Chief Marketer Staff

• OPA Trashes Ad Networks … Badly

  In a blatant attempt to convince advertisers that there are fewer than 50 sites online that can drive brand awareness and purchase intent, the Online Publishers Association—a trade organization that represents media firms known mostly for their offline brands, such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times—recently published a study claiming ad networks are close to worthless for non-direct-response purposes.

• Agencies

  Reward Program Communication Lacking: Study

  Don’t be surprised to find your loyal customers are greeting their rewards statement with a shrug. According to a recent study, more than two-thirds of all consumers rate their satisfaction with their statements seven or lower on a scale of one to ten.

• LiveDeal Loss Deepens Amid Restructuring

  Online yellow pages provider LiveDeal Inc. generated $2.5 million in revenue during its third quarter, less than half of the $5.4 million it pulled in during third quarter 2008.

• Michael McLaren Named to McCann Asian Posts

  Michael McLaren, who was named CEO of Worldgroup EXP in February of this year, is transitioning to regional director of McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific and president and CEO of McCann Worldgroup Japan.

• Agencies

  Webloyalty Links With Clipper Magazine

  Webloyalty.com has partnered with Clipper Magazine, a nationwide coupon

• Agencies

  CRM Software Provider Sedona Juggles Revenue Model

  CRM provider Sedona attributed a $170,000 revenue drop in part to a change in how it books revenue. More, plus The Bean-Counter’s Take, follow.

• Email

  StrongMail Lands Family Christian Stores

  StrongMail Systems, Inc. today announced that specialty retailer Family Christian Stores has brought its e-mail marketing in-house and has selected StrongMail

• Email

  Time to Rethink Individual Anti-Spam Suits?

  For years I have argued vehemently against anti-spam laws that give individuals the right to sue companies. But I am beginning to rethink my position.

  Why? Because the two most important spam-related lawsuits brought by individuals so far have resulted in major victories for marketers.

• Email

  So Where Did the White House Get Those Names?

  And the $64,000 question this week is: Where did the White House get the names of a bunch of people who claimed they were spammed as part of the national healthcare debate?

• Email

  Dissecting a Pitch that Smells

  Readers and colleagues occasionally forward me e-mails from vendors pitching them on buying e-mail lists. They want to know me if the messages look like they