The Engagement Principles

Landing pages have long been the darling of the online world; they continue the dialog begun when a prospect clicked on an ad or link. Yet landing pages are rarely truly interactive — one of the cornerstones of true customer engagement.
It’s precisely the capacity for reader engagement that’s driving microsites to the forefront — […]

Are marketers who fail at engagement marketing doing so because they’re unwilling to look through anything but “old-school” marketing eyes? Is the illusion of control holding back today’s marketer?
That’s the contention of Arthur Ceria in an interesting Chief Marketer piece:
Culture Clash: Building a Bridge Between Brand and Engagement Marketing
Deliver a Compelling ReasonWhat constitutes a compelling […]

Brandweek ran a story on deceptive marketing practices, and because of my outspoken advocacy of ethical marketing, I was extensively quoted.

Titleist plunged headlong into engagement marketing when it created the NXTube.com blog — a humorous blog spoofing its own NXT golf balls.
The site looks amateurish because it’s supposed to, but behind the effort lies the wit of John Cleese — legendary Monty Python comedian.
The blog’s concept is direct (and yes, hilarious): Cleese plays the role […]

Bravo TV has ridden the reality TV wave with a long list of "reality" TV hits, including The Queer Eye For the Straight Guy, Project Runway, Top Chef and others.
"Reality" shows engage readers by offering them compelling characters struggling with real-life situations or competitive pressures (imposed by the programs themselves).
Of course, television isn’t interactive, and […]

You might believe engagement marketing is the province of big companies — those who can afford big-dollar social networks and viral videos produced by top-notch Hollywood talent.
Happily, nothing could be further from the truth.
Witness the industry dominance of Pyramyd Air — the retail leader in the airgun niche.
Airguns??
It’s not glamorous, but like any […]

Interrupt marketing isn’t dead. It’s just receiving fewer marketing dollars, and the trend away from traditional media channels is picking up steam — and fast.
Marketers want to engage customers, and Nike — the one-time interrupt marketing monster in the sports world — is betting on social media and engagement marketing (where brands engage with the […]

Despite the hype, Second Life’s virtual world is proving to be something of a bust for business marketers, who are finding few participants in the virtual stores.

In this month’s installment of my series of business blogging articles for Chief Marketer, I look at the new Britannica Blog — a blog from a knowledge-based brand that’s been around since 1768 — but one that’s plenty capable of learning the latest blogging tricks.
In this case, Brittanica’s wide-ranging blog includes some posts clearly designed […]

Are corporate “loyalty” programs really effective? A recent Direct magazine article suggests the answer is “sortof. And no.”
Does engagement marketing offer any hope?
Loyalty Marketing: Still Growing — But Growing Ineffective?
Designed to drive customer retention, loyalty programs offer a premium (frequent flyer points, rewards points, etc) to keep customers connected and “loyal.” Of course, incentive-based loyalty […]