Since it was Saturday decided to run down to the local hypermarket to do some market rsearch. I was snapping away the products alongside its prices onto my iPhone. Will sync up the photos in office (thats where my cable is) and post on our blog! Cheers

I have a huge favor to ask.

My regulars know that I tend to jump around between different topics and sometimes even different styles of writing. There is a kind of logic to it (I swear) but it may not always be obvious to all and even my now dominant theme — theatre — is handled in many different ways.

It is worth mentioning, according to almost every social media / blogging expert you will encounter, this is exactly the opposite of what one should do, if one hopes to develop a regular audience. In this respect, don’t do as I do, if a large fan base is your goal.

Recently, I tried a flavor of day-to-day blogging I never tried before and I wonder if or how people enjoyed it. Not surprisingly, this specific curiosity morphed into a more general curiousity about people’s opinion about the whole blog in general.

And that brings us to this post and the favor I want to ask — that is, the questions I want to ask any of my helpful and thoughtful readers. I would be supremely grateful to those of you who are able to take the time to respond to these questions. Feel free to post in the comments section below but, if you prefer email, that is helpful too (Sterling.lynch@gmail.com).

Of course, please write, respond, or comment however you please. The questions are there as a guide rather than a constraint. Although telling me what you like specifically or what you would like to see more of specifically in the blog is much more helpful for me than identifying what you don’t like, I am a big boy and I promise I won’t be offended by any well-intentioned criticism.

Also, hopefully, some of you will see this as opportunity to post a comment for the first time. Please consider the comments section of this post as a place to post any kind of reflection on what has been happening around here, on your own blog, or blogging in general.

Questions to consider:

1) How often do you read this blog? Daily? Whenever I post? When Tweeted? Weekly? Monthly? Now and Again?

2) What is the main reason you read this blog (Yes, “you are my friend” is an acceptable and useful answer if true)?

3) What are three things you like most about this blog?

4) What is something you would like to see more of in this blog?

5) What is it about this blog that makes it distinctive from other blogs you follow?

6) What flavor of blog do you prefer? Please identify the flavor and explain why you prefer it. It needn’t necessarily be a flavor you encounter here (and, yes, be as silly or serious as you want to be).

So that’s it. Any and all thoughts you have will be warmly welcomed and thoroughly digested, I promise you. It will also certainly affect the path ahead. The answers, I suspect, will also be helpful for other bloggers who are thinking about where to take their blog next.

I started this blog as little more than a platform to distribute my writing and it has since morphed into something much more interesting because people took an interest in it and spurred and inspired me into new directions. Let’s keep that ball moving!

For more social media related posts, click here.

Whether we’re undertaking research projects with physicians or with business executives, occasionally one of our client’s team members will have an answer they want to hear. When they don’t get the feedback they expect (their concept is unpopular, their new message doesn’t resonate, or the customer has no intention of changing behaviour based on a specific marketing tactic), this type of individual will just keep insisting we ask the question. Over, and Over. It seems their thinking is, “If I just ask this question often enough, I’ll get the answer I want”. But it doesn’t work that way. If the answer is always “I don’t like it”, it’s time to stop asking that question.

If you’re convinced your idea is sound and your customers disagree, stop asking them if they like it. They’re your customers. Instead, ask them what sort of person would find the idea appealing. Let them see that you value their opinions by accepting their advice that they don’t like what you’re offering, and instead, enlist their help in figuring out who might.

Always looking for new opportunities,

Megann & Steve

I’m not the first one to see this, but that never stopped me before; everyone loves a good dogpile.

The Borg Collective fine people at Zogby Interactive just asked me this interesting set of questions:

What the hell are they working on up there in Utica?

Integrity and Obedience of Rules
Being honest and maintaining strict discipline are two other key qualities essential to be a successful mystery shopper. To stick to this field for a long time, a secret shopper needs to work out his assignment schedules prior to every assignment for better performance. Taking the assignments for granted and submitting the reports negligently can ruin one’s career as a mystery shoppers.
Following the Company Guidelines
Prior to any mystery shopping assignments, it is quintessential to go through the company guidelines or instructions cautiously apart from clarifying the various terms and conditions. One small mistake and one could end losing the chances of getting further mystery shopping assignments.
Good Memory Power
Another important quality that should be always present in a mystery shopper is the ability to memorise events quickly. While on a secret shopping mission, a shopper needs to visually record every happening in the store and later recollect those to present a detail and accurate report.
Maintaining Secrecy
A secret shopper needs to carry out an assignment while being disguised a regular customer. Hence it is essential to maintain strict anonymity while on the job.

All the aforesaid qualities are generally present in all sensible individuals. The rest of the technical trainings are imparted by the companies once individuals sign up with them.

It is imperative that WiMAX service providers build and maintain their own “middle mile” infrastructure backhaul networks. This is especially true of rural areas where the incumbent telephone company has the only “middle mile” connection to the outside world. Any service provider that might pose a competitive threat to the incumbent would be wise to avoid relying on that incumbent competitor for their vital connection to an IP backbone.

In addition, any service provider vying for federal grants or loans to build new “last mile” broadband access would be wise to demonstrate to federal officials that they have constructed an independent middle mile that provides a “diverse path” or a redundant connection to the Internet for the communities to be served.

Key Findings:

Building a Last Mile broadband network without a diverse and robust Middle Mile to support it will be a waste of grant dollars. Wireless backhaul solutions such as licensed microwave and gigabit Ethernet solutions provide very cost effective alternatives to expensive fiber optic cabling (and trenching).

Wireless backhaul solutions are just as reliable as fiber optic cable

Wireless backhaul networks can be planned in a matter of days as opposed to years for fiber optic cabling

Wireless Middle Mile infrastructure may be an important priority for the BTOP

Audience:

Public sector IT directors

Incumbent telecom operators

WiMAX solution providers

Vendors for WiMAX and/or the enterprise industries

Enterprise personnel responsible for computing and communications

Investors in the WiMAX space and/or enterprise automation
 
For more information, kindly visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Wireless-Middle-Mile-Infrastructure-Backhaul-Solutions-13895.html

Process controls for manufacturing and various other industries are getting more and more complicated due to the overwhelming stream of data flowing into their system. The primary goal today in most of the leading organizations is keeping track of this data, and organizing it in a suitable fashion so that it can be utilized and used later.
 
RFID in Tracking & Monitoring: An In-depth Product & Service Analysis with Case Studies explains the technology available to support tracking both normal and hazardous environments, including Radio frequency identification (RFID), Barcodes, GPS enabled tracking, WiFi enabled Tracking and others. Nearly all aspects of tracking addressed in this report via detailed evaluation, analysis, and price comparisons.
 
The report also provides detailed company analysis (products, services, and solutions).   Case studies are to help the reader understand implementation issues and challenges.   Cost factor analysis is also provided for the various spheres of implementation for different RFID based tracking system components.   
 
This publication also evaluates the goals of some major RFID implementations with respect to tracking and monitoring applications in various parts of the world. It also contains perspectives for the future of RFID products and applications.
 
Select Report Benefits:

• Understand the types of applications possible with the current technology with special attention on scalability and ethical issues

• Identify current sectors in which RFID has been successfully employed, mainly the Public, Government, Homeland Security and Law enforcement

• Learn from an array of Case Studies to understand the implementation details, complexity and success story evaluations

• Identify RFID hardware, software, and solution vendors and related professional services companies

• Learn cost factor analysis from major components of the RFID based Tracking and Monitoring Applications

• Focus on learning from RFID success stories from some of the major implementations around the world

• Identify different spheres where RFID is currently involved in Tracking and Monitoring Applications

• Learn the current status of RFID and the future of RFID and RFID based applications

Audience:

• RFID hardware, software, and solution vendors and related professional services companies

• Managed services providers, outsourced RFID solutions and application providers, and RFID service bureau operators

• Personnel responsible for automating Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other business processes

• Manufacturers and personnel responsible for management of inventory and materials, timing and control of critical resources, improve Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), and other production line automation and industrial processes

• Healthcare management personnel responsible for tracking patients, staff personnel, equipment, inventory, and other critical resources

• Retailers and personnel responsible for merchandise inventory and ordering processes, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Merchandise tracking and fraud prevention

• Providers of value-added applications and services such as metering, telemetry, telematics, and sensor applications, inventory control and tracking such as merchandise control, asset tracking and recovery such as computing equipment monitoring, tracking parts moving through a manufacturing process, tracking goods in a supply chain, and payment systems

• Providers of RFID middleware such as the VeriSign or Oracle

• Companies interested in optimizing their RFID business process strategies

For more information, kindly visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/RFID-in-Tracking-Monitoring-An-In-depth-Product-Service-Analysis-with-Case-Studies-16741.html

When compared to other forms of advertising (print, Internet, TV, radio, direct mail), mobile is likely growing at a much faster rate because it is considered more cost effective, personalized, and results-driven. Mobile Marketing & Advertising 2009: Challenges and Opportunities examines the current mobile marketing and advertising market, evaluating methods companies are using to effectively leverage it as a platform to enhance brand awareness and increase sales effectiveness. The report examines the leading suppliers to the mobile marketing industry and analyzes how their products are impacting the way consumers opt-in to cell phone-delivered marketing messages and increasingly use their phones to search for, and even purchase, products and service.

This report provides forecasts and analysis on the global perspective of mobile advertising and marketing, which includes product placement in games, sponsored video, premium content and branded applications. It also provides a forecast for each different mobile type and opportunity. It not only profiles suppliers but also shows how they compare on technological prowess and customer awareness/satisfaction. Finally, the report shows strategies for the largest revenue opportunities.

The report includes:

Up-to-date consumer survey data by region

Forecast through 2014 including forecast by global region

Forecast by mobile marketing type (SMS, video, search, etc)

Case study examples of mobile marketing and advertising in practice

Exclusive supplier landscape map by technological prowess and customer awareness/satisfaction
Key Findings:

Given the exponential adoption of mobile as a communications and promotion platform, fully expects that global spending on mobile advertising and marketing initiatives will reach nearly $29 billion in 2009, a 59% increase from 2008

The greatest opportunity for marketing campaign development is likely the mobile video and downloadable applications sector, which we expect will surpass the $1 billion mark in the U.S. in 2009

Finds that premium content for mobile devices, including streaming video and downloadable applications, is growing at the fastest rate of all mobile marketing types. Not to be ignored, however, is the rising trend of consumers to use their mobile devices for accessing social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace.

Estimates the world market for mobile marketing and advertising revenues will reach nearly $50 billion by 2014, up from about $29 billion today, growing at a five-year CAGR rate of nearly 12%. Europe and North America will grow at the fastest rates, about 16% through the period, to reach $16.3 billion and $12.4 billion, respectively.

We expect 2009 to be a decisive year for mobile marketing spending as marketers worldwide move from disillusionment over their expected return from this platform to the realization that they can indeed enhance consumer brand equity via the targeted precision and customized experience that mobile affords over other media placements
Audience:

Marketing and Advertising Agencies, and Corporate Marketing Departments. Chief Marketing and Advertising Executives are determining how best to allocate their budgets for 2010 and mobile is certainly on their radar.

Mobile advertising networks. The suppliers enable different types of mobile ads to be broadcast over mobile networks, in videos, and in other mobile premium content.

Mobile search and content aggregators. Many are chasing Google but the smaller vendors offer localized search capabilities.

Cellular phone providers. They carry the millions of text messages, some of them sponsored, and are looking at ways to leverage mobile marketing campaign data for their own use.

Mobile platform developers. These suppliers create videos, games, downloadable applications for mobile that they in turn use to recruit sponsorship opportunities.

Traditional media outlets. Broadcast television stations and Internet properties are leveraging mobile to stream newscasts and other premium content.

Smartphone and PDA manufacturers. They provide the hardware that enable next-generation mobile content possible.
For more information, kindly visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Mobile-Marketing-Advertising-2009-Challenges-and-Opportunities-18103.html

Home automation represents technology and solutions utilized to automate, manage, and control devices located within residential dwellings and small businesses by means of various remote control and automation methods. Remote control has evolved a long way since the devices first used to remotely control various consumer electronics and appliances (television, air conditions, and computers) to support more integrated and comprehensive control. The goal of home automation solutions is to provide comfort, security, and efficiency for the residents and/or workers within a building. The main goal of automation is to enable residents and workers to perform daily tasks in a simpler, more efficient and effective manner.

Home Automation: Solutions and Business Issues 2009 provides updated information about home automation technologies, standards, organizations, designers and installers. The report also provides an updated vision for the home automation market, including an overview of current business models, global SWOT Analysis for the industry including real-world examples. The report also includes a market segmentation study that contains factors that shape the home automation industry. Additional analysis covers consumer attitudes and concerns towards home automation. The report also gives an overview of home automation technologies growth during the last years and expectations for the upcoming years. The report is also an excellent reference for companies working on designing and installing home automation systems.

Companies in Report:

Designers

Advanced Quonset Technology Inc.
AMX
Centralite
Charmed Quark Systems Ltd.
Cinemar Solutions, Inc.
Control4
Cortexa™ Systems
Crestron Electronics, Inc.
Custom Solutions, Inc.
Eaton Corporation
eControl
Elan Home Systems
ELK Products, Inc.
Embedded Automation
Exceptional Innovation
GE Security, Inc.
Hawking Technology, Inc.
Home Automated Living
Home Automation Inc.
HomeLogic, LLC
HomeRemote Home Automation
HomeSeer Technologies
HomeVision
Honeywell Security & Communications
iControl Networks, Inc.
Intermatic, Inc.
Jasco Products Company
JCL Automation
JDS Technologies
Lagotek Corporation
Leviton
LiteTouch, Inc.
Lutron Electronics Company
Promixis
Promwad
Remote Technologies Inc.
Savant Systems LLC
Schlage
Schneider Electric
SmartLabs Inc.
Stardraw
Universal Electronics Inc.
Visiomatic
Wayne-Dalton Corp.
Xantech Corporation
Zenpanion LLC

 For more information, kindly visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Home-Automation-Solutions-and-Business-Issues-2009-18434.html

I’m a bit late on this one (come on, I’ve been in Belgrade for Christ’s sake), but, along with everyone else, I loved the story that Morgan Stanley used their summer intern, a 15-year-old boy, to inform them how ‘youths’ consumed media in today’s heady times. Boldly, Morgan Stanley described the report as ‘groundbreaking’ and even went as far as presenting it to their media clients (and charging them for it, I wonder…)

While it’s too easy to take pot shots at this (how much insight can a 15 year-old give us other than how much porn he watches, for example) I think it’s a great piece of PR. For a start, using a 15-year-old to do a piece of work is two fingers up at the plethora of companies charging huge sums for this kind of thing, but it’s also a really strong piece of lateral thinking from someone at MS – I mean, why can’t a 15- year-old give us advice on these kind of issues?

Tim Dowling at the Guardian did a great follow up piece on the story, ‘testing’ the findings on his own ’14 year-old media expert’ (who insisted on anonymity). I’ve listed his comments below – along with (as if you’re interested) the habits of a 27-year-old, male, working in PR (that’s me, ok?).

Television Robson describes teenage viewing as erratic, claiming “they will watch a particular show at a certain time for a number of weeks . . . but then they may watch no television for weeks after the programme has ended.” My expert says: “People don’t go for weeks without watching telly.”

Urghhhh, I don’t ever get home from work in time for TV – though do make time for Mad Men and have a weird obsession with reality TV cop shows like Cops with Cameras, Road Wars, Traffic Cops – I could go on. Maybe this means something?

Gaming With consoles that connect to the internet, says Robson, online chatting between gamers is beginning to impact on mobile use: “One can speak for free over the console and so a teenager would be unwilling to pay to use a phone.” My consultant remains unconvinced: “I don’t know any teenagers who use their Xbox instead of a phone.”

Ha! As if I have time for gaming. But a lot of my friends still do (most of them are ‘between jobs) and they mainly play on the Wi, or Xbox 360. Though I agree with the Guardian, how many people are going to use their consoles instead of phones?

The internet My insider concurs with Robson’s assertion that “many teenagers use YouTube to watch videos” but disagrees with the idea that those videos are “mainly anime”. “It’s mainly people humiliating themselves,” he says.

I’ve got to agree with the Guardian again here, I’m obsessed with Youtube and a quick check on my last search was largely people humiliating themselves, with; “When Swans Fight Men” and “Bears Attacking People”.

Newspapers Robson insists that “No teenager that I know of regularly reads a newspaper.” My own operative has ceased cooperating by this point, but thanks to Robson I feel able to offer my own conclusions safe in the knowledge that no teens will discover them here. Today’s young persons rarely, if ever, pay for anything they can get for free. The big question then, is this: why do we care what they like?

Ok, so along with every other person in PR, I literally read every newspaper, magazine and parish leaflet out there, ON A DAILY BASIS. I fear there is such a thing as too much knowledge and I feel my brain filling up at an alarming rate.

I’m off to sell my report to a large media company now.

Now a day’s most of the business people are searching for cost effective ways to reach out to clients. But often they forget the use of telemarketing which boost and increase the sales.

What is telemarketing services?

Telemarketing is a form of direct marketing where a salesperson reaches out to customers typically by phone complemented with face-to-face appointments, e-mail blasts, direct mail, or web conferencing…etc

Types of Telemarketing

• Lead generation
• Outbound sales
• Fund raising
• Market research
• Political telemarketing
• Call center services

What are the ways in which telemarketing program helps your business

• Disseminating Information
• Customer Retention
• Promoting Special Offers
• Up-selling

Disseminating Information

If the customer is not interested in buying your product, the call is still a great way to get more information about your company into their hands. By simply asking for an email address or mailing address, the telemarketing representative can open up a new channel of communication between you and your target.

Up-selling
Telemarketing programs offer an incredible opportunity to up-sell customers to more expensive products or additional terms of service. Say you have 10,000 customers with product “X,” but you would prefer that all had the deluxe version, product “Y.” You can give a telemarketing company the sole directive of getting these customers to upgrade – and enhance your profits in the process.

Customer Retention
If you are seeing people “drop off” as customers of your business, telemarketing is a proven method for getting them back. Telemarketers can call customers who are about to leave, or have already left, and give them a compelling pitch or special offer to get them to stay.

Promoting Special Offers
If you’ve got a special discount or new product to promote, a telemarketing program is the perfect way to reach out to customers already in your database. It’s a great way to generate revenue from the people who know you best – your existing customers!
Working with a professional telemarketing copy takes a lot of the headaches and guesswork out of the process. These companies are experts at knowing what to say to a customer in order to get great results.