Now, I am the first person to support the programming of Howard Stern....and even Opie and Anthony...although they really are a Neanderthal version Stern. They were kicked out of Boston for reporting that the Mayor was dead...as a joke. They have now challenged listeners to have sex in the most public of places and have established a point system.
Well...as these things go, it blew up. The highest prize goes to a couple having sex in church. Well, a couple did, and the couple got caught...executives have been put on leave...Opie and Anthony are off the air.
I know it is a battle to win the ratings war and I love when stations push it to the edge. Sex does not bother me. Listening to it, watching it and having it. All great.
But....it just seems that for radio personalties to go to this length to gain ratings simply means that they do not have the skill to gain ratings in the first place.
Read about it in the New York Daily News:
Radio Execs Put On Ice
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So we actually needed a study to show that it is the PEOPLE that are important to the CRM process and that it is not a purely technological approach. What's really more important to maintaining a strong brand and customer allegience? Is it that a company has 300 interest specific choices on the customer support section of their web site or that the rep you speak with on the phone or via email/chat is actually polite, can speak clearly and knows their business? Use technology for the right reasons. Read this article from CyberAtlas:
Less Tech, More Human Predicted for CRM
By Robyn Greenspan
It may seem contrary to the technology revolution, but many companies that are investing in call centers are focusing their dollars on solutions that enable human efficiency.
A Datamonitor report that analyzed the global workforce found that two-thirds of all call center costs are directly related to the customer service agent, and the money once allocated for customer relationship management (CRM) technologies is now up for grabs.
"Companies are shifting away from obscure CRM technologies and are beginning to focus on more concrete call center solutions," according to David Spindel, Datamonitor analyst.
The data, gleaned from interviews with 50 executives and analysis of the North America, Western Europe, and Asia-Pacific markets, revealed that $550 million was spent last year on workforce optimization technologies, growing to nearly $1.5 billion by 2007 as companies look to leverage their existing CRM and contact center expenditures.
The technology tools, that include quality monitoring, eLearning, and agent analytics, allows contact center managers to identify agent skill gaps and helps them to correct any identified agent problem. Spindel notes that as a result of the increased attention on agents, tech vendors are racing to claim market leadership, with quality monitoring and workforce management solutions emerging as the front runners.
The CRM market is still considered a burgeoning revenue force. Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner, Inc., reported that the CRM services market is expected to rise as much as 15 percent through 2002 � rising from $25.3 billion to $47 billion by 2006.
Dataquest found that the CRM sectors of significant growth are development and integration; IT management services and business management services; and business process management, including contact center outsourcing.
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We've seen co-marketing, affilite marketing and all the other iterations of that. Now, we have co-habitation. I think it's brilliant. It takes the Mall concept even further. I mean, when was the last time you went shopping for only one thing? We want everything in on place. While, that may never be possible, Dunkin Donuts has made a step in that direction by placing complete stores inside Home Depots as a test.
Dunkin' Donuts tests store in Home Depot - 2002-08-20 - Boston Business Journal
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In Martin Lindstrom's article on Clickz, he espouses the need to technically misspell your company name. Rather, he means, misspell your URL. No one types perfectly. Spend some time figuring out your company's common misspellings. Read on:
Do Your Brand a Favor: Misspell It!
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If you ask me, this is a wonderful little tactic to peer into your competition. Is video surveillance the next marketing tool?
From the Boston Globe:
Video puts campaigns on record
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I've been a Nextel user for about 5 years and I always wondered why they limited their marketing to the business segment. With all their features, especially the walkie talkie feature and their new Java enabled SMS, it is a perfect device for the permanently connected youth market.
In an article in AdWeek's Technology Marketing, Nextel is launching a service called Boost Mobile offering youth targetred services including java based games.
A story also in the Boston Globe.
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Wow. After you read this, you will think America is the worst country in the world. While the writer of this letter certainly rips our country apart, he does have some good points. Read it. It will make you think.
Open Letter to America from a Canadian
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When an ISP as big as Earthlink now offers software included in it's set up program that bans pop ups, we in this industry must seriously consider the future fate and direction online advertising. Oh sure, there's lots of other forms of online ad formats from the newly annoying schemes that crawl all over your screen to the mundane animated gif. The challenge is finding the happy medium. In effect, an "agreement" with the consumer where both sides agree to the trade offs inherent in any form of advertising. I sure don't have the answer but I am a fan of the relatively new expanding banner concept. Roll your mouse over a banner, and it's expands to a mini site. Roll off, and it reverts to it's original size.
This format has the relative unobtrusiveness of the good old banner combined with the possibilities inherent in the new rich media formats. We ought to give it a shot.
I am a firm believer that pop up and pop under advertising should be banned. We as an industry should do our part in convincing clients of the tactic's short term gain-long term loss scenario. And, we should applaud companies like Earthlink who are doing their part too.
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In a MacSlash Poll Ellen Feiss is tops. Great discussion on the site too.
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The forces that believe in the legalization of Marijuana have capitalized on the stardom of Ellen Feiss with a t-shirt proselytizing the benefits of marijuana. This is One Ellen Feiss collectible that won't last long.
Get your t-shirt here.
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