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Top Five Reasons to Hire a Fulfillment Center

To compete in todays marketplace, outsourced fulfillment centers offer five key advantages that outweigh the emotion of "going it alone."

The Death of the QR Code

When was the last time you scanned a QR code? Be honest. If it was in the last month, are you hooked? Yes, that was a rhetorical question because I can’t name one person I know that actively scans QR codes, and I’ll bet if you ask your network, neither can you.

Why retailers are pinning hopes on Pinterest

If you can't beat 'em...join 'em

Data, Transparency, and Regulation

AVC Musings of a VC in NYC posted March 24, 2013

Multichannel Trends Highlight the Need for Action

The ground is shifting and you need to compete on a variety of fronts to stay competitive

Why So Negative on Negative Option?

Critical info for continuity marketers

F.T.C. Suggests ‘Do-Not-Track’ Feature for Mobile Software and Apps

WASHINGTON — In a strong move to protect the privacy of Americans as they use the Internet on their smartphones and tablets, the Federal Trade Commission on Friday said the mobile industry should include a do-not-track feature in software and apps and take other steps to safeguard personal information.

Unlocking Your Phone Is Now Illegal, But What Does That Mean For You?

All the salacious headlines are (mostly) true — as of today, you can’t unlock a carrier-subsidized smartphone on your own before the contract associated with it runs out without technically running afoul of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Chris Velasco for TechCrunch

The Most Important Interview Question of All Time

"It took about 10 years of trial and error. Then I finally hit upon one question that did it all." Lou Adler on LinkedIn

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings thinks he can win the video subscription war

The company's big quarter shows it has crawled out of Qwikster jail, but the table is getting more crowded

New Conversion Tracking Tool for DR Marketers Unveiled

Direct response marketers have a new conversion and optimization tool thanks to Facebook.

How Much Would You Pay to Never See an Online Ad Again?

Shelly Palmer's MediaBytes 11/11/12 re-blogged from Mashable Tecg AdTrap wants to help “make the Internet yours again.” Imagine a $120 box that sits between your cable modem (the box that brings the internet into your house) and your wireless router (the thing that fills your house with Wi-Fi) and blocks every kind of ad that can be delivered over the Internet. No more ads on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. No more ads on webpages, in music streams, in front of videos, or on mobile apps. That’s the goal of AdTrap, a device that is already in the working prototype stage.

The Six Lessons I Live by

Great peek into the mind of Ari Emanuel Co-CEO at William Morris Endeavor

FTC Releases Highly Anticipated Revised Green Guides

Thinking about marketing your product as Eco-Friendly?..You'll want to read this

Worth considering

Shelly Palmer's DIGITAL LEADERSHIP September 23, 2012 "Personal Facebook Cleanse"

FTC rules on Ab Circle Pro

FTC Flexes Muscle on Ab Circle Pro 29 Aug, 2012 By: Doug McPherson

Marketing Is Dead

Bill Lee for Harvard Business Review

Forget the Web, Start-Ups Get Real

A long-shunned Silicon Valley technology sector—consumer-electronics start-ups—is showing some surprising signs of life. Entrepreneurs in California have quietly launched dozens of small hardware companies, designing everything from smart wristwatches to digital thermostats. The typical business plan: raise enough money to create prototypes in the U.S. that can be manufactured in Asia and sold online. WALL STREET JOURNAL By PUI-WING TAM and JESSICA E. VASCELLARO

Making mobile sales easier

Discover Partners With Google, Makes Adding Its Credit Cards To Google Wallet Easier Tech Crunch August 16, 2012 by Frederic Lardinois

What's going on at Google?

How Google Fiber will impact TV and Internet services

Amazon Launches Career Choice Program To Fund Tuition For Fulfillment Center Employees

Ryan Lawlor on TechCrunch

What are the most dangerous websites to visit?

Believe me,this article will surprise you. Porn sites are not the culprit....

FTC Scores Big Court Win Against DRTV Veterans

From the Law Offices of William I. Rothbard

What DRTV Buyers Like/Don't Like

As published in Jordan Pine's SciMark Report

The Internet Gets a Hall of Fame

(Including Al Gore!) By: Ryan Singel

Social Media Advertising Is Set to Explode.

Who Will Control It?

F.T.C Seeks Privacy Legislation

U.S. Agency Seeks Tougher Consumer Privacy Rules By TANZINA VEGA and EDWARD WYATT New York Times: March 26, 2012

Many Brands Are Paying To Show Ads To Bots, Piracy Sites

Today's article is from Jeff Roberts at PaidContent.org Caveat Emptor

LinkedIn..5 Changes to make to your profile today

Good article on managing your "Digital Footprint"

FCC Issues New Regs on Robocalls

Manatt News and Events > Advertising Law

Curation as subscription membership

There’s an interesting phenomenon occurring in startup land, with a number of companies emerging that are all seeking to build businesses with recurring revenue streams based on serving up monthly packages of food, beauty, clothing and other products. The so-called subscription commerce market is...

Erasing the Boundaries

Published in The New York Times February 13, 2012 By DAVID STREITFELD . SAN FRANCISCO — Technology used to be so simple.

Social media for the complex sale: Where should you start?

SmartBlog on Social Media

Arizona Bills Amazon for $53 Million in Sales Tax

Response Magazine article written by Jackie Jones SEATTLE – The state of Arizona has served Amazon a tax bill for $53 million in uncollected sales tax, according to documents the online company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

What to look for this year at the REAL "Biggest Show on Earth"

What To Expect At CES: Tablets, TVs, And Transition Written by Tom Kravitz

Trends in Social Media Translation

Retailers and marketers give a lot of weight to the power of social media in both domestic and international campaigns. In some ways, it’s easy to see why. Blogs can increase search engine optimization (SEO) rankings, Twitter is a direct connection to customers, and Facebook use is so ubiquitous around the world that an Egyptian recently named his daughter after that platform in honor of its role in his country’s revolution.

Next Frontier in Credit Scores: Predicting Personal Behavior .

WSJ article on some provocative new areas for data minng

Twitter: How Big Can it Get?

How big is Twitter's business opportunity?

Internet Penetration in Latin America fastest in the world

Internet penetration has been growing faster in Latin America than in the rest of the world, and this is especially true in Mexico. This is one of the facts presented today in a comScore webinar on the state of the Internet in Mexico. Here are its key findings:

Why Google Bought Motorola, and What It Means..Let the Games Begin

With the "unanimous" approval of both boards, Google has agreed to hand over $40 per share to acquire Motorola Mobility--the spun-off phone-making wing of the original Motorola, separate from its government and enterprise business. The price is a big premium on Motorola's last closing share price,...

Hold off Chicken Little...Before we start yelling,

S&P...consider the source

The FTC on scary slippery slope?

FTC Now Demands 'Unconditional Surrender' in Settlements DRMA newsletter

A new way of thinking about "Going Mobile"

The correct relationship between apps, mobile Web sites and Web sites

Everything You Need to Know About Google+

In the short time since it launched in limited release, Google’s new social web service Google+ has exploded onto the digital scene.

GOOGLE OFFERS REVEALED: Here Are The Secret Details About Google's Groupon-Killer

Great article on respective advantages for Google vs. Groupon

On the Other Hand...the Flipside of Groupon Story

In an effort to present a balanced picture, it seemed only fair to get a POV from the other side. Because Groupon isn't able to respond to its detractors...here's an article in their defense published by Business Insider.

Groupon Might Be Effectively Insolvent?

Don't believe everything you hear. Some things MAY be too good to be true! As seen on Yahoo Finance...Conor Sen, On Friday June 3, 2011, 12:00 pm EDT

Debunking 10 Biggest PC myths

Separating the real from mythical tech tips can leave one's brain akin to a sluggish hard drive. Wannabe techies seem to lurk in every corner of big box electronics stores spreading misinformation and preying on the ill-informed when their computer has a problem.

Watching TV on an iPad

Tired of missing your favorite TV shows on the road?

Strategies for adapting to shipping cost increases

With Postal rates going up April 17th it's a great time to take a look at a2b's cost- saving strategies

How to Launch any product using social media

With more and more direct response marketers finding success through social media channels I thought this primer might be of interest

Power Plant: One Small Leaf Could Electrify an Entire Home

Future solution to the world's energy crisis? MIT Scientists create artificial leaf

RevGuard's OCO Crushes Competition with Speed 10x Faster

Customer Service via state-of-the-art IVR technology

How to opt-out of everything

Tired of being targeted and tracked online? Here's a recommended course of action on Techland

iPad 2 Relase Date

The Big Day is March 11th. It can't come soon enough

Cutting Out Middleman to Sell Small Ads Online

Online marketplace in transformation... NY Times

Rep. Speier to introduce 'do not track' bill next week

Regulators jump on the "consumer protection" bandwagon

Getting the most out of your Twitter account

Recent e-mail from the folks at Twitter

Marketers to Increase Spending on Mobile Platforms, Survey Says

The future looks bright for Mobile Marketing! See this survey from Response Magazine

U.S. Piloting New Health Care Records Program

Medical ID theft is the fasting growing crime in the country. For a peek into the future of Healthcare in the the digital age take a look at the following article from New York Times Technology section

The $150 Billion Tech Offering That Will Dwarf the Groupon, Facebook IPO's

Advertising Age features new Goldman Sachs Investment Vehicle to watch.

And the nominees are...

While I may be focusing on Direct Response these days, at heart I'm still a "producer". Looking forward to Hollywood's Big Night on February 27th when the Academy honors its own. It's been a terrific year all-in-all with an eclectic mix of cinematic achievements and there are some very close races; especially in the Supporting Actor/Actress categories. Here's a complete list of this year's niominees.

Your data is Facebook's most valuable asset

Late on Friday night, Facebook published a short blog post, announcing the opening up of users’ personal contact details to app developers. But why? By Emma Barnett, Digital Media Editor

Full List of Golden Globe Winners

Ricky Gervais joked last week that he would make sure he was never invited back to host the Golden Globes again and it looks like might have succeeded after a barrage of controversial quips at the expense of his star-studded crowd last night.

THE WIRE 50: The Most Influential People In Media This Year

It has been a roller coaster ride in media this year. A jaw-dropping trip of high highs, low lows, and twists and turns that left many people feeling like they'd been turned entirely upside down -- sometimes all in less than a week. The year began with Steve Jobs' introduction of the iPad, a device which increasingly looks to be to print what the iPod was to music, and ended with...well, where to begin: Julian Assange, Sarah Palin, and rallies, rallies, rallies. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. With that in mind The Wire has put together a list of the 50 most influential people in media. They may not all be getting the biggest ratings, or possess the most recognizable faces, but in a quickly changing media world they are exerting an unmistakable influence on how, where, and when we consume information.

Will You Tweet This?

New analysis could help predict how stories will be shared. • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 TECHNOLOGY REVIEW • BY ERICA NAONE When a piece of news breaks online, it's hard to predict how widely it will be discussed in blog posts or tweets and for how long. Jure Leskovec, an assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University, is working to find a way to make it easier to predict which pieces of content will resonate for a long time. A lot of factors go into that equation, however—the content of the story itself, the popularity of the site where the story originally appeared, and the nature of the community of readers at which it's aimed.

When MySpace Goes, What Happens to the Data and Privacy?

By Erik Sherman | BNET January 12, 2011 MySpace (NWS) laid off almost half of its employees yesterday. Rumors of the action have been around for weeks. The prospect that News Corp could sell the company, shut it down, or sell its assets raises some thorny questions about data and privacy — questions that have implications throughout the social networking

Up-And-Coming Entrepreneur You Need To Meet

Turn your unpaid invoices into cash...FAST

Facebook, Groupon, Netflix Drive the Next Big Thing and America's Economic Resurgence

Posted: 11 Jan 2011 11:50 AM PST Video everywhere and social networking depend on and drive a massive build-out of wireless broadband

Curation is the New Search is the New Curation

In the beginning there was curation, and it was good. People found interesting things on the web, created directories of those things, and then you found what you were looking for inside those curated lists. That was the origins of the original lists and directories, from Yahoo on outward. But then that got too hard. The web got bigger faster than anyone could keep track. Curation steadily gave way to algorithmic search, which at first was just spidering of the web, and then more intelligent spidering with keywords. And then it became Google, with ranking algorithms that placed websites into a hierarchies of keyword-related relevance based on things like authoritativeness, as defined, in part, by links from other sites -- by those original hand-curated lists, ironically enough.

Basketball Hall-of-Famer, Renowned Entrepreneur Magic Johnson to Keynote Response Expo 2011

Not many hall-of-fame professional athletes have forged a business career that would make their sports exploits pale in comparison. However, Earvin "Magic" Johnson's off-court success – in both business and philanthropic endeavors — during the past two decades has become nearly as legendary as his on-court prowess as a five-time NBA world champion and three-time NBA most valuable player during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Verizon’s iPhone 4 Facts

A Verizon version of Apple’s iPhone 4 will be available for pre-order on February 3, 2010

Why Marketing Threatens the True Promise of Social Media

Social media is everywhere, and it is finally accepted as much as, well, as much as the Internet (itself. Sadly, though, in reaching this level of ubiquity, we have ended up surrendering the real promise of this medium.

LivingSocial Just Declared War On The Daily Deal Aggregators

Nick Saint LivingSocial, thesecond-biggest daily deal company behind Groupon, is cutting deal aggregators out of its affiliate program starting tomorrow Living Social, like most daily deal sites, has a program for rewarding third-parties that refer them new subscribers. That won't change, but starting tomorrow, pure aggregators like Yipit and Dealsurf will be excluded, according to an email from LivingSocial sent to relevant companies.

Steve Balmer's Keynote Address at Consumer Electronic's International Show

The following post was originally delivered as the keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 in Las Vegas. as first published by The Huffington Post

Someday, Store Coupons May Tap You on the Shoulder (NY TImes)

CLIPPING coupons is a hassle. Intentionally. If shoppers were to redeem any more than just a sliver of them, manufacturers would have a self-created financial catastrophe on their hands. Digital technology could eventually make coupon-clipping with scissors a quaint oddity. And manufacturers are willing to make clipping easier, but not too easy: they don’t want to reduce prices for customers who’d buy a product anyway. Ideally, coupons will continue to be redeemed only by those who hold out for a deal — those whom marketing experts call “deal prone.”

11 Crucial Trends for 2011

January 2011 (TrendWatching.com ) Another new year, another roller coaster of threats and opportunities. We tend to focus on the latter as, amidst currency wars and defaulting nations, there are more opportunities than ever for creative brands and entrepreneurs to deliver on changing consumer needs. From Brazil to Belgium. No rest for the wicked!

Control a PC, Straight From Your Phone

Gadgetwise New York Times December 28. 2010 If you’re a heavy iPhone user who also owns a PC, you’ve probably experienced the annoyance of having to get up from a comfy couch or an office meeting to go back from your phone to your computer for something. For 99 cents, Splashtop’s new iPhone app, Remote Desktop, lets you fire up your computer’s display on the iPhone. You can control apps, click and type at them, even play audio and video from your computer over the iPhone.

Snuggies in the news

The SciMark Report ... The Blog about Short-Form DRTV Jordan Pine writes...

Apple Sued Over Applications Giving Information to Advertisers

Apple Inc., making of the iPhone and iPad, was accused in a lawsuit of allowing applications for those devices to transmit users’ personal information to advertising networks without customers’ consent.

Facebook has surpassed Yahoo in terms of visitors, landing itself a spot as the No. 3 website, behind Microsoft and Google.

The holiday season came one day early for Facebook this year, as Santa bestowed the company the title of "third largest website ever." New metrics from comScore indicate that Facebook has finally passed Yahoo for third place, pulling in 648 million unique visitors for November 2010 versus Yahoo's 630 million.

Groups File Complaint Over Online Health Marketing

In a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog, World Privacy Forum, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group (collectively “the Group”) allege that health marketers are violating Internet users’ privacy by tracking their online activity to target them with ads “precisely honed to a particular illness or condition.”

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Responds to Whitney Tilson: Cover Your Short Position. Now.

A great investor and a wonderful human being, Whitney Tilson recently posted an article about why he is short Netflix (NFLX). Whitney, who is a major co-donor with me to charter public schools like KIPP, writes that he has lost money betting against Netflix, and that he is still short Netflix in a big way.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PLAN TO DESTROY ADVERTISING, MARKETING, THE INTERNET AND ALL OTHER FORMS OF DIGITAL LIFE

The Obama administration has called for the creation of a Privacy Policy Office to assist in developing an Internet “privacy bill of rights.” The U.S. Commerce Department’s report stopped short of asking directly for privacy legislation. But it is recommending a “framework” to protect people from data collectors.

What Makes Direct Mail and Digital So Compatible

Don’t do anything rash. Jilting direct mail for the Internet is both unnecessary and unwise. A solid interactive marketing strategy has plenty of room — and plenty of need — for both.Combined, direct mail and the Internet make for unbeatable impact. Go with either one alone, and you risk missing out.

Barry Diller's IAC Creates Own Content Farm

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Barry Diller appears to be cultivating his very own "content farm" at IAC. Though he recently relinquished the executive reins at the company he founded, IAC property Pronto has quietly launched a company called The Writers Network that looks for people willing to write short-length, how-to articles, much like Demand Media, AOL's SEED or Yahoo's Contributor's Network.

FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules

The United States Federal Communications Commission approved net neutrality rules that are a half step forward from current legislation. The new rules would limit wired Internet providers from prioritizing or committing “unreasonable discrimination” against any Web traffic. While this will stop cable companies from throttling your Netflix connection, wireless companies are still free to determine how you use your bandwidth.

The power of Twitter in Information Discovery

It surprise me how many really smart people I meet still doubt the power of Twitter.

Your Apps are Watching You

A WSJ Investigation finds that iPhone and Android apps are breaching the privacy of Smartphne users

When All Content Is Personalized, Who Needs TV Networks?

The world has been a-buzz with news focused on making the next-generation of viewing experiences more personalized. But recent moves by companies like Netflix, Facebook and Comcast could sap some of the power of media companies that create today’s TV programming.

China Agrees to Intellectual Property Protections

WASHINGTON — Senior Chinese officials pledged on Wednesday to better crack down on software piracy and other violations of intellectual property rights as part of a series of commercial agreements after two days of talks here.

Mountains of Diamonds!? But a tough commute...

Scientists Discover the First Carbon-Rich Planet—Which May Have Mountains of Diamonds

Impact Radius offers MultiChannel Performance-Based Media

The perfect way to put your PI advertising campaign on steroids through any and all media channels.

Marketers Test Ads in E-Books

The marketing world is drawing up plans to invade one of the last bastions of media that is largely advertising-free: books.

War for Tech Talent Hits ‘White Hot’ New York Startup Scene

It’s a good time to be a software programmer in New York City.

Book of Tens: 10 Disruptive Trends That Will Shape Our World in 2011

Pete Blackshaw on What to Keep Your Eyes on, From Local Loco to the End of Resumes

What's Next for Groupon

Having Passed on Google's Acquisition Bid, Burgeoning Global Player Has Insiders Watching Its Every Move

Launching an In-Language Internet Program

Wonderful article from Marcelino Miyares of Mercury Media. Great information for merchants launching online campaigns to the Hispanic marketplace

Understanding Email Marketing: The Most Common Terms to Know

To help you navigate through the world of ISPs, ESPs and CAN-SPAM, we’ve compiled the top 13 most common terms to know when it comes to email marketing. Understand these basic concepts, and you’ll be ready to start marketing your products and services to prospective customers.

Do you Akoo?

Akoo is the world's largest Social music tevision network

Facebook Revises Promotions Guidelines

Facebook announced on December 1, 2010, significant revisions to its Promotions Guidelines that may potentially expand the ability of advertisers to utilize this important marketing channel to conduct promotions. While there are still critical restrictions on the use of the Facebook platform, under the new Guidelines, companies no longer need written permission from Facebook before administering a promotion on the Facebook platform.

FCC To Free TV Spectrum For Mobile Broadband

Continuing its mission to free up large tracts of spectrum for mobile broadband use, FCC commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to work to reallocate some valuable spectrum currently used by TV broadcasters for mobile broadband use.

F.T.C. Backs Plan to Honor Privacy of Online Users

WASHINGTON — Signaling a sea change in the debate over Internet privacy, the government’s top consumer protection agency on Wednesday advocated a plan that would let consumers choose whether they want their Internet browsing and buying habits monitored. Saying that online companies have failed to protect the privacy of Internet users, the Federal Trade Commission recommended a broad framework for commercial use of Web consumer data, including a simple and universal “do not track” mechanism that would essentially give consumers the type of control they gained over marketers with the national “do not call” registry. Those measures, if widely used, could directly affect the billions of dollars in business done by online advertising companies and by technology giants like Google that collect highly focused information about consumers that can be used to deliver personalized advertising to them.

Every Campaign Should Do a 4-to-1 Ratio

Talk about the good old days in our industry, and eventually someone mentions how campaigns used to deliver 4-to-1 ratios (four times the amount of revenue than the cost of media) or better, that every campaign back then was a hit and how much easier it was to have a success in direct response. Well, things have changed. Today, we talk about the fragmentation of media, the consumers’ numbness to the clutter of direct response offers, the need to go to retail quickly, the increasing cost of media, the increasing cost of goods, telemarketing costs, shipping costs and the list goes on.

Tried & True Techniques

There are no magic formulas, but there are proven techniques that can greatly increase a direct-response marketing campaign’s odds of success: 1. START WITH A PROBLEM-SOLUTION OPENING Start with a problem-solution opening. All good DRTV products solve a problem.

The SciMark Seven

The odds of having a hit DRTV campaign are highest with these seven qualities: PRODUCT 1. NEEDED Is the product needed enough to generate the impulse to buy? For example, does it solve a problem?