducing them to other useful services will be considered helpful, and won’t get drowned out by other offers.

Loyalty building program: It’s easy to get caught up trying to rope in new prospects. Because of this, loyalty initiatives and CRM campaigns can get little attention and may slip through the cracks. Cross selling can help maintain the flow of information/communication between you and your customers while putting money in your pocket.

Less energy than finding new business relationships: When many of us start marketing initiatives, we focus on the information collection. Unfortunately, most of the time we never leverage this information. When designing a campaign much of your work is already done for you, in the form of this data that’s already collected. It’s time to use it!

Important things keep in mind:

- Creating a relevant offer to your customer’s interests can mean the difference between 50 percent and 1 percent response rates. If you are providing event planning services, send your customers tips for planning holiday parties. If you are a DJ, offer birthday specials.
- Connect to past purchase behavior: One product purchase can often lead to another. One of the most famous examples is McDonald’s catch-all, “Do you want fries with that?”
- Divide and conquer: Tackle one target at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to launch a one-size-fits-all campaign that will get low response and discourage your efforts.
- Stay customer-focused. This kind of initiative requires one main thing for success—your dedication to your customers’ needs.

Shaneli Ramratan, Marketing Manager, mobileStorm

This week I’m venturing beyond the marketing world and into the techie side of things. A few interesting things last week in the world of open source software caught my attention—at least because of the irony they both represent.

First, Apple’s App Store was subject to a suspicious, and slightly malicious, incident. An application called “I Am Rich,” which sold for $999 a pop, merely displayed the image of a ruby on one’s iPhone screen. Said to be a joke by its developer (uh huh!), the application was more of an ironic insult to the “open source-like” idea being promoted by Apple. After all, the open source movement has long been a community of progressive individuals dedicated to technology innovation, not profit like the kind Apple makes with its fat-margin iPhones.

Then there was the appeals court ruling in the case of Robert Jacobsen vs. Matthew Katzer/Kamind Associates, which further bolstered the idea of copyright infringement in open source. First, some background: Software developer Jacobsen created open source code used in software for controlling model trains. Kamind Associates downloaded parts of Jacobsen’s project, stripped out the copyright notice and other identifying information, and began redistributing the modified version without Jacobsen’s approval.

Jacobsen sued for violation of the terms of the license under which he created the open source code.
Last week a federal appeals court overruled the decision of a U.S. district court, which had ruled that the open source license was so broad that violations did not fall under the category of copyright infringement. The appeals court agreed with Jacobsen that Kamind did indeed infringe on copyright. Unsurprisingly, this is hailed as a victory for smaller developers in the open-source world.

But it seems to me like this also gives legal precedent to larger corporations like Apple or Google—because the ruling may help allow large corporations the exclusive right to control the open source process. If a developer somehow violates their terms, they can be held as a copyright infringer. Could this precedent give rise to censorship in the corporate-backed open source world?

What do you think?

Shaneli Ramratan, Marketing Manager, mobileStorm

RSS confuses many. Could be that the acronym itself makes it appear more complicated than it really is. So the first thing you should know is what RSS really stands for: Real Simple Syndication. Note the word “simple”!

Key benefits:

• 100% deliverability. If you offer your email and newsletter content via RSS, subscribers to your feed enjoy guaranteed delivery of your content.
• Pull, not push. By signing up to receive your feed, your subscriber is actively requesting your content and updates. This tends to indicate a higher level of customer loyalty and differs from the push strategy sometimes associated with email.

RSS is a great compliment to other digital marketing programs. It’s versatile and can be used in many unique ways. How can you apply RSS technology to your business? Check out ten examples of how companies currently use RSS:

• Orbitz.com, a comprehensive travel website, offers an abundance of services via RSS including airport updates, vacation deals, car rentals, and hotel specials.
  http://www.orbitz.com/App/ViewRSSHelpPage
  
• Amplify, a credit union based in Texas, uses a secure RSS feeder connection to keep customers up to date on what’s happening with their accounts.
  http://www.goamplify.com/products/services/onlinebanking/rss.cfm
• Boston’s Hidden Restaurants, a site showcasing lesser-known restaurants in the New England area, uses RSS feeds to update subscribers on new reviews. Similarly, Creative Loafing—an alternative newspaper and guide to happenings in the metropolitan Atlanta area—uses RSS feeds to update users on various categories including events and restaurants.
  http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Syndication
• An Italian restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey uses an RSS feed to keep patrons updated on specials, menu items, and other promotions.
  http://www.2senza.com/rssfeed.xml
• Cabela’s, an online retailer of sporting and outdoors goods, hosts an RSS feed that informs customers about new products and specials in its “Bargain Cave.”
  http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/category/category.jsp?id=cat21404&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat21404&cm_re=store*topnav*bc
• Vinfolio, an online wine retailer based in San Francisco, allow users to create custom feeds or subscribe to existing feeds to find out when new wines come in, or to read wine reviews and scores. http://www.vinfolio.com/customerService-rss.jsp
• Indeed.com, a job search aggregator, allows you to subscribe to custom job feeds and notifies you when new classifieds are added.
  http://www.indeed.com
• Belief.net, a multi-faith based website, uses RSS to deliver daily inspiration, faith-based news, and other information relevant to cultivating spiritual growth.
  http://www.beliefnet.com/services/rss/index.html
• UNICEF features RSS feeds to update subscribers on news, current features, and photo essays.
  http://www.unicef.org/rss/index.html

Shaneli Ramratan, Marketing Manager