Integrate or (dis) integrate ...

A few years ago everyone - and I mean everyone thought that the days of print catalogues, retail stores, call centres manned by real human beings, & off the page ads were numbered. And OK we have all been through a seriously challenging period and yes, there have been casualties across the Board - we've seen major retail chains collapse, catalogue businesses run clean out of funds, as well as some major multi-channel names turn in some pretty poor trading results. Some were weak anyway and and the downturn simply accelerated their decline or demise, but we and our esteemed contacts can't help thinking that some could have been saved. OK we agree that hindsight is a marvellous thing .... but consider this ...

The rules of engagement for each of the channels most direct businesses now deploy are markedly different - but the goal is the same.

We seek customers who will take a look at our offering, decide it is for them and make their first purchases - we want each of them to be pleased with the service we gave as well as with the item(s) they bought and we'd like it very much if they'd return and buy again as well as spread positive opinions about us. This applies to every business in our sector whether it targets businesses and organisations, or consumers, and regardless of the channels the seller uses to reach and service customers.

This year we are seeing many businesses which vowed they would forever be wholly web/online centric clammering to learn how to create & produce effective catalogues, direct mail pieces, loose inserts, customer magazines & gain PR coverage in print media . Slow adopters of web/online channels are entering partnerships with businesses that have mastered the channels they have not ... or are engaging in lengthy searches to find the right suppliers to support them. No business can afford to err or compromise its brand values through naff execution as it adopts new channels and we are recording a growing desire from businesses for expert guidance which will help them to embrace, orchestrate and optimise campaigns across all channels along with demand for training on precisely how best to leverage all of the tools available to their full potential.

The questions we all need to ask are:

what drives demand for our businesses most cost-effectively and delivers long term profitable customers ? how do we accurately measure our performance across each channel ? how do we apportion our budgets for the very best ROI ? how can we fully integrate our campaigns and maximise their effectiveness ? how can we embrace the opportunities and succeed even wwith constrained budgets ?

All of this & much, much more will be explored (along with a good deal more) at ECMOD this October courtesy of the expert practitioners and thought leaders taking part in our multi-stream conference programme. The programme will be released very soon.

Paid for Search ... is it over ?

Spend is declining on paid for search according to research carried out by Efficient Frontier. Is this because budgets are tightening and stricter ROI measures are being applied ? Or is because savvy site owners are deploying greater SEO skills ?

These issues will be fully explored at ECMOD October 7-8th within the ECMOD2009 Conference programme.

Welcome

Hot on the heels of our ECMOD Awards, we're revving up for major focus n our upcoming ECMOD Show - and will be announcing new speakers on the hour every hour via our new Twitter account twitter @ ECMODSHOW

This year's show will see a return to our tried and trusted format with a host of U.S. experts flown in to share their experience & wisdom along with a raft of seasoned client side practitioners from some of our best known & most successful homegrown companies.

There will also be a special stream for The Catalogue Exchange and its members - CatEx@ECMOD plus, we understand an after hours networking party on he evening of the 7th October ...