As more consumers spend time surfing the Web, more marketers are turning to online advertising in their quest to reach their customers where they are.

The question, as always, is how do you get the most bang for your marketing buck online? One answer may be to stretch that buck further, from sales and brand awareness to social responsibility.

In our May 1 cover story, "Give Back with a Click," we take a look at sponsor-supported click-to-donate Web sites as viable advertising vehicles. You're investing in online advertising anyway, so you might want to use that money not only to build your online brand presence but also to affiliate your brand with a charitable cause, such as breast cancer research or hunger prevention. Read the cover story in our May 1 issue to learn more.

Also, check out contributing writer Daniel Honigman's interview with Fred Taylor, senior manager of the "proactive customer service communications department" for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. Southwest knows a thing or two about effective customer service: The airline received the fewest complaints per 100,000 passengers out of the 16 leading airlines researched in a recent survey. Taylor's title just about says it all, doesn't it?

Please check out our latest issue and let us know what you think.

Posted by Elisabeth at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

To coincide with Tax Day, Marketing News is running two feature stories that address tightening marketing budgets-- that dreaded topic-- in a not-so-gloomy light. A recession may be upon us, and corporate America may feel its lingering effects into the next calendar year, but that doesn't mean marketers should just batten down the hatches...

Consider this an opportunity to hone in on the strategies that work. Get the most out of your money. And read contributing writer Daniel Honigman's "The Recession Blues" in our April 15th print issue to find out more.

My feature, "Just Say No," might give you a few ideas on how to more effectively target customers who matter by weeding out those who don't.

Read them both for ideas on how to leverage your marketing dollars. And while you're at it, check out Daniel's interview with Leonard Bayer, chief scientist at Rochester, N.Y.-based research firm Harris Interactive, and columnist Michael Krauss' look at Ketchum and Omnicom's new word-of-mouth marketing division, Zocalo Group.

Let us know what you think.

Posted by Elisabeth at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The Swedish vodka maker posted a response to the controversy generated by its ad in Mexico, which can be read on Absolut's blog here, complete with consumer comments.

The response's text also is pasted below:

In an ABSOLUT World according to Mexico
Posted Friday, April 04, 2008, 5:26:34 PM

By Paula Eriksson, VP Corporate Communications, V&S Absolut Spirits

Read more on AdAge.com here.

Posted by Elisabeth at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Swedish vodka maker Absolut is stirring up controversy along with mixed drinks-- on a global scale.

The Los Angeles Times reported in its La Plaza blog last week that Absolut has launched an ad campaign in Mexico touting an 'Absolut World' in which North America's internal borders would predate the Mexican-American War of 1848. In other words, states stretching from California to Texas would still be part of the United States' neighbor to the south.

Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Times

Though the campaign was intended to "tap into the national pride of Mexicans," it has also met with a less-than-enthusiastic response in the blogosphere, according to the L.A. Times.

“I find this ad deeply offensive, and needlessly divisive. I will now make a point of drinking other brands. And 'vodka and tonic' is my drink,” one Internet user, called New Yorker, wrote on MexicoReporter.com, the L.A. Times reported.

Even explicitly targeted ads now have global reach, thanks to the Internet and impassioned bloggers. This one sure made a splash. A string of consumer comments have been posted to the La Plaza blog entry. Take a look here.

From a marketer's perspective, what do you think? Is the ad worth all of the controversy? Did Absolut intend to make a statement on immigration rather than on a historic land grab?

As the ad seems to have stirred national pride-- and defensive instincts-- on both sides of the border, how might this play out?

(Thanks to MN's contributing writer Daniel Honigman for bringing this topic to our attention.)

Posted by Elisabeth at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)