Monday, February 28, 2011

Blogger Influence

When the idea of having a blog for DMI started floating around, there were a lot of questions that we had to consider. Who would be our resident blogger? What would we blog about? How much did we want to reveal on our blog? And the most important question...who would read our blog?

A recent article in The New York Times Magazine titled, Queen of the Mommy Bloggers got me thinking about how much influence a particular blogger may have. The article talks about a couple popular blogs (we're talking about 100,000 visits per day) that have yielded influence amongst its readers. One of the featured bloggers, Heather Armstrong from www.dooce.com, complained about her washing machine on various blog posts and because of all the press her blog was receiving, she "fielded frantic, apologetic calls from Maytag and not only got her washing machine fixed but also had a second one donated by a different company to a nearby women's shelter."

She along with many other bloggers also have turned blogging into a lucrative business with ad placements and product endorsements. Has this turned off readers? "Being powerful on the Internet is an odd and contrary state. 'Influential' can  mean strangers love you but it is just as likely to mean that they hate you."

With or without ads, people read blogs for various reasons. It's a window into someone else's life, they may share a particular interest or hobby, or they can be a resource for information. We wanted our blog to be a combination of all those reasons.

Why do you read blogs? What blogs have appealed to you? Does a blogger's opinion help influence yours?

--L

Friday, February 25, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - Pet Edition!

TGIF! I'm always excited for the weekend but I'm especially excited because rumor has it, there's going to be snow in the Bay Area! I have heard some reports that it won't be at ground level but I will be crossing my fingers (and toes) that those reports are not true.

In other exciting news, there is a Bay Area Pet Expo this Saturday at the Santa Clara County fairgrounds this Saturday! And don't worry about the cold because this event will be held indoors so you and your pets (who are welcome!) will be nice and warm. Did I mention that it's free admission as well?

There is a variety of events scheduled for the day such as:
  • Discounted vaccinations, microchipping, and grooming
  • Huge Adoption event
  • Pet costume contest, fashion show, and talent show
  • Dog agility course
  • Tons of pet related booths with all kinds of pet products
  • and so much more!
 Check out the website for all details:  http://www.bayareapetexpo.com/

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and make sure to bundle up! Brrrr!

--L

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Celebrity Endorsements

I was given an article today from the San Francisco Chronicle titled "What causes you to get behind a cause or nonprofit?" that I found to be very interesting. The article asked 5 people various questions about their personal activism and involvement in organizations. However, the question that peaked my interest the most was the last one: "Do celebrity endorsements of philanthropic causes affect you?"

With the rise of Twitter and other social media websites, celebrity endorsements are becoming very common. For example on Twitter, a lot of celebrities are using it as a personal platform to discuss various causes and organizations that they feel passionately about.

Personally, depending on the celebrity, I may be more inclined to check out a certain cause or non profit but I would never just blindly support it. But the article got me thinking...have I subconsciously started believing in a cause because a celebrity was associated with it?

Celebrity endorsements are powerful; almost every advertisement features one. So why not use that power to promote something good? So maybe it's not necessarily a bad thing if I support a cause that's promoted by a celebrity.

What are your thoughts? Are there any causes that you have supported because of a celebrity? Are there causes that you were turned off against because of a celebrity?

--L

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

DMI has your marketing secret weapon!

Hopefully everyone had a good President's Day weekend! Since yesterday was a holiday, I've decided to post Monday's DMI's Insights, today.

Today's article, Marketers' secret weapon: direct mail, from Direct Marketing News hits close to home because it aligns with what DMI believes in. Direct mail is a powerful resource and tool for any company or organization. Not only is direct mail spending expected to increase, "mail remains the largest channel in terms of direct marketing spending."

Also direct mail is "highly customizable, it enables marketers to communicate more information in a single package, it's trackable and it can be particularly effective when integrated with other media channels." You never want to mail to everyone and pray for the best. You want to make sure to customize your direct mail campaign by targeting and selecting the best possible prospects for your particular objective. Also, by tracking results, everyone is able to learn what worked and what didn't. This helps the campaign to be a circular and dynamic process instead of just a linear process. Using other media outlets such as television, radio, email, etc. is key in increasing the effectiveness of your direct mail campaign.

To learn more about DMI's approach to direct mail, visit our website Data Marketing, Inc. or feel free to fill out the Contact Us form!

I would love to hear your feedback on our comments section below on what your thoughts are about direct mail. Have you received any interesting direct mail lately? Does your company currently conduct any direct mail campaigns?

--L

Friday, February 18, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - President's Day Edition

I'm back from vacation! Can you guess where I went?



I want to thank our guest bloggers, Z & B, who filled in while I was gone. They had some really interesting posts!

I realized I came back from vacation just in time to enjoy a 3 day weekend. Yay!

Unfortunately the weather hasn't been so nice the past couple of days but if you don't mind the rain, there's a great event going on this Saturday at Santana Row that benefits the American Heart Association (AHA).

Santana Row's Wine & Dine Around is an event to "raise awareness of the impact of heart disease and stroke on women." The event runs from 2pm-5pm and tickets are $30 each and all proceeds of ticket sales will go straight to the AHA. "More than a dozen Santana Row shops and restaurants will host exclusive in-store events featuring complimentary wine tastings, plus all participating retailers will offer 15% off available to ticket holders." You even get your own Santana Row wine glass!

Click here for more information.

Enjoy the long weekend everyone and head out to Santana Row to enjoy some shopping and wine!

--L

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Digging into the Archives: A Look Back at DMI’s History

 
This Wednesday we bring you a blast from the past – a research project conducted by Data Marketing.  In the 1970s, after a consensus was established that cigarettes negatively impacted health, DMI ran a series of studies on a nicotine-free and tobacco-free cigarette alternative called “Free”.

With a smell reminiscent of burning chocolate due to the fact that it was derived from cocoa beans, “Free” was field tested in June and September of 1977.  




 
The ad campaign for “Free” ran in the Mercury News in late 1977 through the beginning of 1978.  The brand was bought out before a full-scale roll-out

It is interesting to note that the focus on cigarette alternatives in the past was primarily on removing nicotine, while today’s focus appears to have shifted into the smokeless, electronic alternatives, while continuing to incorporate nicotine.

So the question we’re left with - is it the smoke or the nicotine?

--B

Monday, February 14, 2011

Love and the 2D Barcode

You see them everywhere – small pixilated boxes on advertisements, newspapers, and even on walls!  With just a simple scan of this barcode from your smartphone, you can instantly connect to movie trailers, news articles, nutritional facts, and a whole lot more.

The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority has come up with a novel way to test the potential use of the 2D barcode by asking riders “Share the Love” by ‘shar[ing] a story about a praise-worthy RFTA driver or employee of the transportation agency.’

In this tech savvy region, it is important to stay on the cutting edge of communications technology.

2D barcodes – scan them with someone you love today!

Check out the article here!

--B

Friday, February 11, 2011

DMI’s Community Weekend

 
The Year of the Rabbit is now officially in full swing, and if you never had a chance to enjoy any Lunar New Year festivities (or just haven’t gotten your fill!), you can stop by one of these events hosted by the San Jose Public Library:

Saturday, Feb. 12th 2-3pm:  The Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra will be performing at the Almaden Branch Library and Community Center, featuring traditional Chinese music and instruments.

Saturday, Feb. 12th 2:00pm:  ‘Chinese/English bilingual storytime’ at the Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Branch Library

Saturday, Feb. 12th 2:30pm: ‘Far East Dragon Lion Dance’ also at the Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Branch Library


On a similar note, I’d highly recommend bookmarking the event pages at the San Jose Public Library and SJSU/SJL websites, as there is likely to be an event/exhibit in your area quite often.  Currently, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is featuring artwork from all over the world in the Dream Rocket exhibit until March 1st!   

For more information, as well as directions to these branches, please visit the following:
San Jose Public Library - http://www.sjpl.org/news
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library - http://library.sjsu.edu//events/events-listing

--Z

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Bon Voyage!

Don't worry, I'm not leaving for good, but I will be leaving for vacation today!

However, you are all in luck. We will have a couple guest bloggers posting while I'm away. So make sure to keep reading the blog and offer them any suggestions/comments.

Until I return...

--L

Monday, February 7, 2011

Data Analysis + Messaging = DMI

Wasn't there a petition going around somewhere to make the Monday after Superbowl Sunday a National Holiday? Well in any case, it's just a regular Monday (for now) and that means another installment of DMI's Insights.

Today's article is from The Wall Street Journal called "Avoiding the Road to PowerPoint Hell" which talks about keeping presentations simple. It's a humorous and editorial article that discusses how to make PowerPoint presentations less cumbersome.

The author of the article, Nancy Duarte, believes that "when the right visuals and words are used together, they create a third kind of experience, one that operates by unifying mind and emotion." This is especially important in direct mail. Placing the right image along with the right messaging will compel more people to donate, buy, etc. The design and layout of the package is crucial in developing a successful mail campaign.

There is also a sample of a PowerPoint presentation that Ms. Duarte had done for Cisco Systems which I thought was very interesting. She was able to transform "typical technology-industry slides" into something approachable. DMI uses the same approach. We are able to transform data, which is often an intangible thing into something tangible. Not only because we produce physical direct mail, but we are also able to analyze the data to show the intangible in a concrete way using analysis and modeling.

You can read the full article here:  Avoiding the Road to PowerPoint Hell

Make sure to visit our website or contact us to get more information on our experiences with messaging and analysis.

What are your thoughts on the article? Do you have any PowerPoint or direct mail horror stories? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!

--L

Friday, February 4, 2011

DMI's Community Weekend - Superbowl Edition!

I love Superbowl Sunday! It's a great time to gather with family and friends, eat junk food, drink beer, and scream at the television. If the big game isn't your style, there's something else on TV that might even be better. The PUPPY BOWL on Animal Planet! Quite possibly one of the cutest things I have ever watched.

However, if you want something else to do this weekend, I suggest the Tech Museum. The first full weekend of every month (which is this weekend!), if you are a Bank of America cardholder, you get one free admission to all the regular galleries when you show your Bank of America credit or check card and a photo ID.

There are lots of things to see and do there, such as the Invention of Play exhibit. This exhibit was "developed by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History." This is a hands on exhibit that allows people to play with traditional toys that have been infused with 20th century technologies.

There is also a traveling exhibit called Body Worlds Vital. This exhibit requires separate admission. Prices for this and the hours of the exhibit can be found on the website (link below). If you have never seen a Body Worlds exhibit before, it is definitely a must. I have yet to see this particular exhibit but I went to one a few years ago and I must say that it was quite the experience. It may not be for everyone however, so check out the information on the website for details.

Visit the website for information on these exhibits and everything else at The Tech:  http://www.thetech.org/

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and takes advantage of the wonderful spring like weather! Granted, I'll be indoors aww-ing at the puppies and cheering for the Packers! ;)

--L

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Who is DMI?

Our office, like many others, are full of characters. We are all different in our own unique ways. I wanted the readers to get to know our cast of characters so today's post will list an interesting fun fact for some of us here at DMI (including me!). 

Since some people are shy, I wanted to provide a sense of anonymity, however, next time you talk to any of us at DMI, try to guess which fact belongs to whom!

  • I have a daughter who loves to eat lemons
  • My all time favorite TV show is Newsradio
  • My favorite thing to drink is coconut juice
  • I am a practicing Buddhist
  • I am an adrenaline junkie
  • I am a member of the 1906 Ultras
  • I love watching scary movies in the middle of the night
  • I used to teach Sunday School at church
  • I have 2 grandchildren
  • I love to ride bicycles
  • When I was in the Air Force, I once screamed at a Major and got away with it
  • I have been a vegetarian all of my life
  • I was the House Manager for the Shakespeare Festival
  • I coach kids soccer
  • I am a home brewer


--L