Editor’s Note: Off to a Good Start
AS THIS ISSUE OF CHIEF MARKETER HITS YOUR MAILBOX, 2011 is in full swing. Of course, as we put it together we’re still in the middle of January, finally taking down the Christmas lights (well, okay, they’ll come off the porch eventually) and getting into the routine of a new calendar.
The 2010 holiday season was a merry one for many marketers. For a roundup of retail results, the metrics used to measure them and the ever-increasing role of search throughout the year, check out Michael Kahn’s article on page 25.
Personally, I know I shopped more than ever online this past December. As for what I didn’t buy online, most of those purchases were either researched on the web first or discounted with a coupon I had downloaded. And while I’m not yet among the smartphone set, I have to admit a bit of envy for those who are, particularly shoppers who were able to take advantage of promotions like those offered by the Mall of America (see Brian Quinton’s blog excerpt on page 24).
Still, out with the old and in with the new. It’s always exciting to turn the page on a new year and, knock wood, this one looks promising. As Jerry Bernhart’s latest employment trend survey reports (page 10), agency hires are up and pay freezes may finally be thawing.
What areas of your budget are you expanding in 2011? Mobile? Social? Good old-fashioned direct mail or DRTV? You’ll find lots of ideas in this issue to jumpstart your new year’s resolution for a smarter marketing plan.
And while some folks hit January 1 with a resolve to drop some weight, we’re bulking up our portfolio. (Yep, here comes more shameless self-promotion — hey, we didn’t promise not to toot our own horn this year. We’re not that silly.)
To offer our readers more targeted and relevant information you can use right now, we’ve introduced several new enewsletters, including Chief Direct Marketer, Chief Data Marketer, Chief Social Marketer, Chief Web Marketer and Chief Mobile Marketer.
Can’t get enough of the Tip Sheets from each issue of our print magazine? Check out Chief Marketer Tip Sheet, our new twice-monthly enewsletter offering PDF downloads of tips on a different topic each issue.
To highlight the exemplary winners of the Pro Awards and the Interactive Marketing Awards, we’re created Promo’s Master Class, a twice-monthly newsletter featuring the stories behind those successful campaigns.
And, don’t forget our continuing popular enewsletters Email Essentials, Promo Xtra, Promo Incentives and Chief Business Marketer.
To subscribe, visit http://subscribe.chiefmarketer.com and http://subscribe.promomagazine.com.
