Yes, that is a lion. In a sidecar. Pulling G’s with some real entertainers. Not a warning sign in sight. Now that’s entertainment. Line forms to the left.

Actually, the setup was a wooden barrel board wall of the “Thrillarena” or “Wall of Death” It’s called Motor Drome Riding and it was popular in the 20s and 30s. Someone along the way said “Hey, let’s put lions in the drome” uhhhh kay… sure, that’ll bring ‘em in. And it did.

Jason Falls had me thinking about this post after I wrote it so I updated it. When you use Gimmicks, you must just keep cranking them out. You must start out with a dog in the sidecar, then a goat, then a friggin’ lion. But what do you do when the lion gets boring?

So if you’re dependent on gimmicks - keep your foot in it - cause if you slow down, you’ll be lunch.

images from thrillarena.com

In a shortly to be released study by B2B, web marketers, web developers, videographers and supporting technologists may want to consider preparing for a busy 2008. Some hilights:

60.1% of all marketers plan to increase their 2008 budgets.
79.1% plan to increase their online budgets (last year was 75.6%)
Web Site Development will be increased says 74.0% of marketers.
Email Marketing will increase says 70.1%
Search Engine Marketing (SEO) will be increased by 64.3%
Other increases include video (39.5%), web casting (39.1%) and social media (26.2%)

source

I also think that 2008 will be a huge year for analytics, and for those who know how to utilize them. Skilled, science-based marketing seems to me like the smartest and lowest risk type of investment for people still bedazzled by Web 2.0 orgies. I’m hoping that 2008 will turn focus back to the business, in particular the small business, which was relatively neglected in terms of innovation for 2007.

Dear Retailer who sells very nice gift items in Lexington Green. When I snap a photo of something, I’m not here to scam you.

I’m not the front for a big Chinese manufacturer who is about to knock off your stuff and put you out of business. I’m not planning out an elaborate “Mission Impossible”-style robbery.

My wife and I are multi-tasking. I need to send her a picture of something I like and see if she wants to swing by and look at it. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars in your store and you don’t need to break the delicate positive brand image I have of you with some petty “We don’t allow pictures in the store” rule. I explained what I was doing, nicely, but it didn’t matter.

It’s amazing that I’m even in the store - with as much as I buy online. Since it’s an artsy-store, I flip the tag over on the item I’m photographing. … yep, URL. I surf to the address, yep. photos. Get a clue. This small, unique retail shop is one example, but not a unique one, and it’s about to collide with new technologies for comparison shopping we discussed at SMX Local Mobile in Denver last week.

If this were a one-time situation, I’d blow it off. But it happens to others, who blog about it too. I’m pretty fast with my camera, just hold it up and snap a quick picture, so I’m not making a scene or asking people to move, etc. I guess I could get better at it. I’m also not there photographing every thing on the shelf. I’m the best type of interested customer.

Seth Godin was busted for photographing oreos, and had this to say:

The irony of the Stop & Shop approach is that the people who you don’t want taking pictures–snoopy journalists or competitors–can easily conceal their cameras and you’ll never know. But the raving fans, the bloggers, the folks twisted enough to want to take and flickrize their supermarket experiences are your friends.

(more…)

I always look forward to Seth Godin’s posts, and I’m glad to learn today a new book is coming out (I’ve always been impressed with how quickly his audiobooks follow, too.) The latest is called Meatball Mondae, and you should check it out.
Today, he addresses one of the issues facing many people who spend time in Internet Marketing, at least those who have really done it well. By “well” I don’t mean those who’ve made the “a-list” blogrolls. I mean those who have been able to change the bottom line for clients directly by helping them discover, streamline, or invent approaches to using new media.

I have been trying to develop a questionnaire for new clients that will help me discover their current attitudes about Web Marketing as well as establish expectations. This is not easy. There is a delicate balance between asking the good questions and sounding uninterested in working with them. “The other guys aren’t making us answer these questions.” should be a disqualifying comment, but there is that issue of paying the mortgage, but I’m getting there. My dream is to get to the point where people say “I’m totally impressed that you’re taking the time.”

So to Seth’s point, make sure you realize that the only way to benefit from today’s latest New Media revolution is through full integration within your organization, not by hiring someone to doll it out in sugary snacks in the breakroom.

My question remains… to work together, where can I plug in? Where can I connect with the wiring of your organization and look for places we can apply changes so you can fully take advantage of what’s going on out there. Or do you still consider me a Computer Jockey - someone to pull wires or fix your email? I need to know.

Personal PS: I’ve been blogging a little more than usual because I’ve been a bit bed-ridden these days and it keeps my mind off of it. Hopefully there’s still some good stuff coming out. To my clients, thank you for your patience.

According to the New York Times:

“As part of what Wal-Mart is calling its “Customer Contact Reduction” program, by next week, Walmart.com, the company’s online arm, will no longer give customers a toll-free phone number to call–or any phone number, for that matter–if they have a question.

Instead, they will have to rely solely on the Wal-Mart Web site as their guide to the solution for whatever problem they might have, whether it is a question about a credit card charge or the status of an online order.”

Now, they can move their support centers anywhere in the world without getting middle America upset.. because emails and help files have no accent. Mr. Sam Walton might frown on this. But Sam Walton knew a good deal when he saw it.

Some CRM solutions that are entirely web-based can save a company $20-25 per customer interaction. And if these people are already using the Wal-Mart website to order items, this is not a huge leap.

Postscript:

Seth Godin focuses instead on a system where efficiency (i.e. customer buy or repeat buy rate) is the reward offered to successful operators.

I’d focus on building a system that measures [sales rate before call] vs. [sales rate after call]. If the sales rate goes up, give the call center person a raise. It’s that simple.

I’m trying to envision how one could set this up for customer service organizations.  Sales call centers, yes, but service oriented businesses?  Now we’re thinking long-tail.  We’re talking relationships. You would need some rather sophisticated operators to think in terms of the long tail, but if the philosophy was drilled in from day one, you’d get service centers that acted a lot like brand welcoming committees, who are there to improve your brand BY WAY OF fixing problems.  THAT sounds good.

Google is offering FREE ads on mobile search pages until November 18th so advertisers can experiment with mobile search ads. “We are happy to announce a new feature that will allow you to easily reach additional qualified customers who are searching Google from their mobile phones.”

Searchers can monitor ad performance via a performance tracking tag called “Performance Data: Search Ads on Google Mobile Search.” only on landing pages that can be adapted for use on mobile phones.

After November 18th, normal CPC rates apply. And as always, you may opt-out of this feature at any time.

More Information on Google’s Help Page

CBS will use 144 radio and its 212 TV affiliates to put more local content on sites in its CBS Audience Network. Furthermore, the local partnerships will bring new online opportunities to local advertisers while offering national advertisers the ability to target specific geographical areas.

Locally produced affiliate clips and other media will now be able to seep into the social media sphere via� utomattic, Brightcove, Clearspring, DAVE Networks, Goowy Media, meebo, MeeVee, Musestorm, Ning, RockYou!, Slide, VideoEgg, Voxant and vSocial.� These profiles widgets, wikis and other community pages will become more localized and hopefully colorful as a result.� CBS will then be able to sell, of course, more targeted advertising with that media distribution and increase the amount of time spent with the CBS Brand.

It remains to be seen what kind of material will be produced for distribution on the networks, or if these local media outlets will simply open up their existing streams to the network.� Local advertisers, however, will probably be able to find some new audiences via this mechanism - though I’m not yet sure what the media buy will look like.

blog readers: Note new category.

I loved this.

Partially because I’ve got some of these obsessive/compulsive tendencies when I see stuff like this wrong in the world, too. Partially because it is a good idea. And partially because I know companies ignore stuff like this when they should pay attention to it - in fact, this is great marketing material (e.g. “the little things that make Subway better.”)

While I was born inherently visual, I think it’s partially Donald Norman and Seth Godin’s fault, though for making it nearly impossible for me to walk out of any establishment without a mental “improvements” list I’d like to send the proprietor. I think the only places I go where such rarely happens are Disney, BMW service centers, Starbucks, and McDonalds.

Postscript:� From the lefthandedtoons.com blog, even more goodness.

I have been noticing lately that many News broadcasts, podcasts, and magazine articles are referring to guests as “bloggers” as if this has somehow become a credibility indicator on its own.� It is not. �

Now, if this is followed by “and a professor at x university” or “a best selling author” or “zoologist who grafted a chicken to a poodle”… I’m fine with it.� But just saying “blogger” is not enough.

Just a pet peeve here.