Q&As

OfficeMax is using an instant-win game to activate its sponsorship of this weekend’s Crosstown Classic series between Chicago’s Cubs and White Sox. The What’s Your Team? Sweeps will award a grand-prize “ultimate fan experience” with the winner’s …

For those e-mailers who go out o their way to do everything right

Online retail sales are growing, and plenty of small merchants have found that the Web is a perfect place to start building a sales empire. But many of them also find that there comes an inflection point in their growth curve when they need a presence in the offline world. That’s been a hard choice to make: All those decisions about optimal location, per-foot prices and overhead costs are the reasons many operators took to the Internet. But the carbon-based choice may get easier, thanks to a new project to give pure-play Internet retailers a foothold in the brick-and-mortar world.

Search marketing is a potent tool: sometimes too potent. Sometimes your keywords call out to searchers who have very little to do with your product, service or content. Consider the unfortunate vacation marketer whose keywords include

The Home Depot earlier this month claimed $43 million in revenues from unused gift cards that it sold from 1998 to 2001. “We have never reported breakage before, so this was just catching up. The amount sounds large, but it covers a four-year period,” …

General Motors Corp. has hired Archer Corporate Services to handle its dealer communications fulfillment in a four-year, $70 million assignment. The firm will handle fulfillment for all GM’s sales, service and marketing materials including brochures, …

The Promotional Products Association International has changed its membership categories to no longer permit international suppliers to exhibit at its trade shows unless they have a physical presence in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, among other changes …

Forget airline miles and free hotel stays. Jameson Inns, Inc. is taking on a whole, new approach to customer loyalty programs. Starting July 1, the Atlanta-based hotel chain will offer loyal customers a share of company stock, as part of Jameson Stock …

General Motors’ retail share is up almost eight points since May, just 12 days after it extended its employee discount to the general public. The incentive is helping the struggling automaker regain retail share of the new vehicle industry, according to …

Blockbuster has begun take two of a successful incentive that pairs avid gamers with the games they love and relevant prizes. The Play 2 Win Sweepstakes! offers gamers the chance to win trips, collectibles, home electronics and other prizes by renting …