Vol. 3 , No. 21     May 27, 2003

In this Newsletter:

Don't Miss the Top Ten Section!

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Michael Fischler
The Process of Selecting a Position

When it comes to market positioning, there is a Golden Rule: A strong position is one that already exists.

Identifying the inherent qualities of a product and then trying to determine which positions to adopt based on those qualities, is like drilling a round hole and then searching for a peg that fits it.

In other words: The marketplace defines the positions, and you try to win one of them.

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Jim Sterne
Ask Me If I Care: Reaching Out to Real Customers

The Web is a wonderfully measurable medium. Clickthroughs, pageviews and revenues have become the watchwords in data centers and marketing departments throughout the land.

But most companies seem to blithely ignore one set of metrics -- their customers’ feelings.

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Jared M. Spool
The Quiet Death of the Major Re-Launch

Like many small organizations, the web's strategic advantage to this business just crept up on them -- they didn't plan it, it just grew that way. They woke up one day and realized that their web site had become critically important.

Years later, they were faced with a site that seemed to defy architecture. Something had to be done.

That's why we were talking about a re-launch. A total updating and overhaul. But is a relaunch always the best option?

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A Note to Readers

Showing Your e-Age?

Greetings discerning readers!

And welcome, now that Memorial Day has come and gone, to virtual summer! (At least for New England, that really means something after what has been an impossibly long, snowy winter.)

In the vein of summertime lite, here’s a fun little test that settles the question, Are you an e-bore? If you’ve ever wondered whether you’ve been involved with Internet media too long, this quick little test is worth the laugh.

The e-bore quiz queries: Have you ever thought that if you could go back through t ime, you'd buy up all the key domain names? (Heck yeah!) Have you ever explained to someone that it's actually safer to shop online than it is to hand your credit card to a restaurant waiter? (Have I ever… many times.)

There’s more: Have you ever seriously engaged in a “PC versus Mac” discussion? (Yeah, but only once or twice. Really.) Over time, have you standardized around a single username/password combination, which would seriously screw you if someone found out? (Oh, boy.)

Check it out. As always, your feedback is welcome and encouraged.

Until next time,

Ann Handley
ann@marketingprofs.com
MarketingProfs.com

Last Issue's Top 5

Analyzing Customers Top 5

Wil Reynolds
3 Steps to Optimizing Your Web Site's Search

Most marketers and content managers don't know if their web site search is frustrating their users or helping them find what they are seeking. Are you going to help your users find what they are looking for quickly and easily, or not?

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Basil Harris, Jr.
Of Satellite Phones and Oil Rigs: A Customer Service Story

At a time when so many businesses have lost their way and are struggling simply to survive, it’s instructive to look at the ones that are making it and learn from them. Like this business.

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Kristine Kirby Webster
Brand Heritage: Just Who Is Your Brand Anyway?

In difficult times, brands should not try and reinvent themselves. Rather, they should reach back into their brand heritage to find a basis for stabilization and growth.

It seems to me McDonald’s is a perfect example of a company that is not doing this.

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Tig Tillinghast
Dear Tig: Tracking a Marketing Career, Proper Budget Levels, and How Many Media Buyers Does It Take?

This week, Tig tackles: What's the best track for a marketing career? What's the optimal budget percentage? And how many media buyers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

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Contact

Publisher:Allen Weiss
amw@MarketingProfs.com

Content: Ann Handley
ann@MarketingProfs.com

Partnerships:
info@MarketingProfs.com

Ad/Sponsor Information:
go here or contact jim@MarketingProfs.com

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