If consumers can dedicate a month to celebrating ice cream (National Ice Cream Month, in July), then I decree that October 2013 is National Marketing Month. When tastefully done, marketing is just as satisfying as ice cream, but with fewer calories.
Plus, this October is a big month for us here at Direct Marketing News. It all starts on October 1 with Customer Experience Day. I’ll be joining in a blog carnival to celebrate, hosted by CXPA. It’s one of many live and online activities scheduled throughout the day. My post will discuss the value of CX to marketers. (Hint: Happy customers are more profitable customers.)
The DMN team then hits the road for DMA2013, where we’ll practice the multichannel we preach. We’ll get our game on with Marketing Mavens Live, asking booth visitors to complete a set of educational tasks—all for a chance to win an iPod Mini (oh, yeah!). We’re also going to bring “One Tough Question” to life on stage in three Town Square sessions:
Sunday, October 13; 3:00-3:25 – Three customer loyalty experts debate whether emotional or behavioral loyalty is more valuable to business performance. Panelists include Dennis Armbruster of LoyaltyOne, RAPP’s Craig Lister, and Rami El-Zeini of AIMIA. I’ll be there to moderate.
Monday, October 14; 11:25-11:50 – Where does the responsibility lie for customers’ privacy in terms of data used for marketing? Find out from Teradata Applications’ Lisa Arthur, Quinn Jalli of Epsilon, and Todd Cullen of OgilvyOne when DMN’s Elyse Dupré asks them a series of tough questions.
Tuesday, October 15; 4:05-4:30 – As marketers’ use of data intensifies, some fear that creativity will suffer. DMN’s Allison Schiff will host a panel discussion on whether data helps or hinders creativity. Panelists debating the issue: Nancy Harhut of The Wilde Agency, OgilvyOne New York’s Alfonso Marian, Zain Raj of Zed Holdings, and Adobe’s Jeff Allen.
If you’ll be at DMA2013, too, be sure to join us and join in.
But, wait, there’s more
I have the distinction of also moderating two DMA2013 mainstage panel discussions—both of which are torn from the pages of Direct Marketing News. One is based on our February 2013 cover story, “Top Five Privacy Issues…Revealed.” The panel features DMA’s Jerry Cerasale, Dennis Dayman of Oracle, and Brian Pearson of LoyatlyOne. During the other session, “The Glass is Broken: Women Executives Give Their Perspective on Today’s Marketing Environment,” two of DMN’s 2013 Marketing Hall of Femme winners—Teradata Applications CMO Lisa Arthur and Wunderman CMO Trish Wheaton—will examine the current marketing landscape and how the Data Revolution will continue to permeate all aspects of our lives.
Big news
Which brings me to another defining moment in October: DMN is opening the call for entries for the 2014 Marketing Hall of Femme. If you know a chief marketer at the top of her game, now is the time to nominate her. We’ll be feting the winners in grand style on Friday, March 21 in New York. (Yes, there will be bubbly.) Visit dmnews.com/femme to get all the details. The deadline for nominations is Friday, December 13.
