Q&As

What causes you to wake up at 3 a.m. in a sweat?

For marketers, it may be response rates and clickthrough rates,

For CFOs, it’s cash flow and net asset value.

Last issue’s article, “Is Marketing ROI Dead?”, discusses how companies need to begin shifting their ROI viewpoint from campaign and product silos to a more holistic marketing performance management strategy. It advises on two key steps to begin this evolution. This article will elaborate on the first of those steps – how to determine the right marketing metrics to measure.

Today we meet Michael Natoli, account executive for insert media brokerage at Leon Henry Inc. Natoli has a degree in geography from Syracuse University, and he uses that knowledge in a way he never anticipated. He landed his first job in direct marketing at Leon Henry eight years ago, after working a few odd jobs.

As marketers have an increased need to be accountable and make their advertising dollars go further, the brand/direct connection is becoming more important, said Karen Ebben, director of CRM modeling and program evaluation, General Motors.

Lexus is using a slow-reveal public art exhibit, set against the backdrop of New York City, to show off its new car.

Frito-Lay has recruited personal chef Dave Lieberman for a supermarket tour touting sunflower oil.

Once you’re successfully tracking customer behavior, your next set of questions revolves around deciding what information you want to track and how you want to track it.

Coca-Cola’s new green-tea product, Enviga, marketed as a great tasting beverage that will burn calories, is set to begin a very active consumer sampling program in the New York metro and Philadelphia areas.

Mikasa & Company, a multichannel merchant of home goods, focuses on entertaining with the help of celebrity chef Tyler Florence in its recently tracked Fall 2006 catalog.

Never mind love: If the Direct Marketing Association has its way, direct response will be the international language.