Downright Fascinating Social Media and Web Commerce Trends
November 15, 2008
Downright Fascinating Social Media and Web Commerce Trends
The following is important fodder for eBay sellers, ecommerce sites, and general Web commerce audiences. It’s even fascinating to the lay person. That said,…
Marianne Kolbasuk McGee wrote a great article on Web trends in the November 26, 2007 issue of InformationWeek. There is so much going on in this market.. the mind reels. Here’s a taste from the lead:
“The old days of companies tightly controlling a marketing message are gone…The interactive forces of the Internet - including social networking sites, online discussion boards, and blogs - are arming consumers with tools that can quickly and exponentially spread the word to other would-be customers if a product stinks or a company blunders… Companies such as Charles Schwab and OnStar are creating Internet platforms to literally read the minds of consumers, seeking out insights that directly drive their new product strategies.” [my emphasis]
This reminded me of AdWords, of course. AdWords is great for driving business or clicks to your site via general advertising techniques. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that AdWords is a great tool for testing promos, floating new ideas, and reading the minds of consumers. And it’s cheap!.. given the right niched-out keywords.
The article details various ways companies like FedEx, eBay, Schwab and others are using the social connectivity of Web 2.0 (I hate saying Web 2.0, but I did, shame) to their advantage. FedEx’s CIO Rob Carter says, (paraphrased from the article) “The explosive growth of this connectivity has been ‘completely underestimated’ in how it will affect society and markets.” I concur.
The article also talks about some fascinating new trends, like having your Second Life avatar or character purchase things for you or book reservations for you online. I know, that sounds crazy. But think about it. Why the heck not? If you build the right character, with all your tastes, desires, wish lists and so forth, why not set him free on a shopping spree? I’ve never played Second Life, but I assume there are vendors in there, like Amazon.com. (If you know how this works, please comment below and enlighten us.) FedEx’s Carter comments in the article, “Second Life has enough momentum to make us wonder: What if this identity I’ve built could spill over into my daily life and get things done for me?” Your avatar would be like an information robot – tuned to all your preferences and guided by “business rules” that determine decisions.
Carter extends the concepts further, saying, “The greatest opportunities lie in socially networking corporations together – horizontally, across business processes, which don’t necessarily live within your four walls anymore.” Great example = Gaming like Second Life supporting commerce like FedEx and Amazon.com.
The article describes how some companies like OnStar use Nielsen BuzzMetrics to analyze how they’re performing in “consumer-generated media.” This is another hot topic, worthy of another post, probably.
There’s a cool story about Dell’s celebrity advertising campaigns, too. I’ll blog more on that later, too.
In the mean time, read the article. It’s a mind bender.
Alpha Software: Because writing code from scratch once is enough
November 15, 2008
Alpha Software: Because writing code from scratch once is enough
Last week we demoed the as-yet-pre-beta Alpha Five Version 10 for Tech Republic’s Justin James. Justin seemed to like what he saw. But he also brought up a constant concern he hears from developers, which is what we call the “anyone but Microsoft” problem.
What this means is developers are comfortable committing to platforms such as Microsoft’s, Sun’s, or Oracle’s, etc., because they believe — in our view, incorrectly — that these are a safe bet, because they are provided by the big guys. And that means, in developers’ minds, that they will not be making a commitment to a platform that will lock them in or abandon them.
Add to that the fact that Alpha can be viewed by developers as a “proprietary” platform, because it’s an all-in-one solution that you build, debug, and deploy in. (Forget the fact, for a moment, that all commercial platforms can be deemed proprietary.)
Fortunately, we have what we think is a rational answer to this conundrum, which we shared with Justin. It starts with this argument: We’ve been around for over two decades, and our developers have never been in a situation where they couldn’t upgrade from one version to the next, or had to write their code from scratch because we made their version obsolete.
Compare that to Microsoft, for example, which over the past few years forced its Visual Basic and Visual FoxPro developers to throw out 100 percent of their code, and rewrite their apps from scratch, in order to take advantage of a newer platform.
Microsoft isn’t the first dev tools company that’s done this. It won’t be the last. It happens again and again in our industry. In fact, we wrote a white paper on the topic to counter the flawed notion that you don’t get fired for buying Microsoft (or some other big player’s appdev platform).
The demo with Justin reminded me that it’s probably a good time to bring the white paper to the forefront again. I encourage anyone who’s concerned about Alpha being a proprietary platform to take a few minutes and review it.
Pretend to act surprised: I’m speaking at eMetrics!
Today we made the official announcement of my upcoming presentation at eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit in Washington, D.C. this month.
In typical Alpha fashion, I had already spilled the beans here on the blog (I just can’t help it when I get excited), but the press release was released today.
Are any of our Alpha blog readers planning on attending the conference? Feel free to use our comments section to connect with one another before you go. Hope to see you there!
Alpha Software Chairman to Speak at 2008 eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit
Richard Rabins Will Cover the Latest Techniques for Effective Database Marketing
BURLINGTON, Mass. — (BUSINESS WIRE) – Alpha Software’s Co-Chairman Richard Rabins will be showing marketers how they can strike gold by using database technology to analyze and act on their Web traffic data when he speaks at the upcoming eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit in Washington, D.C. Rabins and co-presenter Janet Park, an Alpha Five database developer and President of Marketing Frontiers, will share the stage when they present, “How to Discover the Faces Behind your Clicks” at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, Va.
“Most organizations don’t realize that they’re sitting on a wealth of detailed customer information that, when tapped into and used intelligently, can boost sales and revenue growth,” Rabins says. “In less than 60 minutes, we’ll show attendees how they can integrate their existing Web data with easy-to-use analysis tools and reporting, which in the end, will open their eyes to the marketing power of Web analytics. They’ll learn how to clean, standardize, append, slice, and dice their Web data to deliver relevant, targeted communications to customers with the highest buying potential.”
“Most companies are focused on standard analytics reports about visits and pages without realizing how much leveraged value there is in appending that information with company names and addresses and more,” says Jim Sterne, Producer of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit and Chairman of the Web Analytics Association. “This is a great opportunity to learn how a medium sized company takes advantage of significant segmentation power.”
Since its inception in 2002, the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit has been attracting marketing managers, Web analysts, and business intelligence experts who want to learn techniques that will increase the return on their online marketing investments. The international conference series is recognized as the premier event for optimizing online marketing value.
ABOUT ALPHA SOFTWARE
Since 1982, Alpha Software has been providing developers with award-winning tools that make it easy to rapidly build robust database and business applications. Today over 1 million developers rely on Alpha Software’s flagship platform, Alpha Five, to build desktop, client-server, distributed, Web 2.0, and AJAX applications for organizations of any size—from SOHO to the Fortune 100. Every day, tens of millions of people and businesses rely on applications built in Alpha Five. With the introduction of Alpha Five Version 9 Platinum Edition in 2008, Alpha Software set new standards for speed of development, portability, reporting, and security for database applications of all stripes. The company is privately held, and based in Burlington, Mass. Alpha Software can be found on the Web at http://www.alphasoftware.com.
PRESS RESOURCES
Media contact
Kate Ritchie
610-642-8253, ext. 162
KateR@GregoryFCA.com
Alpha Five Platinum microsite
http://www.alphasoftware.com/alphafive/platinum/index.asp
Alpha Software blog
http://blog.alphasoftware.com
Alpha Software home page
http://www.alphasoftware.com
USER REFERENCES, IMAGES, AND PRESS EVALUATION COPIES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
Review copies available: PRESS & BLOGGERS ONLY
PhD Position in Accounting - University of Amsterdam
November 14, 2008
PhD Position in Accounting - University of Amsterdam
PhD Position in Accounting
University of Amsterdam Faculty of Economics and Business / Amsterdam Business School
Amsterdam, 1018WB (Noord-Holland) , hours per week
Job description
The project is entitled: The Construction of Assurance Expertise on Sustainability
The past decade has seen the emergence of practice in assurance on sustainability reports (‘sustainability assurance’) with high profile professional accountancy bodies such as the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, placing the development of a sustainability assurance standard near the top of its strategic agenda. This in-depth longitudinal field study aims to enhance our theoretical and empirical understanding of the processes surrounding the emergence of sustainability assurance. Empirically, the study will examine the role and focus of key actors in the emergence of assurance concentrating on: how competing claims to professional expertise in sustainability assurance have been constructed and legitimised; the dominant and shifting assurance discourses; and how target audiences have reacted to these discourses. Theoretically, the study will draw on frameworks derived from Actor Network Theory and neo-institutional theory. The study calls for a broad range of research methods competencies, particularly in qualitative methods, an excellent ability think conceptually, competence in research liaison with organizations and high level individuals, and excellent external presentation skills.
Requirements
Required education/skills: University Graduate
* Master’s (MSc) in the area of accounting (or equivalent) with excellent examination results in both course work and the MSc thesis component;
* Interest and experience in field research (for example, in the MSc thesis);
* Demonstrated Mastery of both written and spoken English;
* Conviction to complete the requirements toward a PhD degree within four years.
Job type: Research / Advising
Workfield(s) :
- Teaching & Research(Scientific discipline: Economics)
Organization
University of Amsterdam
Faculty of Economics and Business / Amsterdam Business School
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is a university with an internationally acclaimed profile, located at the heart of the Dutch capital. As well as a world center for business and research, Amsterdam is a hub of cultural and media activities. The University of Amsterdam is a member of the League of European Research Universities.
The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) provides academic courses in accounting, finance, management, marketing, economics, and econometrics. It also conducts international research in these areas. The Amsterdam Business School and the Amsterdam School of Economics form part of the FEB.
Conditions of employment
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: see below
Additional conditions of employment:
The appointment will initially be for 18 months, to be extended to a total of 4 years upon excellent performance (an evaluation will be held after 14 months). The salary will be in accordance with the University regulations for academic personnel, and will range from € 2,000 (first year) up to a maximum of € 2,558 (final year) gross per month. The collective employment agreement of the Dutch universities will be applicable. The PhD thesis should be finalised within four years. In this period, the candidate will also be expected to do some teaching (20% of the time).
Additional Information
Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:
Professor Brendan O’Dwyer
Telephone number: 31 20 525 4260
E-mail address: b.g.d.odwyer@ uva.nl
Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links:
* About the organization (http://www.uva. nl/start. cfm/la=en/ th=main)
* About the department (http://www.abs. uva.nl/)
* About the function (http://www.uva. nl/vacatures/ vacatures. cfm/6FFD1F92- 1321-B0BE- 6890350BCDF7D43B)
Application
You can apply for this job before 21-11-2008 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:
University of Amsterdam Business School, Personnel Department
Bernadette Clemens
Roetersstraat 11
1018 WB Amsterdam
The Netherlands
E-mail: applications- feb@uva.nl
When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber AT 08-5037.
Follow up on Duke’s Motion and Two Other Items
The Administration’s Motion Denied
As predicted, the judge in the civil suits denied the Duke administration’s motion to sanction opposing counsel for an alleged violation of Rule 3.6. (See previous post.) Here are details from the News and Observer and the Chronicle.
I wrote a letter to the Chronicle in which I call the actions by Duke’s counsel unprofessional. Understand that this motion was not a request for relief from any alleged harm. The administration’s lawyer denied in court that the motion was a request for a gag order. The motion was solely an attack on the integrity of Charles Cooper and his colleagues and, as I suggested in the previous post, one that had no basis in law. A bar complaint is a very serious matter touching on both the character and professional qualifications of an attorney. It should not be made lightly and certainly not to try and score a rhetorical point.
The administration’s motion is also a mean spirited cheap shot against the players who were also specifically targeted. Although Rule 3.6 only applies to attorneys, the motion requested that the court make a finding that “Plaintiffs and their counsel” violated Rule 3.6 and the local rule incorporating it. It accuses them of violating one of the same rules that their tormentor and the administration’s erstwhile codefendant, Mike Nifong did.
While the administration’s attorneys were rummaging through the Rules of Professional Conduct, perhaps they missed Rule 3.1:
A lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, which includes a good faith argument for an extension, modification or reversal of existing law.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)(2) has a similar requirement.
It is hard to see the administration’s motion as a good faith argument for the extension, modification or reversal of existing law. Interpreting a statute or rule is a matter of reading the text, which is entirely controlling, and there was no suggestion that the language used is vague or ambiguous. Duke’s argument that the spirit of the rule was violated, even if it were true, is utterly beside the point. Moreover, Rule 3.6(b)(2), the public documents exception, appears specifically intended to operate as a safe harbor rule for lawyers trying to comply with the general rule stated in Rule 3.6(a). Finally, even if the court did announce a new rule, it could not give it retroactive effect.
What we are left with the administration is attempting to try the case in the media under the guise of upholding the exact opposite principle. For the administration, appearances have always been the only thing that mattered. Still, this is a new low.
Elmo a Citizen
Congratulations to Moezeldin Elmostafa, or “Elmo” as he affectionately came to be known to supporters of the accused players, who recently became a US citizen. He was also recently named “Hero of the Year” by Reader’s Digest magazine. Durham needs more citizens like him.
Elmo was the taxi driver who picked up Reade Seligmann from the party and was able to help document Reade’s alibi. After Reade’s alibi came to light, Mike Nifong sent two detectives working on the lacrosse case to arrest Elmo on a stale warrant. When they arrested him, they asked him if he “had anything new to say about the lacrosse case.” When he said no, they then took him to a magistrate. He was eventually found innocent at trial.
I hope that the recent renewed publicity will focus attention on one loose end that remains in making Nifong fully accountable for his conduct. Attempting to alter the testimony of a witness is obstruction of justice. While Nifong’s ethical misconduct was addressed by the North Carolina Bar, he has never been made to account for his criminal conduct. Also suspicious was Nifong’s conduct in relation to another witness, the second dancer Kim Roberts. The same day that Nifong personally intervened to have her bail reduced on an unrelated criminal charge, she started giving an account that contradicted her earlier statement to police that no rape had occurred.
Elmo’s case also should be instructive to those who saw Nifong as some sort of champion for social justice because he was targeting affluent or supposedly affluent people. As an immigrant looking to become a citizen, Elmo was one of the most vulnerable people in our society. A criminal conviction of any kind could have resulted in his deportation and permanent exclusion from the United States. Yet, Nifong was as willing to maliciously prosecute him for his own purposes as he was Reade, Collin and David. Indeed, given the fact that Elmo refused to change his story when pressured by police, Nifong’s decision to prosecute him anyway was purely vindictive.
Amended Complaint
Bob Ekstrand who is representing three of the players in the civil suits recently filed an amended complaint which contains additional allegations and information. It also contains embedded audio and video exhibits. Warning! It is a huge file (121 MB). Such is the extent of the misdeeds of Duke and Durham’s leaders.
PhD Position in Accounting - University of Amsterdam
November 14, 2008
PhD Position in Accounting - University of Amsterdam
PhD Position in Accounting
University of Amsterdam Faculty of Economics and Business / Amsterdam Business School
Amsterdam, 1018WB (Noord-Holland) , hours per week
Job description
The project is entitled: The Construction of Assurance Expertise on Sustainability
The past decade has seen the emergence of practice in assurance on sustainability reports (‘sustainability assurance’) with high profile professional accountancy bodies such as the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, placing the development of a sustainability assurance standard near the top of its strategic agenda. This in-depth longitudinal field study aims to enhance our theoretical and empirical understanding of the processes surrounding the emergence of sustainability assurance. Empirically, the study will examine the role and focus of key actors in the emergence of assurance concentrating on: how competing claims to professional expertise in sustainability assurance have been constructed and legitimised; the dominant and shifting assurance discourses; and how target audiences have reacted to these discourses. Theoretically, the study will draw on frameworks derived from Actor Network Theory and neo-institutional theory. The study calls for a broad range of research methods competencies, particularly in qualitative methods, an excellent ability think conceptually, competence in research liaison with organizations and high level individuals, and excellent external presentation skills.
Requirements
Required education/skills: University Graduate
* Master’s (MSc) in the area of accounting (or equivalent) with excellent examination results in both course work and the MSc thesis component;
* Interest and experience in field research (for example, in the MSc thesis);
* Demonstrated Mastery of both written and spoken English;
* Conviction to complete the requirements toward a PhD degree within four years.
Job type: Research / Advising
Workfield(s) :
- Teaching & Research(Scientific discipline: Economics)
Organization
University of Amsterdam
Faculty of Economics and Business / Amsterdam Business School
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is a university with an internationally acclaimed profile, located at the heart of the Dutch capital. As well as a world center for business and research, Amsterdam is a hub of cultural and media activities. The University of Amsterdam is a member of the League of European Research Universities.
The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) provides academic courses in accounting, finance, management, marketing, economics, and econometrics. It also conducts international research in these areas. The Amsterdam Business School and the Amsterdam School of Economics form part of the FEB.
Conditions of employment
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: see below
Additional conditions of employment:
The appointment will initially be for 18 months, to be extended to a total of 4 years upon excellent performance (an evaluation will be held after 14 months). The salary will be in accordance with the University regulations for academic personnel, and will range from € 2,000 (first year) up to a maximum of € 2,558 (final year) gross per month. The collective employment agreement of the Dutch universities will be applicable. The PhD thesis should be finalised within four years. In this period, the candidate will also be expected to do some teaching (20% of the time).
Additional Information
Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:
Professor Brendan O’Dwyer
Telephone number: 31 20 525 4260
E-mail address: b.g.d.odwyer@ uva.nl
Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links:
* About the organization (http://www.uva. nl/start. cfm/la=en/ th=main)
* About the department (http://www.abs. uva.nl/)
* About the function (http://www.uva. nl/vacatures/ vacatures. cfm/6FFD1F92- 1321-B0BE- 6890350BCDF7D43B)
Application
You can apply for this job before 21-11-2008 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:
University of Amsterdam Business School, Personnel Department
Bernadette Clemens
Roetersstraat 11
1018 WB Amsterdam
The Netherlands
E-mail: applications- feb@uva.nl
When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber AT 08-5037.
Research Doctoral Fellowship - University of Teeside
Research Doctoral Scholarships
The University of Teesside is offering three full-time Research Doctoral Scholarships across the broad theme of business applied to any area of the public, private or voluntary sectors or partnership working between them. Key areas of research strength within Teesside Business School (TBS) are around public sector management, public governance, HRM, urban and rural regeneration, leisure and tourism, marketing, organisational learning, leadership and strategy. Applications in these areas would be particularly welcome. The award/s will be for a period of three years and include fees (home/EU or international rate) and an annual stipend of £12,940. It is anticipated that the successful candidates will, through their research, also contribute to the delivery of business and/or business-related programmes within TBS for a maximum of 6 hours a week. Successful applicants should be in a position to take up the scholarship by November 2008.
For an informal discussions about these studentships please contact Dr Tom Mordue, Assistant Dean (Research), Teesside Business School: T.Mordue@Tees. ac.uk. Phone: +44 (0)1642 342808.
Research Doctoral Scholarships applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification and ideally a postgraduate qualification. The minimum English language entry level is IELTS 6.5 with no grade below 6.0 or equivalent.
To apply for a scholarship you must contact the Graduate Research School for an application form:
University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships
Graduate Research School
University of Teesside
Middlesbrough
Tees Valley
TS1 3BA
UK
Email: graduateresearchsch ool@tees. ac.uk or tel: +44 (0)1642 738033
Closing date: 27 October 2008
Boosting your Business with Mailing-manager Pro
November 14, 2008
Boosting your Business with Mailing-manager Pro
The life of any company is unimaginable without communication which is one of the crucial factors. It has an impact on the development of any business. Sending business mail is one of the most popular ways acknowledged by the majority. Business mail can be used for various purposes. For instance, it can be used for communication within a specific company. With the help of business mail you can
How to discover the faces behind your clicks
In October, Janet Park and I gave a presentation at the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit in Washington, D.C. We titled our talk, How to Discover the Faces Behind your Clicks, and spoke about how your business’s success isn’t necessarily based on how many people are visiting your site, but rather who. We also demonstrated some pretty cool ways to find out exactly who is doing the clicking.
Conference attendees had a real interest in our topic, so I thought it would be worthwhile to share our presentation with you here on the blog. Take a look at the Power Point, and let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Enter to Win 250 Free Postcards - Exclusive Offer from UPrinting and The Marketing Blog
November 13, 2008
Enter to Win 250 Free Postcards - Exclusive Offer from UPrinting and The Marketing Blog
Everyone knows how effective postcard marketing can be. Postcards offer a great way to cut through clutter and move your target audience to action. The Marketing Blog has teamed up with UPrinting.com to offer you a chance to win 250 free postcards (details at bottom of post).
Direct marketing has become quite costly these days. With increased printing costs, paper, and postage, making the most of your direct marketing budget is more important that ever before. That’s where postcard marketing comes into play. Postcards can cut through clutter and put your promotion in front of your prospects quickly and easily.
How can you make your postcard marketing deliver exceptional result? Follow these helpful tips for generating profitable postcard campaigns.
2. Develop a compelling offer. Make sure that your offer is valuable enough to generate action. Free samples, buy-one-get-one offers, and so on, are most effective.
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4. Provide a teaser. The purpose of most postcard campaigns is to generate some type of action. This could be a visit to your store, website, or 1-800 number. One of the most effective ways is with a teaser that encourages individuals to learn more by visiting your website or visiting your store.
5. Test. Test multiple postcard sizes, offers, and designs. The key to successful postcard marketing is to continually test and improve your campaigns with the knowledge you gain from each mailing.
To get started on an effective postcard campaign, enter our free drawing. Simply follow these instructions.
How to Enter
1. Become a Fan of Postcards by logging into Facebook.com and going to the page:
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2. Leave a comment at the end of this blog post by clicking on the comments link, using your Facebook name/username and tell us what you would use the postcards for.
Prize
250 Postcards for 1 Lucky Reader
You can choose from any of our stocks, including the Extra Thick 14pt. Cover: Gloss (AQ), Matte or the 13 pt. Cover Uncoated (Recycled) stock at a size of 4×6.
Rules
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Postcards provide by UPrinting.com. UPrinting.com offers a full spectrum of printing services for postcards. We offer custom sizing and templates as well as design help through our U-Design service. We also offer mailing services to help you get your finished postcards out to your customers in an efficient, affordable and hassle free way.
PhD in DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data-NLDA/Delft
November 9, 2008
PhD in DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data-NLDA/Delft
Ph.D. Research Assistantship to Explore the Potential of DSP for Digital Terrain Elevation Data at the Netherlands Defense Academy and Delft University of Technology
With today’s digital signal processing capabilities, it becomes possible to optimize the performance parameters of a navigation system for a particular set of intended applications. The Netherlands Defense Academy and the Delft University of Technology are providing an opportunity of a Ph.D. research assistantship to explore opportunities in the field of Terrain Reference Navigation (TRN) by using digital signal processing techniques that were originally developed for the acquisition and tracking of GPS signals.
The goal of the research is to contribute to the creation of a design framework which can be used to match technology and processing concepts to a particular set of navigation system performance requirements. The focus lies on exploring the potential of various digital signal processing concepts for matching a set of distance measurements with a stored database of the environment.
The candidate should hold a Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science,
applied mathematics or any other relevant study with substantial knowledge on data
processing. Research will be conducted both at the Netherlands Defense Academy and at
Delft University of Technology. Leaders of the project are established researchers in the
field of applied mathematics, geomatics and electronics. Contact Prof. P.J. Oonincx, Netherlands Defense Academy, at [pj.oonincx AT nlda.nl]. More information about the Netherlands Defense Academy can be found here http://www.nlda. nl
Beasiswa S2 USA: Master Programme in Advance Management Studies at JAIMS
THE FUJITSU ASIA PACIFIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
A full-tuition Scholarship For Management Training in Hawaii.
Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace, established the Fujitsu Asia Pacific Scholarship Program in 1985. The Scholarship was established to enhance international understanding and cross-cultural communication through management education and training. Fujitsu is committed to promoting the development of both technology and human resources at global level.
East-West Knowledge Leader Program (EWKLP)
An intensive three-month Graduate diploma program at JAIMS in Honolulu, Hawaii. JAIMS is a nonprofit postgraduate institute that has been a pioneer in intercultural management education since 1972. Over 22,000 participants from 59 countries have come to JAIMS to learn skill essential for success in the international arena.
JAIMS
* Intercultural Business Leadership
* Global Marketing
* Cross-Cultural negotiation and Problem-solving
* Business Plan Development and Entrepreneurship
* Business Communication
* One-week field study in Japan
Program Information: www.jaims.org
Application Deadline: January 31st, 2009
Please send your application letter and CV to:
PT. FUJITSU INDONESIA
Wisma Kyoei Prince 10thFloor
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav.3-4
Jakarta 10220
Indonesia
Attn: Mr. Raditya Padmawangsa
Ms. Ella Lamzia
E-mail: scholarship@id.fujitsu.com
Scholarship information: www.fujitsu.com/scholarship
PPC Bully Shows You How To Improve Your Pay Per Click Results
November 9, 2008
PPC Bully Shows You How To Improve Your Pay Per Click Results
In the last couple of years, most marketers have increased their spend on Pay Per Click advertising at a faster rate than any other type of marketing. Why? Because Pay-per-click advertising, a.k.a PPC, is one of the most effective ways to target your prospects with the right message at the right time. And the greatest aspect of PPC? It’s measurable.
As an online marketer, I have companies asking me to review their products on a daily basis. To be truthful, I only review those products that I think can provide benefit to whatever I happen to be working on at the moment. I know it might seem selfish, but I’m only interested in tools that are going to improve my marketing results.
Enter PPC Bully. For the last couple of months, I’ve been spending a lot of time improving my pay per click results. I think the major driver is that sales on some of my key products are slowing - due to the lagging economy and reluctance of consumers to spend. As a result, I’ve been looking toward PPC to help manage my marketing budget and improve results.
What I found unique about this product is that it helped me to create profitable, fully optimized PPC campaigns, the minute I launched them.
As you already know, pay-per-click campaigns take a lotof trial and error. You set up your keywords, write yourads and track conversions until you find just the rightcombination that works the best.
PPC Bully, a brand new research and analysis tool, allows you to know up front what works - and what doesn’t. You get to see exactly what your competitors are doing, cash inon their “test” and launch with the most lucrative combinations possible. To better understand how PPC Bully works, check out the demo video on their homepage. It walks you through the basic process.
I guarantee that you will be amazed at how helpful and beneficial this tool can be for your marketing efforts. I was using two other tools to help with my PPC and I’ve stopped using them in exchange for this one.
Enjoy,
Michael - Internet Marketing Expert
Market Your Products On EBay: Making Money In Tough Times
November 9, 2008
Market Your Products On EBay: Making Money In Tough Times
As times get tough more and more businesses are turning to ebay. Whether you’re trying to sell your own inventory, or trying to make big money selling products or services from other manufacturers, ebay is thriving in these uncertain times.
There are a variety of marketing programs to help you succeed on ebay. Here are the most popular:
1) SaleHoo Wholesale/eBay Directory. Stop spinning your wheels and join one of the largest, safest wholesale communities on the internet. Over 50,000 other online sellers, retailers and bargain hunters have discovered the best place to find legitimate, pre-screened wholesalers, drop shippers, liquidators and manufacturers for every type of product imaginable.
2) Build A Niche Store. Succeed as an eBay affiliate. Build A Niche Store (BANS) is a store / website development platform which enables you to create content based sites that generate income through the eBay affiliate programs. Over the past year and a half our “Niche Store” concept has really evolved and BANS has grown into a “proven” product with lots of positive feedback and success stories scattered across the web.
3) Auction Acrobat - eBay Delivery Automation Software. The most viable solution to eBay’s digital product ban. Auction Acrobat is not just a software but an automated sales machine that delivers CD/DVD’s, build a buyer list, and much much more… Now you can make long term residual income on eBay without selling!
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5) Content Website Builder. Create a website in 2 easy steps for eBay. Content Website Builder is an easy to use website creation software. You can make websites with hundreds of self-updating dynamic pages with keyword rich text, images, and videos. Integrated eBay, Adsense, Amazon, Yahoo!Answers and YouTube.
6) Auction Classified Cash. This product shows you how to create the perfect eBay classified ads that put more cash into your pocket and more subscribers on your lists. This program is most effective for those new to eBay or looking to improve the profitability of their sales.
7) The Silent Sales Machine Hiding On EBay. This top selling products is approaching 100,000 copies sold. Called one of the “most creative eBay ebooks ever written” by leading affiliate magazines, The Silent Sales Machine Hiding On Ebay is your key to eBay success. The product includes free upgrades (version 6 Releasing Soon).
Money Animal. Don’t let the name fool you. This product just launched and includes an exceptional member network and affiliate support. Learn to work from home by following step-by-step instruction for traffic using Adwords and EBay for online income. Full support is provided. See there sales page!
9) Auction Inspector. Niche software for eBay. If you are struggling to find profitable products to sell on eBay, then the Auction Inspector is for you. They guarantee to find you products that will make you money and that you can actually sell on eBay.
10) Become An eBay PowerSeller In 90 Days. This program has helped 1000s of people gain eBay PowerSeller status and achieve their online goals. Work from the comfort of your own home and earn the income you deserve.
Selling on ebay is a great marketing solution in today’s tough economic times. Learn to sell on eBay and your business will thrive even though the market continues to tumble. Marketing on ebay is easy to do and requires little or no startup costs.
Focus On Renewals After the Sale
November 8, 2008
Focus On Renewals After the Sale
There have been times when my marketing colleagues sit in a room and discuss current customers who have subscribed to a service - wondering how to get them to renew. Unfortunately, this is the wrong conversation to have.
The best time to renew a client is from the first day after a sale. You need to provide evidence of value to your existing customers from day one… not just day’s before their service expires. Do you have products or services that must be renewed on a regular basis?
Think about engagement. Do you engage your customer in a dialog throughout the year? There are a number of tactics for doing so that will help you engage your customer, develop a relationships and prove value.
1. Newsletters or announcements. Each month, give yourself and your company a reason to reach out to your customers with information that’s valuable to them. Don’t underestimate the power of frequent communication. Be flexible with your content and include opportunities to solicit feedback from your customers.
2. Customer surveys. Ask your customers through an online survey what matters most to them. Show them that their opinion matters. But don’t stop there. Once you ask them to complete a survey, college the responses and analyze them. Once you have something meaningful to share, distribute your findings. Customers will see the value your provide and develop more trust in you and your services.
3. Share best practices. Whether it’s a white paper, brief, or forum, share information you’ve learned from you customers and distribute to a larger group. Share these findings in various formats. This shows that you value your customers’ time and want to make them successful.
These are just a few of the tactics for communicating the value of your products and services to your customers. When it comes time to renew, you won’t have to sell. Your customers will inherently know and feel that value you’ve provided over the past year.
Remember, the time to renew is now. Don’t wait until days before the subscription is about to end to make your first contact. As they say, get out in front of the curve. Over time, this strategy will help you exceed your sales goals and allow you to develop a large following.
