Over 100 years old now, this company is arguably the world's leading marketing communication specialists. Digging into their press releases can reveal lots of interesting insights about consumers and the media. In another area of the site there are data regarding the amount of money spent on advertising in the U.S. since 1776!!!
This is the site of the famous TV ratings company that is the leading provider
of television information services in the U.S. and Canada, serving national
and local customers including television networks and affiliates, independent
stations, syndicators, cable networks, cable systems, advertisers and their
agencies. Unfortunately, ratings data are not available on this site
because of the concern that persons who are in the samples may be influenced
if they were able to compare their viewing habits to the weekly ratings. However,
there are still news releases and free reports available at the site that could
be useful.
Here is probably the most comprehensive listing of guidelines for how to develop persuasive advertisements. The list has been developed over time by a well-respected marketing professor, Dr. J. Scott Armstrong. The rest of the site has other information that could be helpful to someone trying to manage advertisng or who is considering the field as a career.
Most local advertisers and some national ones use the Yellow Pages directory as a key part of their media strategy. This Verizon site provides some good suggestions for those considering ads in their directories. Another helpful thing at the site is up-to-date demographic information given about each place where Verizon has a phone directory.
Their mission is to provide the premier infrastructure, data and applications that automate direct mail processes. At an entry level, you can get rent consumer and business mailing lists from them.
Nielsen Media Research, ACNielsen and NetRatings, Inc. jointly offer Nielsen/NetRatings
audience measurement services that provide site
publishers, media buyers, e-commerce companies, Internet marketers and the
financial community with the most accurate and reliable information about how
people use the Internet. Some up-to-date reports and stats are available
for free. Also helpful is a
demo that shows how to go about reaching a target by buying ads at the
right websites.
A suite of Web-measurement and -auditing tools, Internet Profile'sI/Pro Research
provides comprehensive site-performance data, including traffic reports.
This is a great place to visit if you're looking for up-to-date and innovative
ideas for promoting your product on the Internet. This site includes articles,
opinions and links to other points of interest on the web.
The first global not for profit association devoted exclusively to maximizing
the use and effectiveness of advertising on the Internet. On this site
you will find information on IAB events, research, and news. Note that
you can also find the details of their
privacy guidelines for member organizations that set minimum acceptable
standards for protecting the privacy of online users.
Yet another site devoted to providing articles and links to help with the promotion
of websites. What makes the site unique is that the user can choose to view
the pages in five alternative languages.
If you plan on having a website it helps to have a short, memorable URL because
with a domain name you can switch service providers without having to
change your URL. But, you better get that name registered before someone else
beats you to it. This site answers a lot of questions about the process and
provides a directory of organizations accredited as registrars by ICANN (Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
This organization provides press-release services that focus on the internet
but they also provide information at the site that could be helpful to those
who want to go to the effort on their own.
The site offers a customer service IQ test, resume referral, and links related
to customer-service careers, consultants, education, measurement,and surveys.
The organization is open to all professionals who are in some way responsible
for creating and maintaining customer loyalty. Besides the links related
to job listings, conferences, and industry trends, the site also provides an
index for its Customer Relationship Management magazine.
Be aware that not all areas and information are accessible to non-members.
The homepage for Standard Rate & Data Service (SRDS), the premier provider
of media rates and data for the advertising industry. The on-line site
allows registered users to access media kits for thousands of consumer and
trade magazines. Nonregistered userscan have temporary access.
This is a site maintained by the School of Packaging at Michigan State University.
It provides information about the academic programs offered as well as the
research being conducted. Unfortunately, the information is primarily related
to the protection and utility functions of packaging rather than the promotional
aspects.
An on-line edition of a newsletter published twice monthly covering news, people,
and events in the world of packaging. As with above, the emphasisis on the
engineering aspects of packaging rather than things of most interest to marketers.
This is the on-line version of a magazine that explores how brand managers
can more effectively use packaging to enhance their brand's performance, presence
and profitability. The articles do not focus so much on technology but on concepts
and options for great package development.
You can learn about the history of color at this site with a comprehensive treatment
of the psychological aspects of color as well as the use of color in design.
Sales and Marketing Executives International This new site for sales and marketing
executives includes a sales and marketing Forum which is an on-line discussion
group, a marketing resource section including many articles written by SMEI
members, and there are links to other sales and marketing resources, like on-line
news, directories, & professional organizations. Membership is available
on-line.
Sales and Marketing Network At this site you will find: a general overview,
statistics, critical issues, tax law overviews, suppliers/directories, books/online
services, association research, publications, trade shows/seminars,etc.
The on-line edition of a very important magazine to those in the sales profession.
It provides articles from the magazine as well as links to other related sites.
This is the on-line version of a monthly magazine focused on promotion-related
activities, particularly those we would call sales promotion. The paper
version of PROMO is read by nearly 52,000 brand, product, promotion
and marketing executives at leading consumer goods and services companies and
the promotion and direct marketing agencies servicing them. PROMO is the only
publication dedicated solely to coverage of promotion marketing. PROMO is news-driven
and contains trend analysis and how-to information in every issue.
The web-version of the only newsletter devoted to reporting on frequency-marketing
programs across all industries. Among other information at the site
viewers can access current and past issues of the newsletter which provides
details about major continuity plans between offered today.
The most comprehensive, fully functional website for purchasing specialty
advertising items. The site enables customers to handle business transactions
on-line of more than 1000 promotional products ranging from shirts, hats and
jackets to key chains, coffee mugs and pens. Plus, they can access over 300,000
additional products.
This site also claims to have "the largest selection of
instantly customizable promotional items." It provides a single source to locate, design, order,
and track promotional items online. One of their unique features lets you upload
images to the site and then manipulate it various ways on a promotional item
allowing you to see how a finished product might look.
Creative is published in the interest of sales promotion
and marketing executives who manage Point-of-Purchase Display, Trade Show
Exhibit and Sales Promotion Programs. The website provides some abstracts
of recent articles that have run in the paper version of the magazine.
The Corporate Design Foundation is a non-profit educational institution that
believes both individual and organizational interests can be served through
the effective use of design disciplines: product design, communication design
and architecture. This site contains resources for faculty, students, managers
and others interested in the integration of design and business.
This is the place to start for online patent and trademark information. Not
only can you find out here what it takes to register your trademark but you
can even do some searching of what has already been registered. There are even
links to similar offices in other countries.
The company is involved in creating product, brand and corporate names, preliminary
trademark availability searching, verifying international appropriateness,
determining the optimal use of existing names, and conducting name testing.
You can even get trademark forms here as well as other helpful information.
This is the page of articles written by some attorneys who specialize in intellectual
property matters. There is a lot of very helpful information here about trademarks
and copyrights, how to protect them, and there are links to related sites at
the homepage of the law office.
This company, specializing in trademark and copyright information, has launched
a rich set of Web-based resources for intellectual property researchers. The
site includes an online version of T&T's
International Guide to Trademarks, FAQs and articles on trademarks,
copyright and product issues, Internet domain name searching, and topical discussion groups.
Paid subscribers have access to the full text of U.S. trademark research reports,
with logos online in PDF format, for online viewing and printing.
This site is a bargain for locating basic intellectual property information,
especially in the form of patents and trademarks. Some basic information
is free, some you will have to register to get, and the best stuff you have
to pay for.
If you are running low on original ideas and need to jump-start your creativity,
this is the place to visit. You will find all sorts of resources such
as books, software, and techniques. Additional resources are included to stimulate
your thinking like quotations, affirmations and humor. If you find the
site overwhelming because of the quantity of information available and you
want to jump right into "being creative" then check out
this part first.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Defined in various ways, CRM has to do with using technology to support a
customer-orientation for a company. Below are several sites devoted to this
or related topics: