Typically, I’m not a huge fan of going to trade shows or conferences unless some business will be taking place.  They’re fantastic for meeting with several clients and partners in one place, but the rest of it can be a total time suck.

Last year, I attended DMA in San Diego.  It was ok at best, and I left wondering how much longer this organization was going to be relevant.

Since then, DMA has been touting how they will rebrand their image to adapt to the new technologies that are constantly flooding the direct marketing industry.  For a few reasons, I wasn’t able to attend DMA10 this year in San Francisco (always sad to miss that fantastic city).  However, I had a few of my inside sources roaming the grounds for me.

The overall take on DMA10 was that traditional forms took a beating, new marketing technologies were highly touted, but there was a real lack of digital companies to provide the foundation for an event that would catapult DMA into relevancy for 2011.

Under the leadership of the new CEO Larry Kimmel, the DMA is on the right track, but these 5 things would really help them become more relevant again.

1)   Stop trying to downplay the future relevance of traditional channels such as direct mail.  These organizations have kept the lights on for a long time at DMA and have mastered the art of reaching target audiences.  It is a strength of your organization and should be treated as such.

2)   Meet my friends SXSW, IRCE & adTech: When it comes to matching innovative technologies with multi-channel marketing and sales, these 3 shows are the leaders.  SOLUTION: Figure out a way to partner and grow with these shows.  Austin, San Francisco and New York are great cities in which to have your presence felt.

2a) San Francisco: Keep DMA permanently here for the time being so as to mix and mingle amongst the emerging companies.

3)   Get Younger for Better Education: When new medical students are released from their long educational journey, hospitals will fight for their talents because they know the latest techniques.  The same rule should apply for the DMA.  DMA has new technologies being touted, but there are not enough individuals in the audience that understand enough about those technologies to effectively utilize them.  For instance, after 4 days of watching #dma10 on my TweetDeck, my column is not even completely filled with tweets.*  During SXSW or adTech, I can’t  even keep up with the column.  SOLUTION: Start pushing your membership values to interactive agencies and emerging technology companies.  Get your membership brands involved to drive the point home.  Also, start recruiting rising stars into the DMA organization.

4)   Fix the Keynote: Last year you had Martha Stewart and this year you had Bret Michaels as your keynote.**  Why?  Keynotes are typically nothing great, but it helps a show to at least headline it with someone relevant.  I didn’t find Martha relevant at all as she just spoke about her puppies and family for 45 minutes.  As for Michaels, I’m glad he has reinvented himself, but does anyone really care about his keynote at a DMA event?  SOLUTION: You had Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeff Hayzlett & Marian Salzmann for your closing remarks.  Make one of them your headliner!  They’ve all mastered the new ways of direct marketing.

5)   Embrace Change & Hustle: In today’s marketing world, it’s survival of the fittest.

*Column is 125 posts.

**Keynote was supposed to be James Cameron, but he backed out at the last minute.

I spent a few days at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition last week in Boston on behalf of Dukky. Despite the gloomy economy and the shrinking budgets of consumers and marketers alike, enthusiasm about the future of e-commerce buzzed. It seems we’re on the brink of a new frontier – thanks to emerging mobile technologies, wide adoption of social networking sites and a new consumer sentiment that prizes transparency and responsibility.

Here are the five most important e-commerce concepts I either learned (or remembered) while at IRCE:

1) Look at the mobile commerce space as the web of the early 90s: Mobile is changing the world. From the riots in Iran to the coupons in your local grocery store, mobile devices are changing the way we communicate, make purchases, spend our “free time.” Smart phones are 13% of the market now and growing to 38% in 2013. A lot more innovation is to come.

2) Focus on connecting consumers with your brand not your products: Under Armour’s vice president of e-commerce Mark Kuhns said their social media strategy is focused on creating a connection in their customers lives rather than just selling them stuff. It’s working.

3) Email, social & search should be integral in customer acquisition: Customers are spending more and more of  their time online. You need to go out and find them there. You’ll lose them if you don’t.

4) Many companies spoke about getting ready for the recovery instead of wading in the recession: Now is the time to innovate – it’s not the time to hole up and hide. We wrote more about innovation is key to keeping your marketing job earlier this month.

5) Be fiercely competitive and don’t be afraid to take ideas from the bigger players: Amazon is a great example – they started by just selling books and music, now they sell just about everything.
What are your thoughts on e-retail on today’s econcomy?

Taken from my post on Dukky

Todd Skidmore pulled out the win with his design.  Heather and I, independent of each other, chose his design as the best.  The contest was close between four participants, but I liked that Todd made the laces hot pink.  Hot pink in the laces will allow me to replace them with black after the wedding.  Rolling to the gym with too much hot pink might look a little funny on me.

While I did get some cool new kicks out of the contest for my wedding, I was interested to see the viral effects of the contest.  Overall, I was very pleased with the results.  The contest ran from March 9th to March 31st.  Here are some stats from the contest:

-Over 1,500 hits to my site
-Almost 1,000 unique visits
-Over 20 user-generated submissions
-Trackbacks to multiple shoe blogs
-Twitter helped push my blog up to readers in Beaverton, OR (Nike HQ)

I learned a great deal about how users interact online.  However, there are several things that I would have done differently next time.

1) Make it easier to submit designs.  The process did cause more problems than I expected.  It would’ve been easier to have the users email their designs to me.
2) I wish more public commentary on the design had ensued.  I was disappointed with this aspect of the contest.
3) Get more people that bleed Nike to participate.

Thanks so much to everyone that participated in any form! If you tweeted the post, created an entry or simply left a comment about what you liked, I really appreciate you helping me have fun on my big day!  It’s going to be fun!

The response to my Nike Shox Wedding Contest and your chance to win $50 has been pretty impressive so far.

The Back-story…

About 6 months ago while discussing wedding plans with my fiancée, I tried to convince her that my groomsmen and I should be able to wear customized Nike Shox as our shoes for the wedding.  Somewhat of a debate ensued.

“It will look horrible!” she playfully exclaimed.
“Jerry Seinfeld did it!” I anxiously responded.
“You’re not him!” she responded as if she were my mother.
“I’ll make sure all the Shox match the vests.”
“No, it the worst idea ever!” she exclaimed in her customary, enthusiastic and playful 5-year old like pitch.

At that point, I proceeded to work on her friends, thinking that she might seriously consider it if it had some strong XX chromosome backing.  Outside of one that works for an ad agency, the idea never picked up steam; but I did manage to help the girls burn off lots of calories through laughing.

Fast Forward…

Two weekends ago, my fiancée informed me that she had spent $300 on her wedding shoes.

And of course, being made up of XX chromosomes, she can’t help but brag about the “deal” she received, especially since the deal is related to shoes.   This price phenomenon is one of those female conversation starters that I’ve never quite figured out, and I consider my female knowledge slightly above average.  Anyway, she saved some $600 on the “Something Blue” Manolo Blahniks that Carrie Bradshaw wears in the Sex and the City Movie.  If I was a girl, I would have jumped up, hugged her, hit her with a pillow, kissed her and then started to…well, you know all that stuff that Cinemax says that women do when men aren’t around.  Unfortunately for both of us, the conversation took more of a logical approach.

“Wait! You get to wear blue shoes with your white (ivory) dress, but I can’t wear my NikeID Shox?” I asked with sarcastic inquiry.
“But, baby,” she said pleadingly.  “They’ll look terrible; and besides, no one will be able to see my shoes,” she said hesitantly as if she knew what my next move was.
“Then, whyyyyyy are we spending $300 on shoes that no one will see?” I responded in typical guy fashion I assume.
I then heard a voice from above whisper to me, “Well played sir.”

I’m not really sure what happened next because I think I mentally blacked out from my strategically placed response; but when I regained consciousness she was telling me about something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.  The part about blue sounded made-up to me, but I didn’t care because she informed me that if I wanted to wear Nike Shox to the reception only then I could do so.  Victory!!  A series of questions ensued with the only stipulation being that she gets the final say-so.

The Result

After I declared victory, I told her that I would put my social media skills to the test to help choose the colors of my new shoes; thus, we now we have the Nike Shox Wedding Contest.   The goals of the contest are simply to illustrate how the various aspects of social media can be used to create a successful marketing campaign, show how easy it can be to create personal involvement in a brand movement, get people to use their creative talents and for me (and the groomsmen) to be comfortable on my wedding day.

Within 24 hours, I had hits on my site from over 10 countries and a few from Nike’s corporate headquarters.  The contest has a little over 2 weeks to go and there have already been 16 submissions.  So far, I like what I see, but I’d like to see some more questions to make the shoes as personal as possible.   I can’t wait to see what other submissions come forth.

Fine Print: Nike is not officially involved with this contest other than they’ve done their part to keep me as a customer for throughout my entire athletic career.  My fiancee is just simply awesome for letting me do this.

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

*Almost 20% of game-playing respondents to an In-Stat consumer survey report downloading games from Internet sites other than their mobile carrier’s site.
*Of the 2,000 respondents, 29.5% reported playing games on their mobile handsets.
*In-Stat predicts the global mobile gaming market will top $6.8 billion by 2013.

Source: Cellular News

Stats surrounding mobile advertising are always out of this world because no one really has a clue where it’s going to go.   My curiosity runs high in this market because, like everyone else, I see so much potential.  However, like several other advertising mediums, it lacks a standard structure.

Google’s Android is about to release on the T-Mobile G1 in an attempt to compete with the iPhone.  Right now, a ton of money exists in the application market, but it is subsidized by user-purchases not advertising.  However, only 20% of cell phone users use smart phones (Blackberry, Android, iPhone), so how do companies capitalize on the rest of the market aside from ringtones, SMS and MMS?

What do you see as the next big step in mobile advertising?

Lately, I’ve noticed an abundance of women coming out in advertising commercials; and quite frankly, it’s freaking me out a bit.  I mean that red-headed Wendy is now coming to life in the commercials, and she scares me.  As a kid, I had trouble eating my fries unless I turned the box around.

Most recently, I saw the Sun-Maid Raisin woman come to life.  When I see her picture, I feel as though she will try to force feed me a bushel of green grapes until I can no longer breathe.  It’s 2008.  Are brand managers just now getting comfortable with letting brands run open in the wild?

I think we can all blame Mrs. Buttersworth though for making her presence felt first.  Did anyone else know she was married?  I didn’t.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoKXcUduKIs

I can’t figure out why brands are making these characters come to life.  What does that do?  Is Starbucks going to have the Siren come out in their commercials and start attacking latte lovers? In this age of social media, I think they should employ more ideas from their passionate user base such as this viral Wendy’s rap video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7aO0OGlEPY

Microsoft’s ego is so large that they fail to acknowledge the principles that have helped make Apple a successful lifestyle products company and are increasingly losing market share in the computer space.  Since Steve Jobs has come on board, he has shown Apple as a simple design company by using young and fresh technology, and their ads have always reflected this.  Microsoft’s new Vista strategy is to do the opposite with a 54-year old comedian.  Really?

I have always loved Seinfeld and Apple.  I don’t hate Microsoft at all, but I feel as though the only reason I keep a copy of their OS (Windows) on my MacBook Pro is because I have to do so, and I rarely use it.  I assume that most Windows users feel the same.  More and more people are asking me if they can buy a Mac and still do “A, B or C” on the Mac like they do Windows.  95% of the time, I answer, “Yes.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgCG7PqwQF0

Since Apple switched from Apple Computer, they have run their “Windows versus Mac” ads that use Justin Long to illustrate Leopard’s superiority over Windows.  Apple has always had a high cool factor, but the ads are genius because they bring the idea of switching to consumers in a simple fashion.

Microsoft wants to attract a new generation of users by targeting young people.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is about to unveil a “Seinfeld Campus Tour” around the country where Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates do a series of commercials.   Seinfeld is one of the most popular celebrities in the world, but his show ended in 1998; and although you can find it on TBS every night, I don’t see him as the cool person to help Microsoft push their latest message.

College is a time when most kids go nuts and discover new things.  Listening to parents is not a commonly practiced pastime of college students and that seems the premise behind the campaign.  I have a feeling the next generation of Apple ads will be about Apple making fun of Microsoft ads being irrelevant.

I went into Starbucks today to nab an Iced Mocha to get my creative juices flowing.  Upon paying, I was granted a receipt that announced my next iced grande beverage would be only $2.  The catch is that it has to be:

•    The same day at the same store
•    It also has to be after 2pm
•    Taxed aren’t included

Starbucks recently announced plans to close approximately 600 stores around the country.  Two of those stores are near me in Atlanta, but I’ve yet to see them shut down.  Starbucks’ new Doubleshot Strategy focuses on their two peak times, which  are in the morning and late in the afternoon when people need that kick.  I assume Starbucks is hoping to create morning and afternoon addicts.

It seems like a good strategy for doubling up business.  However, I think it is only a quick fix like their Pike’s Peak promo fiasco.  I think their idea closing locations to bring the exclusivity back to their brand is what will help drive the Starbucks brand back to investor delight.

$2 Off an Iced Beverage after 2PM

Recently, I’ve had a few conversations about emerging media and technology with corporate marketing heads. For many companies, they are just now thinking about or starting emerging media departments. One of the common themes that quickly come up is my view on the upcoming generations and the role mobile will play. I’m quick to bring up two points in each conversation.

One, as Cyriac Roeding pointed out earlier this year, the content has got to be redesigned for mobile applications. Companies can’t afford to simply re-purpose online content and then redistribute it amongst cell phones. Too many companies are doing this, and it’s a waste of time. This is discussion for another post though.

The second point I bring up is that companies must start looking past cell phones and iPods. People, especially Gen-Y and early adopters, are about to take their living rooms with them. Recently, I’ve seen Intel ads for a new processor scattered amongst technology sites and LinkedIn. Intel is working on a chip that powers nothing more than a simple computer….no big hard drive, no DVD player, etc. They are designing chips for laptops that won’t be much bigger than a PSP. Need space? Today, you can grab a 250+GB hard drive the size of passport for under $200. My future laptop need be nothing more than a screen, keyboard and USB port. Check out these pictures of the future Lenovo line courtesy of John Bancroft.

Here’s an Intel Netbook via Engadget.

My life would be so easy if I could put everything I need in my jacket pocket. The future of music will be streamed not downloaded. I already mentioned my 250GB USB drive. With the power of Google, new frontiers in social media and the upcoming breakout of Web 3.0, I may not even need that large hard drive except for backup purposes. I could be streaming my life to that little device.

Obviously, the emergence of these devices will help define the direction of mobile advertising. But, how fast will companies digest these new processes? They have to think past the mobile phone with SMS. Companies need to start having more conversations with their consumers. This is one area where I see Twitter becoming so powerful. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but GM is already starting to take the lead on Twitter. I’m glad but surprised. They’re having active conversations with their customers. Now, will they truly hear them?

I wish I’d been born in my 8 year-old Godson’s generation (no official title given yet) because by the time he’s college, he may not have to carry anything more than some sort of laptop and Kindle combination.

Aki Spicer, from Fallon, has a wonderful slideshow about the 10 Social Networking Trends. Here are the 10 topics it covers:

1 Social graphs
2 Social shopping
3 Portability
4 Lifestreaming
5 Crowdsourcing
6 Continuous partial attention
7 Privacy protection
8 Open social
9 Virtuality
10 Measurement 2.0

The best part is his insight into the virtual worlds that will be demanded by today’s  youth.  And if you get nothing else from it, his best point was that the good and bad of Social Networking is that no one has figured anything out yet!