_This article is by Guest Contributor Kate Trgovac, reporting on the recent “BlogOn”:http://www.blogonevent.com/blogon2005 conference._
“The Feed Frenzy: Exploring New Channels for One-to-One Marketing” discussed the use of “RSS feeds”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28file_format%29 as a marketing channel, particularly how they fit into the mix vis-a-vis e-mail marketing. Led by “Scott Rafer”:http://rafer.wirelessink.com/, former CEO of “Feedster”:http://www.feedster.com/, it included panelists from Yahoo!, Sun and ESPN.
Scott Gatz, Senior Director of My Yahoo! (*very* cool job) shared the results (Oct 2005) of a recent study conducted by Yahoo! and Ipsos Reid. 4% of Internet users *say* they are using RSS, but in reality 31% *are* actually using RSS for content syndication. And it’s not just for geeks – the profile of RSS users mirrors the profiles of Internet users at large (though it tends to skew a little younger, a little more educated and a little more male). They subscribe to an average of six feeds and use My Yahoo! or Firefox (livebookmarks) as their primary method for reading RSS.
Following on this information, Rafer tossed out the question, “How can feeds work as a marketing channel?”
Month: October 2005
_One Degree contributor “Stefan Eyram”:http://www.onedegree.ca/contributors/stefan_eyram just announced that he has taken the new position of Canadian Business Development Manager for US E-mail Service Provider ExactTarget. I took this opportunity to ask Stefan five questions about his new gig._
*One Degree: Congrats on bringing ExactTarget to Canada! What can we expect from ExactTarget?*
I’m very excited to be associated with “ExactTarget”:http://www.exacttarget.com. ExactTarget delivers on-demand email software solutions for permission-based email marketing. More than 3,800 customers in organizations of all sizes, including many Canadian companies, have chosen the solution. Analyst groups, such as JupiterResearch and Forrester, rank us high for CAN-SPAM compliance, ease of use and business suitability.
*One Degree: Are there any “uniquely Canadian” issues that you’ll have to introduce to the ExactTarget team?*
_As the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Organic’s Toronto office, David Feldt is responsible for managing all Canadian client relationships and business development efforts, focusing on the Financial Services, Automotive, and Communications sectors in both the U.S. and Canada._
_Most recently, David was VP, Managing Director at Blast Radius Toronto where he was responsible for new business development, client management, revenue growth, profitability, employee and customer satisfaction for Eastern Canada and the Central Region in the U.S._
_Prior to that, he was SVP, Global Practice Leader of Wunderman New York, leading a global team responsible for interactive marketing for IBM across eight countries._
*One Degree: Congratulations on the new gig! How have the first few days gone?*
Thanks Ken! In a word, exhilarating! What an auspicious week to join “Organic”:http://www.organic.com/ – just when the market is really taking notice. First, “Forrester Research”:http://www.forrester.com/ named Organic as “a leader in both transaction-led and image-led website design”:http://www.organic.com/about/news_detail.jsp?629. Then, an article in the Wall Street Journal highlighting our innovative work on “The Mudds”:http://www.wearethemudds.com campaign for the Jeep Commander, some of which was created right here in Organic’s Toronto office.
Of course, I’ve a lot of time during my first week meeting with teams, particularly Dave Stubbs and Dave Sylvester, the creative force in the office, to get up to speed on the wonderful work that Organic is generating for both Canadian and U.S. clients. Everything that I’m learning validates my decision to join the agency.
*One Degree: Organic has had a very low profile in Canada over the last few years despite the large Toronto office and the great successes in the States. Do you see yourself growing Organic’s visibility and client base in Canada?*