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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Five Things to Know about Online Grocery Shopping

Gerald Adler Wrote:
Interesting article. Not sure it will be conducive to my habits...I go down each aisle (sans list!).

While shopping online for consumer packaged goods (CPG) may have come late to the e-commerce party, it is a fast-growing sales channel. In 2010, U.S. online CPG sales reached $12 billion, representing about two percent of all CPG sales. That sales rate is expected to double in four years to $25 billion by 2014. Several market factors and forces are at play making CPG ripe for e-commerce opportunity.

From a demand standpoint, the first generation of ‘digital natives’ are forming households. To these tech-savvy media mavens, online is a way of life for convenient, on-demand and personalized attention. Plus, broadband penetration and mobile adoption rates continue to increase. The “what I want, when I want it and where I want it” trifecta will be complete for the majority.

On the supply side, the economies of scale for retailers are building as the online channel provides a greater awareness and availability of distribution opportunities. For manufacturers, online enables a deeper, more personalized relationship with the shopper – delivering on the full promise of category management.

Five things to know about online grocery shopping:

* Consumers love online grocery shopping, but it takes time getting used to. You can simply the process by improving the online experience with navigation, search, online help and porting over shopping lists. Deliver a better time-saving experience and consumers will hang on.
* Online baskets are different than offline baskets. The average transaction size is much larger for food and beverages ($80 online / $30 offline) and health and beauty purchase ($30 online / $10 offline). And online shopping offers a greater mix of pack sizes and categories.
* Consumer perceptions and purchase behaviors are affected in important ways. The interactions with the online ‘store’ environment are fundamentally different than an in-store experience. The online experience is fueled by a needs-driven experience as a greater variety of options are made available on screen.
* Online shopping “levels the playing field”. Big brand ‘physical’ advantages do not translate online. With universal distribution and search functionality an inherent bias toward niche players is created. Ultimately, price transparency, connectivity and open content favor a purely ‘rational’ market.
* Large and small brands can win online by combining marketing savvy with digital capabilities to add value. With interactive websites, smartphone applications and social media connections, expanding your brands in new and innovative directions is virtually limitless.

Online grocery shopping is no longer coming – it has arrived. Now is the time to get in the game and determine how your brand can add value in new ways across consumer touch points. It is not only a shopper’s market, but a marketer’s market. The rate of change is accelerating and so it the rate of opportunity for creative marketers who embrace the digital revolution.

These and other insights were highlighted in a Nielsen webinar held May 24. Click here to download the webinar, Balancing Act: Aligning E-Commerce with Today’s CPG Shopper.

Balancing Act: Aligning E-Commerce with Today’s CPG ShopperWhile shopping online for consumer packaged goods (CPG) may have come late to the e-commerce party, it is a fast-growing sales channel. In 2010, U.S. online CPG sales reached $12 billion, representing about two percent of all CPG sales. That sales rate is expected to double in four years to $25 billion by 2014. Several market factors and forces are at play making CPG ripe for e-commerce opportunity.

From a demand standpoint, the first generation of ‘digital natives’ are forming households. To these tech-savvy media mavens, online is a way of life for convenient, on-demand and personalized attention. Plus, broadband penetration and mobile adoption rates continue to increase. The “what I want, when I want it and where I want it” trifecta will be complete for the majority.

On the supply side, the economies of scale for retailers are building as the online channel provides a greater awareness and availability of distribution opportunities. For manufacturers, online enables a deeper, more personalized relationship with the shopper – delivering on the full promise of category management.

Five things to know about online grocery shopping:

* Consumers love online grocery shopping, but it takes time getting used to. You can simply the process by improving the online experience with navigation, search, online help and porting over shopping lists. Deliver a better time-saving experience and consumers will hang on.
* Online baskets are different than offline baskets. The average transaction size is much larger for food and beverages ($80 online / $30 offline) and health and beauty purchase ($30 online / $10 offline). And online shopping offers a greater mix of pack sizes and categories.
* Consumer perceptions and purchase behaviors are affected in important ways. The interactions with the online ‘store’ environment are fundamentally different than an in-store experience. The online experience is fueled by a needs-driven experience as a greater variety of options are made available on screen.
* Online shopping “levels the playing field”. Big brand ‘physical’ advantages do not translate online. With universal distribution and search functionality an inherent bias toward niche players is created. Ultimately, price transparency, connectivity and open content favor a purely ‘rational’ market.
* Large and small brands can win online by combining marketing savvy with digital capabilities to add value. With interactive websites, smartphone applications and social media connections, expanding your brands in new and innovative directions is virtually limitless.

Online grocery shopping is no longer coming – it has arrived. Now is the time to get in the game and determine how your brand can add value in new ways across consumer touch points. It is not only a shopper’s market, but a marketer’s market. The rate of change is accelerating and so it the rate of opportunity for creative marketers who embrace the digital revolution.

These and other insights were highlighted in a Nielsen webinar held May 24. Click here to download the webinar, Balancing Act: Aligning E-Commerce with Today’s CPG Shopper.

Original Link: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/five-things-to-know-about-online-grocery-shopping/

Monday, May 30, 2011

SI investigation reveals eight-year pattern of violations under Tressel - CNN

USA Today
SI investigation reveals eight-year pattern of violations under Tressel
CNN
This story appears in the June 6 edition of Sports Illustrated. To purchase a digital version of the magazine, go here. The character traits that have made Jim Tressel a successful football coach and a beloved ...
Ohio State's Jim Tressel dug himself into a hole with handling of scandalLos Angeles Times
Buckeyes' Trials With Tressel Are Test for NCAANew York Times
SI Article: Tressel's 'Ignorance' Became His Downfall At Ohio StateSB Nation
Plain Dealer -STLtoday.com -Fox Sports Ohio
all 2,484 news articles »USA Today
SI investigation reveals eight-year pattern of violations under Tressel
CNN
This story appears in the June 6 edition of Sports Illustrated. To purchase a digital version of the magazine, go here. The character traits that have made Jim Tressel a successful football coach and a beloved ...
Ohio State's Jim Tressel dug himself into a hole with handling of scandalLos Angeles Times
Buckeyes' Trials With Tressel Are Test for NCAANew York Times
SI Article: Tressel's 'Ignorance' Became His Downfall At Ohio StateSB Nation
Plain Dealer -STLtoday.com -Fox Sports Ohio
all 2,484 news articles »

Original Link: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEzDZdS_H5746SNgD_JmzQM9ADqdQ&url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/magazine/05/30/jim.tressel/

Memorial Day comes as troops fight in Afghanistan

{EAV_BLOG_VER:57b993fdbc7f69db}
WASHINGTON — Americans from Washington to California were marking Memorial Day with parades, barbecues and somber moments of reflection in an annual holiday infused with fresh meaning by the approaching 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The anniversary was to be incorporated into the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, where special tributes were scheduled for the first responders to the attacks and to the relatives of the thousands killed. Actor Gary Sinise, a veterans advocate who played Lt. Dan in the film "Forrest Gump," and Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean and Vietnam wars were among the guests.

The public holiday recognizes America's war dead.

Read the full story on KnoxNews here: KnoxNews-Memorial Day comes and Troops Fight in Afghanistan



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

History and Evolution of Memorial Day - A National Holiday - SanDiego.com

Central Florida News 13
History and Evolution of Memorial Day - A National Holiday
SanDiego.com
While Memorial Day has evolved over the years, the heart of the holiday hasn't changed in over two centuries: To remember and honor those who died in military service. It was originally tagged "Decoration Day" when ...
Memorial Day anniversariesFort Wayne Journal Gazette
What is Memorial Day?Patch.com
Observance was started to honor Civil War deadCherry Hill Courier Post
The Journal News | LoHud.com -Staunton News Leader -Times Herald-Record
all 619 news articles »Central Florida News 13
History and Evolution of Memorial Day - A National Holiday
SanDiego.com
While Memorial Day has evolved over the years, the heart of the holiday hasn't changed in over two centuries: To remember and honor those who died in military service. It was originally tagged "Decoration Day" when ...
Memorial Day anniversariesFort Wayne Journal Gazette
What is Memorial Day?Patch.com
Observance was started to honor Civil War deadCherry Hill Courier Post
The Journal News | LoHud.com -Staunton News Leader -Times Herald-Record
all 619 news articles »

Original Link: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGTIcDyAHiNADZoqg3rpBvRl4XsFw&url=http://www.sandiego.com/news/history-and-evolution-of-memorial-day-a-national-holiday

Saturday, May 28, 2011

FTC Plans New Online Advertising Rules

The Federal Trade Commission has begun soliciting public comment on how it should revise more than decade-old guidelines that translate federal advertising laws to the Internet, as the agency moves to more aggressively police digital ads. The agency said on a notice on its website Thursday that groups have until July 11 to send suggestions on how its original guidelines on online advertising disclosures should be updated to address new technologies, such as those used to target ads to users’ interests and mobile advertising. Read the full story here: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/05/27/ftc-plans-new-online-ad-rules/

Friday, May 27, 2011

Internet Advertising Revenues Hit $7.3 Billion in Q1 '11Highest First-Quarter Revenue Level on Record According to IAB and PwC

23% Year-Over-Year Increase Demonstrates Growing Importance of Digital Marketing & Advertising NEW YORK, NY (May 26, 2011) -- Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. hit $7.3 billion for the first quarter of 2011, representing a 23 percent increase over the same period in 2010, according to figures released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This marks the highest first-quarter revenue level ever for the industry and a significant increase over last year's first-quarter revenue level, which had been the highest on record to date. "The consistent and considerable year-over-year growth we're seeing demonstrates that digital media is an increasingly popular destination for ad dollars, and for good reason," said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. "As Americans spend more time online for information and entertainment purposes, digital advertising and marketing has emerged as one of the most effective tools businesses have to attract and retain customers." "The year-on-year 23 percent increase in first quarter revenues is not just impressive in its own right, but especially so when you take into account the fact that 2010 was a record-breaking year itself for Internet advertising revenue," said David Silverman, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. "These numbers indicate that the interactive advertising field hasn't simply bounced back since the recession; it's growing with dynamic energy." The following chart highlights quarterly ad revenue since 1999; dollar figures are rounded. The IAB sponsors the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report, which is conducted independently by the New Media Group of PwC. The results are considered the most accurate measurement of interactive advertising revenues because the data is compiled directly from information supplied by companies selling advertising on the Internet. The survey includes data concerning online advertising revenues from Web sites, commercial online services, free e-mail providers, and all other companies selling online advertising. The full report is issued twice yearly for full and half-year data, and top-line quarterly estimates are issued for the first and third quarters. PwC does not audit the information and provides no opinion or other form of assurance with respect to the information. Past reports are available at www.iab.net/AdRevenueReport . About the IAB The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive's share of total marketing spend, and of its members' share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net . About the PwC Network PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See www.pwc.com for more information. © 2011 PwC. All rights reserved. "PwC" and "PwC US" refer to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate and independent legal entity. IAB Media Contact Laura Goldberg 347.683.1859 laura.goldberg@iab.net PwC Media Contact Steven Silber 646.471.4059 steven.g.silber@us.pwc.com

Original Link: http://www.iab.net/about_the_iab/recent_press_releases/press_release_archive/press_release/pr-052611?gko=ee701

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Facebook Takes Legal Aim at Man Who Claims 50% of Zuckerberg’s Shares

Gerald Adler Wrote:
Uhhh...yea

Facebook has finally filed a formal legal response to Paul Ceglia, the convicted felon and woodchip salesman who claims Mark Zuckerberg promised him a stake in Facebook in return for a $1,000 investment during the site’s early days.

Ceglia’s lawsuit was filed last year and refiled in April, bolstered by emails allegedly confirming his story, although no one has been able to confirm the authenticity of those emails. It claims Ceglia gave Zuckerberg $1,000 to fund “the face book.”

Supposedly Ceglia was to receive 50% of the site in return, in addition to 1% of the company each day the project was delayed past a given deadline. By the end of their dealings, Ceglia says, Zuckerberg owed him 84% of the company, and the two settled for 50% of Zuckerberg’s stake — though he waited until the company was worth billions to take the claim to court.

“This is a fraudulent lawsuit brought by a convicted felon, and we look forward to defending it in court,” a Facebook spokesman told Mashable in April. “From the outset, we’ve said that this scam artist’s claims are ridiculous, and this newest complaint is no better.”

On Thursday, the company filed its official legal response in United States District Court in Buffalo, New York. Evidently, Zuckerberg’s lawyers have spent the past month upping the ante on their language. “This lawsuit is a brazen and outrageous fraud on the court,” says the company filing. “Plaintiff is an inveterate scam artist whose misconduct extends across decades and borders. His latest and most far-reaching fraud is the amended complaint filed in this action, which is based upon a doctored contract and fabricated evidence.

“Plaintiff alleges that he recently ‘discovered’ a purported contract that now supposedly entitles him to ownership of 50 percent of Zuckerberg’s interest in Facebook. The purported contract was signed in 2003, yet plaintiff waited until 2010 to file this action — a seven-year delay during which plaintiff remained utterly silent while Facebook grew into one of the world’s best-known companies. Plaintiff has now come out of the woodwork seeking billions in damages.”

Note the subtle dig at Ceglia’s current occupation, selling woodchip pellets for fuel? That’s why these guys get paid the big money. It’s also a sign that Facebook has learned its lesson from the long-running Winklevoss legal drama: Don’t give your opponents an inch, or they’ll take you for $65 million — and keep hammering away at you in the courts.

More About: facebook, lawsuit, mark zuckerberg, paul-ceglia

For more Social Media coverage:
* Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
* Become a Fan on Facebook
* Subscribe to the Social Media channel
* Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPadFacebook has finally filed a formal legal response to Paul Ceglia, the convicted felon and woodchip salesman who claims Mark Zuckerberg promised him a stake in Facebook in return for a $1,000 investment during the site’s early days.

Ceglia’s lawsuit was filed last year and refiled in April, bolstered by emails allegedly confirming his story, although no one has been able to confirm the authenticity of those emails. It claims Ceglia gave Zuckerberg $1,000 to fund “the face book.”

Supposedly Ceglia was to receive 50% of the site in return, in addition to 1% of the company each day the project was delayed past a given deadline. By the end of their dealings, Ceglia says, Zuckerberg owed him 84% of the company, and the two settled for 50% of Zuckerberg’s stake — though he waited until the company was worth billions to take the claim to court.

“This is a fraudulent lawsuit brought by a convicted felon, and we look forward to defending it in court,” a Facebook spokesman told Mashable in April. “From the outset, we’ve said that this scam artist’s claims are ridiculous, and this newest complaint is no better.”

On Thursday, the company filed its official legal response in United States District Court in Buffalo, New York. Evidently, Zuckerberg’s lawyers have spent the past month upping the ante on their language. “This lawsuit is a brazen and outrageous fraud on the court,” says the company filing. “Plaintiff is an inveterate scam artist whose misconduct extends across decades and borders. His latest and most far-reaching fraud is the amended complaint filed in this action, which is based upon a doctored contract and fabricated evidence.

“Plaintiff alleges that he recently ‘discovered’ a purported contract that now supposedly entitles him to ownership of 50 percent of Zuckerberg’s interest in Facebook. The purported contract was signed in 2003, yet plaintiff waited until 2010 to file this action — a seven-year delay during which plaintiff remained utterly silent while Facebook grew into one of the world’s best-known companies. Plaintiff has now come out of the woodwork seeking billions in damages.”

Note the subtle dig at Ceglia’s current occupation, selling woodchip pellets for fuel? That’s why these guys get paid the big money. It’s also a sign that Facebook has learned its lesson from the long-running Winklevoss legal drama: Don’t give your opponents an inch, or they’ll take you for $65 million — and keep hammering away at you in the courts.

More About: facebook, lawsuit, mark zuckerberg, paul-ceglia

For more Social Media coverage:
* Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
* Become a Fan on Facebook
* Subscribe to the Social Media channel
* Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Original Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Mashable/~3/2h9YeIYxte0/

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Too Good To Be True? Groupon Users Crowdsource Suspect Offer

Groupon users in Denver found Tuesday’s deal for a 61% price cut on home delivery of local, organic fruit from a company called Specialty Organics to be more than a little suspicious.

“I’m into this sort of thing [organic produce], and one thing I know is that there is very little fruit grown in Colorado, and to offer it all over the state for delivery just didn’t make sense — none of these companies or farms do that,” explains Maria Fraietta, a teacher in Denver who was the first to question whether the company was up to something fishy on the deal’s discussion board. “All of them explain how they work, approximately what you’ll get, and how it will be delivered. This one didn’t.”

Fraietta’s concerns, and those of others who left more than 100 comments on the board for the Denver deal, raise a valid question. As the ever-growing hoard of daily deals sites expands to every corner on the map, might some of the sites’ offers be too good to be true?

It’s a question that Groupon has taken to heart — building up a factchecking department with guidelines that require checkers to verify reviews and reviewer identity. The site is currently searching for a Factchecking Manager.

-------------------------

User Skepticism

-------------------------

In the meantime, users are picking up the slack. Fraietta’s investigations soon inspired others to look into Specialty Organics and visit its skeletal website.

“Kyle S.,” who spoke for the company throughout the discussion on Denver Groupon, mentioned in his first message another company, The Delectable Plate, that he said Specialty Organics acquired in February.

Groupon users immediately turned up the awful reviews that The Delectable Plate had accumulated on Yelp across several cities. Reviewers had complained of moldy deliveries, missing orders and undelivered refunds.

“It surely does seem that Specialty Organics used to be The Delectable Plate as one reviewer states,” commented Stacy C. on the discussion board. “Most reviews mention they got into this through vouchers bought off the internet, and most mention a ‘Kyle’ based out of Denver.”

The Delectable Plate ran a $79 daily deal with at least one deal site before going out of business, reportedly when a local organic partner farm didn’t package goods properly. In a statement explaining the closing, the site offered its deal customers $79 gift certificates at Specialty Organics, “a corporation with a similar concept to us, but on a much larger scale.”

What caught commenters’ attention about the Groupon deals that ran on Tuesday in Denver, DC, and Boston were the lack of specifics — no farmers were named in either the deal description or website, delivery was offered throughout the state of Colorado (“We do have multiple locations around the state to make this possible,” Kyle S. said on the discussion board) and nobody named what the promised fruit boxes would contain. The voicemail of a customer service number (a Google voice account for Kyle Pommer, the company’s director of marketing) indicated that it was “experiencing higher call volume than usual.”

-------------------------

A Closer Look At Specialty Organics

-------------------------

Pommer told Mashable that Specialty Organics is a 4-person company working with produce couriers in 15 markets. The company has no physical base, but rather partners with a company called The FruitGuys, which acts as its “farmer liaison” in various areas. He said this company’s policies prevented him from revealing the farms that it worked with.

But the Fruitguys COO, Erik Muller, said the company did not work with Specialty Organics — and that it didn’t have that kind of relationship with any third-party seller. When asked why this was, Pommer responded that he had been misinformed and that “the deal has not been set in stone.”

This isn’t the first time that daily deal site users have alerted each other to something that seemed fishy. In February, users called a deal for flower and gift merchant FTD.com a scam after saying it raised prices to compensate for the Groupon discount. Groupon and FTD said that the site merely refused to combine Groupon’s offer with other discounts.

-------------------------

Groupon’s Response

-------------------------

Groupon calls the situation with Specialty Organics an absence of good communication skills rather than a scam. “Businesses go through a minimum of 8 layers of quality control, sometimes up to 13,” explains Groupon spokesperson Julie Mossler. “We make sure that the prices listed are accurate, they have good reviews, and most importantly that they’re a reputable business who will treat our customers excellently.”

Mossler noted that most of the negative online reviews cited were for The Delectable Plate, which was under different ownership than Specialty Organics. Pommer says that he and his partner bought the business and changed the name; the previous owners are no longer involved. Yet the deal disappeared from Groupon’s site for a period on Tuesday, only to reemerge as “sold out.”

Specialty Organics has recently run deals in LivingSocial’s Denver market and with KGB Deals. A spokesperson from LivingSocial said that it has gotten “virtually no complaints” about Specialty Organics — though there’s no word on whether subscribers have received their first monthly shipment yet.

Deal buyers may ultimately be satisfied at Groupon, too. But if a deal like this ever turns out to be a scam, Mossler points out members who purchased it will automatically relieve a refund as per the Groupon Promise.

More About: Crowdsorcing, groupon, Possible Scam, Specialty Organics

For more Business & Marketing coverage:
* Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
* Become a Fan on Facebook
* Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
* Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPadGroupon users in Denver found Tuesday’s deal for a 61% price cut on home delivery of local, organic fruit from a company called Specialty Organics to be more than a little suspicious.

“I’m into this sort of thing [organic produce], and one thing I know is that there is very little fruit grown in Colorado, and to offer it all over the state for delivery just didn’t make sense — none of these companies or farms do that,” explains Maria Fraietta, a teacher in Denver who was the first to question whether the company was up to something fishy on the deal’s discussion board. “All of them explain how they work, approximately what you’ll get, and how it will be delivered. This one didn’t.”

Fraietta’s concerns, and those of others who left more than 100 comments on the board for the Denver deal, raise a valid question. As the ever-growing hoard of daily deals sites expands to every corner on the map, might some of the sites’ offers be too good to be true?

It’s a question that Groupon has taken to heart — building up a factchecking department with guidelines that require checkers to verify reviews and reviewer identity. The site is currently searching for a Factchecking Manager.

-------------------------

User Skepticism

-------------------------

In the meantime, users are picking up the slack. Fraietta’s investigations soon inspired others to look into Specialty Organics and visit its skeletal website.

“Kyle S.,” who spoke for the company throughout the discussion on Denver Groupon, mentioned in his first message another company, The Delectable Plate, that he said Specialty Organics acquired in February.

Groupon users immediately turned up the awful reviews that The Delectable Plate had accumulated on Yelp across several cities. Reviewers had complained of moldy deliveries, missing orders and undelivered refunds.

“It surely does seem that Specialty Organics used to be The Delectable Plate as one reviewer states,” commented Stacy C. on the discussion board. “Most reviews mention they got into this through vouchers bought off the internet, and most mention a ‘Kyle’ based out of Denver.”

The Delectable Plate ran a $79 daily deal with at least one deal site before going out of business, reportedly when a local organic partner farm didn’t package goods properly. In a statement explaining the closing, the site offered its deal customers $79 gift certificates at Specialty Organics, “a corporation with a similar concept to us, but on a much larger scale.”

What caught commenters’ attention about the Groupon deals that ran on Tuesday in Denver, DC, and Boston were the lack of specifics — no farmers were named in either the deal description or website, delivery was offered throughout the state of Colorado (“We do have multiple locations around the state to make this possible,” Kyle S. said on the discussion board) and nobody named what the promised fruit boxes would contain. The voicemail of a customer service number (a Google voice account for Kyle Pommer, the company’s director of marketing) indicated that it was “experiencing higher call volume than usual.”

-------------------------

A Closer Look At Specialty Organics

-------------------------

Pommer told Mashable that Specialty Organics is a 4-person company working with produce couriers in 15 markets. The company has no physical base, but rather partners with a company called The FruitGuys, which acts as its “farmer liaison” in various areas. He said this company’s policies prevented him from revealing the farms that it worked with.

But the Fruitguys COO, Erik Muller, said the company did not work with Specialty Organics — and that it didn’t have that kind of relationship with any third-party seller. When asked why this was, Pommer responded that he had been misinformed and that “the deal has not been set in stone.”

This isn’t the first time that daily deal site users have alerted each other to something that seemed fishy. In February, users called a deal for flower and gift merchant FTD.com a scam after saying it raised prices to compensate for the Groupon discount. Groupon and FTD said that the site merely refused to combine Groupon’s offer with other discounts.

-------------------------

Groupon’s Response

-------------------------

Groupon calls the situation with Specialty Organics an absence of good communication skills rather than a scam. “Businesses go through a minimum of 8 layers of quality control, sometimes up to 13,” explains Groupon spokesperson Julie Mossler. “We make sure that the prices listed are accurate, they have good reviews, and most importantly that they’re a reputable business who will treat our customers excellently.”

Mossler noted that most of the negative online reviews cited were for The Delectable Plate, which was under different ownership than Specialty Organics. Pommer says that he and his partner bought the business and changed the name; the previous owners are no longer involved. Yet the deal disappeared from Groupon’s site for a period on Tuesday, only to reemerge as “sold out.”

Specialty Organics has recently run deals in LivingSocial’s Denver market and with KGB Deals. A spokesperson from LivingSocial said that it has gotten “virtually no complaints” about Specialty Organics — though there’s no word on whether subscribers have received their first monthly shipment yet.

Deal buyers may ultimately be satisfied at Groupon, too. But if a deal like this ever turns out to be a scam, Mossler points out members who purchased it will automatically relieve a refund as per the Groupon Promise.

More About: Crowdsorcing, groupon, Possible Scam, Specialty Organics

For more Business & Marketing coverage:
* Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
* Become a Fan on Facebook
* Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
* Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Original Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Mashable/~3/XpC3h-p0N-g/

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The War on Sharing [Infographic]

The war that the record labels is waging to protect its copyrighted music is mistakenly believed to only concern services that explicitly allow you to share music.

That's not so true anymore. The RIAA is broadening its scope. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Its new targets are services such as Box.net, the subject of a subpoena this week in California, served by the RIAA's vice president of online piracy, Mark McDevitt. The RIAA seeks information about people it believes are using Box to illegally use "sound recordings."

In a prepared statement, Box.net said to The Hollywood Reporter:

Sponsor

"We take the confidentiality of our customers' information very seriously, but just like all other businesses, we are legally required to comply with court orders," said Box.Net in a statement to THR. "Our compliance will be limited to the information the court requires we produce. At Box, we're primarily focused on powering collaboration and information sharing within businesses, and it's rare that we run into copyright infringement issues in those instances."

This is a chilling sign of what may be to come as the RIAA sets its sights upon online services that provide online storage. And that could have impacts on any online service. That could be Google, Dropbox, Zoho or others that provide a space where digital files can be stored.

The entertainment industry's war on sharing is not new, as illustrated by this infographic by Ashley Angell. It shows to what lengths the RIAA and MPAA will go to pursue lawsuits against consumers.

Larger image

With Box, the customers are businesses for the most part. That is a key difference to other challenges by the RIAA. And It sets up a conflict between service providers and their clients who now face a determined media industry with a historic interest in litigation to protect its copyrights.
DiscussThe war that the record labels is waging to protect its copyrighted music is mistakenly believed to only concern services that explicitly allow you to share music.

That's not so true anymore. The RIAA is broadening its scope. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Its new targets are services such as Box.net, the subject of a subpoena this week in California, served by the RIAA's vice president of online piracy, Mark McDevitt. The RIAA seeks information about people it believes are using Box to illegally use "sound recordings."

In a prepared statement, Box.net said to The Hollywood Reporter:

Sponsor

"We take the confidentiality of our customers' information very seriously, but just like all other businesses, we are legally required to comply with court orders," said Box.Net in a statement to THR. "Our compliance will be limited to the information the court requires we produce. At Box, we're primarily focused on powering collaboration and information sharing within businesses, and it's rare that we run into copyright infringement issues in those instances."

This is a chilling sign of what may be to come as the RIAA sets its sights upon online services that provide online storage. And that could have impacts on any online service. That could be Google, Dropbox, Zoho or others that provide a space where digital files can be stored.

The entertainment industry's war on sharing is not new, as illustrated by this infographic by Ashley Angell. It shows to what lengths the RIAA and MPAA will go to pursue lawsuits against consumers.

Larger image

With Box, the customers are businesses for the most part. That is a key difference to other challenges by the RIAA. And It sets up a conflict between service providers and their clients who now face a determined media industry with a historic interest in litigation to protect its copyrights.
Discuss

Original Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/readwriteweb/~3/UOcAC2sculg/the-war-on-sharing-infographic.php

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Budweiser to Launch Online Reality Fan Competition | Facebook Gets Patent for Tagging Media

Budweiser is launching a new online reality show dubbed “Bud United presents: The Big Time,” set to air globally on social platforms YouTube and Facebook late this year. The campaign follows in the...

Original Link: http://feeds.mediabuyerplanner.com/~r/mbp/~3/3Dx0pZiOKD4/

Sunday, May 15, 2011

'Break News On Your Website, Not On Twitter’ [Voices]

By Cory Bergman, Director, BreakingNews.com

The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) has issued a social media guide for newspapers with lots of good recommendations, but this one stands out: “Break news on your website, not on Twitter.”

Read the rest of this post on the original site »By Cory Bergman, Director, BreakingNews.com

The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) has issued a social media guide for newspapers with lots of good recommendations, but this one stands out: “Break news on your website, not on Twitter.”

Read the rest of this post on the original site »

Original Link: http://voices.allthingsd.com/20110513/break-news-on-your-website-not-on-twitter%e2%80%99/?mod=ATD_rss

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Jamestown, Virginia, Founded (1607)

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. It was founded by the London Company on a peninsula—now an island—in the James River and named after the reigning English monarch, James I. Disease, starvation, and Native American attacks wiped out most of the colony, but the London Company continually sent more men and supplies. A successfully exported strain of tobacco was cultivated there by a colonist named John Rolfe, who later married what Native American princess? DiscussJamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. It was founded by the London Company on a peninsula—now an island—in the James River and named after the reigning English monarch, James I. Disease, starvation, and Native American attacks wiped out most of the colony, but the London Company continually sent more men and supplies. A successfully exported strain of tobacco was cultivated there by a colonist named John Rolfe, who later married what Native American princess? Discuss

Original Link: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Jamestown%2c+Virginia

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

11 Digital Marketing “Crimes Against Humanity”

Gerald Adler Wrote:
Some very good food for thought...

Every presentation I do is customized for the audience in the room. That means I get to spend loads and loads of time across many industry verticals, see many many campaigns, translate many many foreign websites (thanks Google Chrome for auto-translate!) and meet many many many executives and hear about their digital marketing strategies, challenges and outcomes.

That means I experience a lot of really great stuff, and repeatedly see things that cause me deep and profound pain. This latter category contains things that are so obviously sub-optimal that no one should be doing them any more. Yet there they are.

The issues of course include people and jaded mental models and bureaucracy and a lack of time and the missing desire to be great and org structures, and bosses.

But maybe the issue is that you (and the Marketers and Leaders. . . my beloved Digital Folks) just don't know all the ways not to, pardon me, stink.

This post is to solve that problem. I'm going to present a cluster of what I think are digital "crimes against humanity." A mighty term, used in a very unmighty sense here, but I hope it makes you sit up and take note.

[These are just an initial clump of ideas. Please contribute your own in comments.]

How many of these things is your company currently doing. . .

1. Not spending 15% of your Marketing budget, every month, on experimenting with new techniques / channels / ideas.

We hate change. Why not keep sending emails / spending on AdWords / running affiliate programs / buying display only on MSN.  Super lame!

Our world changes at immense speed. Consistently allocate 15% of your marketing budget trying things you don't currently do, things "gurus" talk about (yes I said Guru!), ideas from your kids or neighbor. I can't think of a better way to ensure your relevancy and fat bottom-line.

 

2. Not having a fast, functional, incredible mobile-friendly website.

There are 6.9 billion homo sapiens on the planet and 3.7 billion of them actively use 4.3 billion mobile phones. What's your excuse for not spending a few dollars making your site mobile-friendly?

You deliberately want to stink?

 

3. Gratuitous use of Flash.

It is not Adobe's fault, it is your fault for using Flash for the most pathetic things mankind has known. Why? Because your agency can win an award? Because you believe that the Web is essentially TV? Slow sites make your management happy?

Remember every time you use flash on your website, a cute puppy dies. Think of the puppy!

 

4. Writing campaigns your website can't cash.

It is soooo easy for me run a query on Bing, click on a banner ad on Yahoo!, follow a link on an email and land on page that has no connection to the promise made in the ad.

More than that, sites are full of pages with unclear calls to action, massive pukes of fields in the checkout process, slooooooooow loading as it waits for the Facebook + Buzz + God knows what API calls to come through. WHY! Would you treat your mother like that?

Have a balance in your spend between acquisition and website. Spend loads on acquisition, but also spend loads on creating websites that deliver on your promises.

 

5. Not having a vibrant, engaging, non-pimpy blog.

In a world of Like and Follow where every TV ad and billboard is directing customers and prospects to third party destinations it might seem insane to suggest this.

I fundamentally believe that having a vibrant bi-directional conversation on a destination you control with policies you set and data you control is not just insurance, it is your duty to your customers.

 

6. "Shouting" on Twitter / Facebook.

We live in a world of "and," not in an "or" world. Having a vibrant blog does not mean not being on Twitter or Facebook (or every other place your customers congregate).

But if those accounts exist to shout a variation of your press releases, or a massive self-massage. . . then shut it. If you can't initiate or participate in conversations, close your account.  Trust me it is a lot less embarrassing that way.

 

7. Your SEO strategy is buying links, expired domains, et. al.

Sophisticated Search Engine Optimization is mandatory in our world of Bing / Yandex / Baidu / Google. It irritates me to no end when I hear perfectly smart SEOs stuck in the 1940s.

Life is a lot more complex (and sexy!). Evolve.

 

Now switching to something a bit more near and dear to my heart, analytics "crimes against humanity". . . .

8. Not following the "10/90 rule for magnificent web success."

I'd postulated this rule in 2005, it is even more true in 2011.

If you have $100 to make smart decisions on the web, invest $10 in tools, spend $90 on people. The 10/90 rule.

People matter. Even the most basic insights you need will come from people. Hire smart people. Hire smart consultants. Give them Yahoo! Web Analytics, 4Q, KissInsights, Insights for Search, AdPlanner, and all the other glorious free tools. You will almost die of happiness when the results come in.

When a majority of your budget is invested in tools and data warehouses, rather than smart people to use them, you are saying you prefer to suck.

 

9. Doing anything on the web without a Web Analytics Measurement Model.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. And you'll be miserable.

Does that describe your life?

Bring a structured approach to your measurement strategy, bring some process, let a Web Analytics Measurement Model be the foundation of your program. Your children and their children will thank me for telling you this (because you'll leave them millions of dollars of inheritance from all the business success you'll achieve by following this advice!).

 

10. Making lame metrics the measures of success: Impressions, Click-throughs, Page Views.

They, and their brethren like video views and emails sent and # of followers on Twitter and Likes on Facebook and. . . all stink worse than Amorphophallus Titanum.

Use metrics that matter: Loyalty, Recency, Net Profit, Conversation Rate, Message Amplification, Brand Evangelist Index, Customer Lifetime Value and so on and so forth. Each a glorious magnificent metric that truly tells you that value was delivered, or delivers the swift kick in the pants that we all need when we don't. How can you not love that?

 

11. Not centering your entire digital existence on Economic Value.

When I look at winners and I separate them from the losers there is one thing that stands out. Winners have a sophisticated understanding of the holistic success of their digital existence. It comes from undertaking two simple steps: 1. Identifying their Macro and Micro Conversions and 2. Quantifying Economic Value.

That understanding ensures fewer digital "crimes against humanity," remarkable marketing programs used in nuanced ways, and a constant balance between delivering for the customers and the company.

It does not matter if you are a Church solving for the ultimate conversion, a B2B business solving for an 18-month sale, a non-profit targeting volunteers and donations, or a humble blog solving to change the world. Embrace economic value.

 

That's it. 11 simple things to avoid. Now you know, there is no reason to stink. :)

But now, as always, its your turn.

What would you have on top of your list of digital "crimes against humanity?" What ticks you off? What is it that you can't get your company to stop doing? If you've successfully stopped any of the above crimes, what did it take? How many of these "crimes" is your company currently committing?

Please share your favorites and secrets with us.

Thank you.

11 Digital Marketing “Crimes Against Humanity” is a post from: Occam's Razor by Avinash KaushikEvery presentation I do is customized for the audience in the room. That means I get to spend loads and loads of time across many industry verticals, see many many campaigns, translate many many foreign websites (thanks Google Chrome for auto-translate!) and meet many many many executives and hear about their digital marketing strategies, challenges and outcomes.

That means I experience a lot of really great stuff, and repeatedly see things that cause me deep and profound pain. This latter category contains things that are so obviously sub-optimal that no one should be doing them any more. Yet there they are.

The issues of course include people and jaded mental models and bureaucracy and a lack of time and the missing desire to be great and org structures, and bosses.

But maybe the issue is that you (and the Marketers and Leaders. . . my beloved Digital Folks) just don't know all the ways not to, pardon me, stink.

This post is to solve that problem. I'm going to present a cluster of what I think are digital "crimes against humanity." A mighty term, used in a very unmighty sense here, but I hope it makes you sit up and take note.

[These are just an initial clump of ideas. Please contribute your own in comments.]

How many of these things is your company currently doing. . .

1. Not spending 15% of your Marketing budget, every month, on experimenting with new techniques / channels / ideas.

We hate change. Why not keep sending emails / spending on AdWords / running affiliate programs / buying display only on MSN.  Super lame!

Our world changes at immense speed. Consistently allocate 15% of your marketing budget trying things you don't currently do, things "gurus" talk about (yes I said Guru!), ideas from your kids or neighbor. I can't think of a better way to ensure your relevancy and fat bottom-line.

 

2. Not having a fast, functional, incredible mobile-friendly website.

There are 6.9 billion homo sapiens on the planet and 3.7 billion of them actively use 4.3 billion mobile phones. What's your excuse for not spending a few dollars making your site mobile-friendly?

You deliberately want to stink?

 

3. Gratuitous use of Flash.

It is not Adobe's fault, it is your fault for using Flash for the most pathetic things mankind has known. Why? Because your agency can win an award? Because you believe that the Web is essentially TV? Slow sites make your management happy?

Remember every time you use flash on your website, a cute puppy dies. Think of the puppy!

 

4. Writing campaigns your website can't cash.

It is soooo easy for me run a query on Bing, click on a banner ad on Yahoo!, follow a link on an email and land on page that has no connection to the promise made in the ad.

More than that, sites are full of pages with unclear calls to action, massive pukes of fields in the checkout process, slooooooooow loading as it waits for the Facebook + Buzz + God knows what API calls to come through. WHY! Would you treat your mother like that?

Have a balance in your spend between acquisition and website. Spend loads on acquisition, but also spend loads on creating websites that deliver on your promises.

 

5. Not having a vibrant, engaging, non-pimpy blog.

In a world of Like and Follow where every TV ad and billboard is directing customers and prospects to third party destinations it might seem insane to suggest this.

I fundamentally believe that having a vibrant bi-directional conversation on a destination you control with policies you set and data you control is not just insurance, it is your duty to your customers.

 

6. "Shouting" on Twitter / Facebook.

We live in a world of "and," not in an "or" world. Having a vibrant blog does not mean not being on Twitter or Facebook (or every other place your customers congregate).

But if those accounts exist to shout a variation of your press releases, or a massive self-massage. . . then shut it. If you can't initiate or participate in conversations, close your account.  Trust me it is a lot less embarrassing that way.

 

7. Your SEO strategy is buying links, expired domains, et. al.

Sophisticated Search Engine Optimization is mandatory in our world of Bing / Yandex / Baidu / Google. It irritates me to no end when I hear perfectly smart SEOs stuck in the 1940s.

Life is a lot more complex (and sexy!). Evolve.

 

Now switching to something a bit more near and dear to my heart, analytics "crimes against humanity". . . .

8. Not following the "10/90 rule for magnificent web success."

I'd postulated this rule in 2005, it is even more true in 2011.

If you have $100 to make smart decisions on the web, invest $10 in tools, spend $90 on people. The 10/90 rule.

People matter. Even the most basic insights you need will come from people. Hire smart people. Hire smart consultants. Give them Yahoo! Web Analytics, 4Q, KissInsights, Insights for Search, AdPlanner, and all the other glorious free tools. You will almost die of happiness when the results come in.

When a majority of your budget is invested in tools and data warehouses, rather than smart people to use them, you are saying you prefer to suck.

 

9. Doing anything on the web without a Web Analytics Measurement Model.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. And you'll be miserable.

Does that describe your life?

Bring a structured approach to your measurement strategy, bring some process, let a Web Analytics Measurement Model be the foundation of your program. Your children and their children will thank me for telling you this (because you'll leave them millions of dollars of inheritance from all the business success you'll achieve by following this advice!).

 

10. Making lame metrics the measures of success: Impressions, Click-throughs, Page Views.

They, and their brethren like video views and emails sent and # of followers on Twitter and Likes on Facebook and. . . all stink worse than Amorphophallus Titanum.

Use metrics that matter: Loyalty, Recency, Net Profit, Conversation Rate, Message Amplification, Brand Evangelist Index, Customer Lifetime Value and so on and so forth. Each a glorious magnificent metric that truly tells you that value was delivered, or delivers the swift kick in the pants that we all need when we don't. How can you not love that?

 

11. Not centering your entire digital existence on Economic Value.

When I look at winners and I separate them from the losers there is one thing that stands out. Winners have a sophisticated understanding of the holistic success of their digital existence. It comes from undertaking two simple steps: 1. Identifying their Macro and Micro Conversions and 2. Quantifying Economic Value.

That understanding ensures fewer digital "crimes against humanity," remarkable marketing programs used in nuanced ways, and a constant balance between delivering for the customers and the company.

It does not matter if you are a Church solving for the ultimate conversion, a B2B business solving for an 18-month sale, a non-profit targeting volunteers and donations, or a humble blog solving to change the world. Embrace economic value.

 

That's it. 11 simple things to avoid. Now you know, there is no reason to stink. :)

But now, as always, its your turn.

What would you have on top of your list of digital "crimes against humanity?" What ticks you off? What is it that you can't get your company to stop doing? If you've successfully stopped any of the above crimes, what did it take? How many of these "crimes" is your company currently committing?

Please share your favorites and secrets with us.

Thank you.

11 Digital Marketing “Crimes Against Humanity” is a post from: Occam's Razor by Avinash Kaushik

Original Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OccamsRazorByAvinash/~3/XqhQFnAFNt4/digital-marketing-analytics-crimes-against-humanity.html

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Why Do Affluent Consumers Connect with Brands on Social Networks? - eMarketer

Motivations differ from general population. Luxury marketers take note, according to a February 2011 Affluence Collaborative survey, wealthy internet users connect with brands on social networks for s

Sunday, May 8, 2011

House Releases 'Do Not Track' Bill [Voices]

By Steve Stecklow and Julia Angwin, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal

A draft House bill with bipartisan support would prohibit companies from tracking children on the Internet without parental consent, restrict online marketing to minors and require an “Eraser Button” that would allow parents to eliminate kids’ personal information already online.

The draft of the “Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011″—released by Rep. Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican—would go well beyond existing federal law. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 only requires websites aimed at children under 13 to obtain parental permission before collecting personal information such as kids’ names or email addresses. The new legislation, among other things, would prohibit companies from using or providing to third parties personal information of kids under 18 for “targeted marketing purposes.”

Read the rest of this post on the original siteBy Steve Stecklow and Julia Angwin, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal

A draft House bill with bipartisan support would prohibit companies from tracking children on the Internet without parental consent, restrict online marketing to minors and require an “Eraser Button” that would allow parents to eliminate kids’ personal information already online.

The draft of the “Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011″—released by Rep. Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican—would go well beyond existing federal law. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 only requires websites aimed at children under 13 to obtain parental permission before collecting personal information such as kids’ names or email addresses. The new legislation, among other things, would prohibit companies from using or providing to third parties personal information of kids under 18 for “targeted marketing purposes.”

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Original Link: http://voices.allthingsd.com/20110507/house-releases-do-not-track-bill/?mod=ATD_rss

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

iPads Have Big Potential for Retailers - eMarketer

Tablets encourage new shopping experiences. The features of Apple’s iPad and competing tablets have made them an ideal entertainment and media consumption device, but many tablet owners also have a st

This will be interesting to monitor, especially as media companies continue negotiating with Apple, and developing and releasing apps.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Time Inc. Reaches iPad Deal

Time Inc. reached a deal with Apple to make all its iPad editions free for print subscribers, marking a break in the impasse between publishers and Apple and lending support to Time's contention that it's business-as-usual after the ouster of its CEO.

Original Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703703304576296980128055282.html?mod=rss_media_marketing