Marketing

I've seen a number of ads for SIRIUS Satellite Radio the last couple of weeks. It's amazing to me that they're still charging for the receiver. If I were leading their marketing efforts, I'd be giving the receiver away (with a 2-year subscription, of course).

My local phone company has a a true monopoly on communications services in the county. This company is the only provider of phone, DSL and cable service. It's a small, local company and apparently not subject to the same regulation as the big provider in the area, BellSouth.

In recent trips to Blockbuster, I've noticed that they're not stocking as many new releases in the store as before.

In recent trips to Blockbuster, I've noticed that they're not stocking as many new releases in the store as before.

Netflix is now offering RSS Feeds of its latest additions, top rentals and more.

I don't know if the RSS feed are tied to their affiliate program, but what a way to improve the viral component of the RSS approach. If affiliates were compensated on purchases made from RSS click th roughs that would be the beginning of the change in RSS Marketing.

Benchmark Portal and eGain reported in a recent study that 41% of large U.S. and Canadian Companies didn't respond to email messages indicating a high-value intent to purchase.

Amazing.

Benchmark Portal and eGain reported in a recent study that 41% of large U.S. and Canadian Companies didn't respond to email messages indicating a high-value intent to purchase.

Amazing.

Looks like someone's thinking about the customer experience at Verizon.

The New York Times reported today that Verizon will not release the names and numbers of their 40 million customers for use in the directory--even if a customer wants to participate.

Apparently protests from a number of safety groups have caused GM to pull it's latest Guy Ritchie-directed Corvette commercial showing a boy dreaming about driving a Corvette.

The ad's pretty benign and GM is big enough to have weather what would have been a short-lived protest. Yet the way the spot's been circulating around the web, it'll probably be seen by more people wanting to see for themselves why it was pulled than would have seen it on the airwaves.

What a great way to turn publicity, GM. Great viral marketing.

I just caught an article in The Register about a promotion for the new Resident Evil game, Resident Evil: Outbreak which advertised by sending "unsolicited SMS text messages on their mobile phones telling them they are infected by the so-called T-Virus".

Now, there's a smart thing to do.

On the surface, it certainly seems like a cool idea. Yet, to those unsuspecting people who received the following message: