With 2012’s hours numbered, we wanted to take a moment to look back at the most popular posts on DM Confidential in the past year. We also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, our readers, for reading, sharing and commenting on our stories in 2012. There will be loads of juicy developments and […]

By Jonathan L. Pompan and Andrew D. Price, Venable LLP

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) has released procedures it will use in examining student lenders. The Student Lending Examination Procedures, available here, set forth the CFPB’s examination objectives and provide an outline of the “modules” that examiners will use in six examination areas: (1) Advertising, Marketing, and Lead Generation; (2) Customer Application, Qualification, Loan Origination, and Disbursement; (3) Loan Repayment, Account Maintenance, Payoff Processing, and Payment Plans; (4) Customer Inquiries and Complaints; (5) Collections, Accounts in Default, and Credit Reporting; and (6) Information Sharing and Privacy.

What better way to recap 2012 than with an infographic looking back at 20 of the biggest marketing stories of 2012? HubSpot is offering just. Here are some of the big moments of 2012, recapped by the infographic: –

The copy, call-to-actions, segmented lists and other factors are certainly worth paying close attention to when sending out email marketing messages, but marketers can’t forget about the visual appeal of those emails. Marketers may pay close attention to the aesthetics of their emails when they launch a campaign, but there are many other types of […]

According to Mobile Marketer, Starbucks is the 2012 Mobile Marketer of the Year. “Instead of following in the steps of competitors, the coffee giant has implemented its own mobile-first strategy that is unlike any other and features the latest technology such as QR codes and augmented reality, as well as traditional channels including SMS, mobile […]

Refusing to address the emergence of mobile as a major factor in marketing campaigns is akin to denying that the year 2013 is upon us. Marketers who still have their heads in the sand should take the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 as an opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn […]

SundaySky, a company that helps businesses reach prospects and customers with video, offers an overview of the state of online video in 2012. The company used its own data and pulled stats from various sources, including comScore, eMarketer, Nielsen and Pew Internet, to create this infographic. Among the interesting findings are: –

According to Flurry, a mobile analytics firm, Dec. 25, 2012, saw more iOS and Android device activations than on any other day

Facebook is giving advertisers the ability to customize the headlines of their sidebar ads for their Facebook pages, apps and events via the API, Power Editor and self-serve ad tool. This ability to tailor headlines was previously available only to advertisers linking off of Facebook. All advertisers are now able to customize their headlines with […]

The onslaught of Christmas music has relented, TBS is no longer running “A Christmas Story,” and happy teenagers are showing off their new iPads and iPhones at the local Starbucks during normal school hours. Yes, the 2012 holiday season is winding down and it’s time for people to engage in those inner debates about whether […]