Vol. 2 , No. 27     October 22, 2002

In this Newsletter:

Don't Miss the New Top Ten Section!

See below for Advertising, Subscription and Contact information.

BEN MCCONNELL AND JACKIE HUBA
The Customer Evangelism Manifesto

What do Krispy Kreme and Harley-Davidson have in common?

They are among the many companies still thriving in the midst of an American economic meltdown. Why? Because they have methodically focused on building the love, enthusiasm and goodwill of their customers.

Can you create the same love-in? You bet your tookus. Companies that successfully create customer evangelists who spread the gospel about a company typically share six common characteristics. Learn what they are.

MICHAEL FISCHLER
Do You Have Marketing Myopia?

It's been 42 years since Theodore Levitt first introduced the term Marketing Myopia, and our marketing eyesight has not improved much. Even today, most companies don't market their product correctly.

At the heart of the issue is focus: Marketing should focus not on product, but on the customer. Do you have Marketing Myopia as well?

DANA BLANKENHORN
Songs in the Key of Success

Contrary to what you read in the newspapers, a lot of e-commerce and content Web sites are finding success in 2002.

Each success teaches a different lesson. But all the lessons have some definite elements in common. Read them here.

A Note to Readers

This Just In

Greetings discerning readers!

It's a great week at MarketingProfs, at least for me. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I'll say it straight out: I'm really excited about our content this week!

Two new columns have joined the regular platoon and will begin appearing monthly.

First, give a big welcome to Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell. Experts on creating buzz, Jackie and Ben debut this week with a monthly series on customer evangelism. They'll coach you to develop some serious loyalty among your client base -- even if you don't have a product as wonderfully appealing as Krispy Kreme's.

Next, let's give a big group hug to Laura Mitrovich. Laura is a dot-com old-timer who barely survived the boom, and has since moved on to graze in greener pastures. But she remains an online marketing junkie who still has something to say, and she still says it with humor and vigor. This week, she takes a fun look at the origins of spam (hint: they are as murky as the ingredients in the canned meat product itself).

By the way, Laura is not only a compelling writer…she's also a great friend and one of the funniest people I know. We share the same dark sense of humor, and at times suspect that we may share the same brain.

So…enjoy!

As always, your feedback is both welcome and encouraged.

Until next week,

Ann Handley
ann@marketingprofs.com
Chief Content Officer
MarketingProfs

Last Issue's Top 5

Copy/Content Top 5

Winning on the Web:
The Executive Pocket Guide to Smarter Marketing

Myth: The Web is not a medium for branding. WRONG!
Fact: Every visit to your site is a brand interaction.
Separate myth from fact and found out how the Web changes branding, media mix, direct response and the 4 Ps. Click here

LAURA MITROVICH
The Origin Of Spam: As Mysterious as the Meat Product Itself

Email's evil twin -- UCE or "unsolicited commercial email" as it's officially known -- has come to be known as "spam." Sent by the same fiendish folks who call during dinner or send "you may have already won" missives, spam enjoys a pedigree as shrouded in secrecy as valid "return to:" addresses.

Your intrepid gumshoe, always up for a good mystery, went in search of the nefarious beginnings of the stuff from which so many Hotmail accounts runneth over. Just where does spam come from anyway...?

JAY BOWER
11 Ways to Maximize Your Agency's Value

You've gone through a long, time-consuming search to find the right agency. You invested hours in talking to colleagues in other companies, poring through credentials, interviewing agency principals, weighing proposals and chemistry.

Want to maximize your ROI? Then understand that it is AFTER your search is completed that the hard work begins. And know that the best relationships with agencies are true partnerships. Here are 11 suggestions from the front lines.

ROBIN HOUGHTON
What's Your Real Question?

Marketing isn't a One-Size-Fits-All proposition.

Only when you start at the beginning ("What's the objective? What's the question we're trying to answer?") can you expect to solve the problem and achieve the desired results. Find out how to identify the real issue at hand.

TIG TILLINGHAST
Dear Tig: Sales Cannibals, Selling Not-for-Profits, and Who "Owns" Advertising?

Tig's back with another installment of his Dear Abby for Marketers. This week, do offline sales cannibalize online sales? Also -- who "owns" advertising? The agency, or the client who inspired the work?

Read this week's advice.

Contact

Publisher: Allen Weiss
amw@MarketingProfs.com

Content: Ann Handley
ann@MarketingProfs.com

Partnerships:
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click here or contact jim@MarketingProfs.com

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