20 Items Which Made Our Website Launch Successful

It’s been a few weeks since we launched our new website.   Over that time, I’ve had time to reflect on the main things which made the project successful.  Let me share with you some of the key elements I believe made our project successful and hopefully these will help make yours as equally as successful.

1. ·         Primary Goal – trying to make a website “all things to all people” is a noble thought but impossible to delivery.  Focus on what is your primary goal and drive your resources to the solution of that goal.
2. ·         Internal Requirements -- get requirements across your organization.  From executives to customer service, etc.   
3. ·         Prioritize – you will not meet everyone’s requirements.  Target getting 80% of your total requirements completed.  Then put the rest in the backlog for future development.
4. ·         Customer Requirements – get feedback from customers on what they need and want from a website.  At the end of the day, you need to ensure you make the site based on their requirements as well.
5. ·         Technology – if you are going to continue to use your current web technology and CMS ensure you have the latest version.  If you’re looking at new technology, go through a rigorous review and procurement process.
6. ·         Partners –  let your agencies, tech teams, vendors, etc. on board with the project.  They should be treated as partners and respected as such.
7. ·         Sponsorship – get someone at the Executive level to be your sponsor.  They will be a help to bounce ideas off of and assist with issues.
8. ·         Design – provide clear requirements on the brand, what you expect, etc.  Get 5 or more creative examples to review.  You will probably like components scattered across many of them.  This will lead you to your final design.  Also, get all of your photography, fonts, etc. licensed.
9. ·         Testing – I like to use an Agile development and testing process… make sure you find one that allows you to test on an ongoing basis.
10. ·         People – you will need top quality people to pull this project off.  Get folks from multiple areas with different skillsets.
11. ·         Process – use a clear process and tracking program.  Scrum is probably the best way to achieve success.  Get yourself an aggressive Scrum Master.
12. ·         Responsibilities – give everyone clear responsibilities and expectations.
13. ·         Outsource – I prefer to outsource these types of projects to very qualified partners.  Getting experts who can work on the project full time and without interruption.
14. ·         Definition of Success -- what and how will you define the project is successful.  Make it clear and communicate it frequently.
15. ·         Resources – get the resources you need before the project starts.  But guess what… you won’t get them.  Live with it.  Get them along the way but make it clear that without them you will not achieve success.  And be vocal when you’re not getting them.
16. ·         Alignment – ensure you are aligned with your IT and development team.  They are your biggest ally.  They need to be your true partner.  Don’t take this lightly…
17. ·         Communications – communicate to the top and to the bottom and everyone in between.  And do it on a frequent basis.  You don’t want to surprise anyone and ensuring everyone knows the good, the bad and the ugly will help overtime.
18. ·         Training – train those who will be utilizing the software and systems.  Give them the tools, the brand/writing guidelines, the do’s and don’ts, etc.
19. ·         One Throat to Choke – someone has to make the final decisions and take the responsibility for when things go sideways.  It’s the lightening rod for any issues or complaints. 
20. ·         Recognize Success – celebrate… give out rewards, write those thank you notes, ensure people get recognition with management and within the organization.

Now this list is by no means complete.  Good luck and I hope the above helps a bit.

Scott

Marketers Are You Ready for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rolls out May 25th 2018.   You’re probably starting to hear rumblings about it. GDPR  will impact Marketers and the way we communicate. I won’t get into all of the details on GDPR. Topline it is new requirements for data privacy across the entire EU. It impacts how you market, process of the information and data you have, etc. And this doesn’t include just customers. It impacts your employees and user data as well. 

For Marketers concerned with the EU this is a critical change in the regulation. If you aren’t aware of it, get reading. IBM does a nice job summarizing it in this article.

So what’s a Marketer to do if you’re going to be highly constrained on email marketing and other forms of communication?  Well a few things you might consider include:

1.      Work with your legal, privacy and technology teams to ensure compliance with the new laws. The last thing you want is to get a letter from the government requesting a meeting to discuss some “issues” they’ve found.

2.      Organic Search – make damn sure your website is optimized to the nth degree on key search words, phrases, etc. 

3.      Paid Search – get a plan and start buying those must have terms. But make sure you’ve got a secondary list of terms which you’re willing to use in the event the cpm’s get above your comfort zone

4.      Retargeting – I’ve received different opinions on whether retargeting can be used with the new regulations but until clarity comes I’d get a plan in place

5.      Stronger messaging – in all of your advertising, on your website, social, etc.

6.      Website – maximize the appropriate level of onsite advertising, bumps, and onsite messaging

7.      Events – perhaps it’s time to focus some resources on events or tradeshows

8.      Advertising – look at both digital, print and broadcast. I’m amazed at how everyone’s abandoned the traditional channels. 

9.      Content – up the game. Get more aggressive but within limits. Remember that content has value. If someone wants it, ensure you get something in return

10.  Sales – as your lead volume at the top of the funnel will probably decrease, you should help bolster your sales teams assets so they can close more business at the bottom of the funnel

11.  Remnant inventory – take a serious look at buying up the cheap/off prime time inventory.  Remember, you’ll need to pound the market with your message using remnant, but if the costs are reasonable it could be an alternative

12.  External advocate programs – take those key brand advocates and empower them to spread the word about your brand, products and service

13.  Internal advocate programs – use your colleagues to be your brand ambassador – empower them to connect with others

14.  Run programs – expand beyond running ads – develop true programs which can create more engaging experiences and get customers to interact with your brand

15.  Social – use it, but don’t go crazy. You could see a backlash – remember more posts doesn’t mean more response.

16.  PR – increase it substantially – push hard for free coverage, getting your experts in front of the camera, etc.

17.  Partners – leverage partner events or connections to expand your reach

18.  Webinars – utilize these to get more connected with the customer and provide more detailed data and information

19.  Lock down the data – be sure to keep control of your data. You might want to consolidate list pulls, etc. to a small group of individuals.

Some things you should be prepared for….

1.      CPM increases – you’re not going to be the only guy or gal out there thinking about this… that will increase demand and that translates to higher prices

2.      Aggressive keyword search bidding

3.      Program ROI could take a nose dive. Be prepared to explain this when questioned. In fact, you might want to start that messaging ahead of the changes.

4.      Shock and Awe – marketers, agencies and suppliers are going to go nuts when they really understand what’s going on. And when that happens people do stupid things. Get legal advice! Don’t take the word of an agency or supplier. You don’t want to be on the cover of the Wall Street Journal as the poster child for this issue

5.      Communicate and train – across the entire organization

6.      Mistakes – someone will make a mistake and pull a list and email everyone.  Get your drawer statement and talking points ready in the event the press coming calling.

Let me leave you with this. The above items could possibly be impacted by GDPR. So check with your Legal Department before doing anything.  Overall, you must take off the blinders and look for alternative ways to reach customers.

Scott

Part 2 – Building the Perfect Beast – The Ecosystem

As a continuation of my earlier blog post on how to build the perfect marketing beast, this post will focus on the overall ecosystem – from the center of the ecosystem to outer edges. 

Before we start, don’t kid yourself, building this ecosystem takes time, effort, support, vision, financial and human capital.  Most companies start the journey with good intentions but discontinue the effort quickly based on changes in strategy, financial constraints, lack of IT support, patience or the lack of substantial results prior to the completion of major milestones.

Step 1:             Determine the center point of the ecosystem – this is absolutely the most critical aspect of designing the technology ecosystem.   Why?  It’s the point where all other platforms or activities hang off from.   I like to refer to this as the “home” of tracking and customer data.  This system can be:  a CRM system, ERP system, marketing automation platform, relational or inverted database, etc.  Each has its own unique positive and negative traits.   You’ll need to work with your IT department to determine which system might work best for your circumstances and overall goals.

I’ve used SQL, Oracle and a host of other databases, ERP and marketing automation systems during my career.  My preference is a true “marketing system” more specifically a Marketing Automation System (MAS).  And I’ve used both of the two major players Eloqua and Marketo. 

For me, Marketo seems to be easier to implement and not taking as many IT resources to maintain or expand. MAS’s allow marketers to store specific campaign, tactic and customer data in a format which the non-technical marketer can use and understand.   In addition, it creates the needed “memory” of activities and behavior which came from all marketing activities.  It also allows for a database which has the ability to stand alone or integrate with other internal or new systems.   The use of metrics and graphical representation of data is very intuitive and provides real data which can be acted upon. 

I’m a big believer in simple is better.    

I’ve bought the systems which were sold on the premise they could almost launch a space shuttle – but most times I’ve never had to launch the space shuttle.

Stay tuned for the next post where I’ll discuss the “core” types of platforms or technology which should surround your center point.

Scott

TV Commercials - The Cost Keeps Getting Higher

First, if you haven’t gotten ahold of the “Marketing Fact Pack 2016” produced by Advertising Age, it’s worth your time and money to get one.  The piece is one of the better information resources to help make decisions and comparisons.

Second, in reviewing the information specific to the cost of a 30 second TV spot, I nearly feel out of my chair — wait, I actually did fall out of my chair.  The lowest cost of a :30 second weekly network spot was $14,309 for the CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, running Friday at 9:00 p.m.  Now sit down because the high end weekly network spot was Sunday Night Football at $673,664.

And as usual football was priced at a high premium across the entire week:

NBC Sunday Night Football — $673,664

CBS Thursday Night Football — $522,910

NBC Thursday Night Football — $485,695

Running a single :30 second spot to reach the male demo in each of the above football programs would cost you a mere $1,682,269 per week.  Naturally, that cost is un-negotiated.  If you’re one of the big boys you could easily spend $2,500,000 a week on TV advertising.

Even bulking up a TV schedule with lower rated and lower cost TV while utilizing remnant TV with the goal to get the CPP down would be tough to do.  

Now taking into account all of the other media channels $3,300,000 a week for a medium GRP media schedule would not be out of the ballpark.

My preference is to run an 80/8 schedule (hit 80% of the target audience at least 8 times).  And while I’d love to see if that is still doable with the increased pricing I’m not even sure reaching 50% of the target 5 times is achievable.

How the times have changed.

Scott

CMO Dashboards

Having a marketing dashboard is an absolute must in today’s ultra competitive marketplace.  Everyone has their favorite areas to track.  Some of the areas I’m keen on include:

1. Lead Funnel
2. Lead Conversion 
3. Sales Velocity
4. Marketing Revenue Contribution
5. eCommerce Platform Revenue and Performance
6. Channel Performance
7. Campaign Summary
8. Web Property Performance Social Property Performance
9. Marketing Costs vs. Budget
10. Financials — Fixed vs. Variable Marketing Costs, Future Run Rate Budget, Category Budgets
11. Media
12. PR
13. Segment and Customer Value Performance
14. New Customers Acquisition
15. Cross Sell and Up Sales Ratio 
16. Staff Performance Against Yearly Goals

There are many more which could be added, but the above tend to be the areas which allow me to quickly understand what’s going on.

Scott

CMO's Take Back Marketing?

I’m catching up on my reading this holiday week… unfortunately, I’ve let it pile up, shame on me!

The October 31 issue of Advertising Age has an interesting article in the Opinion Column summarizing a recent speech given by Bob Liodice, President-CEO of the Association of National Advertising.  With an article titled “ANA Chief Calls on CMO’s to Take Back Marketing, but Do They Really Want to?” got my attention.

A top line on the article:

1.  Company sales performance is growing at 2% annually

2.  9 of 10 big brands are losing share

3.  Overworked and under trained marketers

4. CMO’s need to lead – drive business results, etc.

5.  Brand building is waning

6.  Competing financial decisions

A few thoughts…

1.  Big brands might be losing share – competition from overseas competitors, outsourcing to lower costs and lack of innovation are surely some of the specific reasons.  Building the brand is critical but there are other factors which are probably impacting growth.

2.  Medium and smaller brand growth – looking at the big boys is great, however I wonder if the same sales performance issues are impacting those further down the size scale.

3.  Training – yes it’s a huge issue.  Everyone talks about it, but it seems no one actually does it.  It’s not just sending people to courses.  It’s giving them projects beyond their skill sets and mentoring/teaching them to do it.  It’s allowing for failure.

4.  Skill Sets – what use to be the norm is for Marketers to be skilled in all aspects of the marketing trade – PR, brand, media, direct, social, mobile, search, web, advertising, production, creative, strategy, planning, database, writing, etc.  However, today there is so much specialization most Marketers don’t know how the pieces fit together.

5.  Financial Management – this isn’t anything new, so I wonder why it’s all of sudden considered a big issue.  Where to spend or invest marketing dollars varies by each business… but where most get it wrong is that they invest in areas which don’t drive sales, pay for things which really aren’t true marketing expenses and a whole bunch of other areas which I won’t go further into.

6.  Never Outsource Strategy – if you’re not smart enough to develop the foundation of your company’s marketing strategy,  then you shouldn’t have the job.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t work with others to develop the strategy, but outsourcing it to a 3^rd party isn’t wise in any situation.  

7.  If leadership is showing where we need to go then management is about actually getting it done.  And some Marketers don’t have a great track record of late on not only leadership but management as well.  The media rebate scandal, allowing procurement to own agency selection/management, outsourcing strategy to agencies – these are all symptoms of not focusing on block and tackling marketing. 

The ANA’s call for CMO’s to take back marketing?  CMO’s should have never let it go in the first place.

Scott

2017 Marketing Predictions

It's that time of year to begin predicting what's ahead for the Marketing industry in the new year. Here's my attempt....

1.  More scandals regarding the way agencies, suppliers and clients work together will continue – see Department of Justice investigation of agencies.

2.  Marketing and media budgets will increase based on business friendly optimism of a Republican controlled White House and Congress.

3.  More clients will hire media audit companies with many finding they are due rebates.

4.  There will be an increase year over year in agency reviews – the media audit scandal, the public discussions on agency executive compensation, etc. will add more gas to the ever raging fire.

5.  Media rates will fall.  The 2016 scarcity of television and digital from the Olympics and election cycle will put more inventory in the 2017 market.  But the Super Bowl will still be over priced.

6.  TV talk shows, political news programming and comedy shows will see rating increases based on a Trump White House – lots of humorous material, questions and concerns will draw viewers.

7.  Yahoo! will go into fire sale mode.

8.  Content will become interactive – helping to keep consumers engaged.

9.   More live streaming of events, conferences, presentations, etc.

10.  Marketing automation will continue to grow across all sectors.

11.  Social will transform with a higher focus on direct ecommerce purchases.

12.  B2B marketing will start to take the lead on best practices. 

Scott

Ali and the Brand

As the rest of the world, I mourn the death of Muhammad Ali.  The weekend was filled with tributes and accolades for his in and out of the ring talents.  Controversy surrounded him throughout his life but the “Ali Brand” will always be remembered with fondness.

All of this got me thinking about how Ali managed his “brand” or “reputation” etc.  I’ve come to the conclusion that he didn’t manage his brand.  Yep I just said it… you’re probably cursing me at this point, but let me explain.

Ali did what he wanted… he didn’t care about what others thought…he let his conscious, beliefs, life experiences and character steer his brand.  In other words, Ali was authentic long before being authentic was cool.  You took the good and the bad with Ali.  You always knew where he stood.  He didn’t mince words.  His ACTIONS defined him, albeit his mouth certainly had skill unto its own.  

Those actions defined his brand.

As companies strive to be authentic they can learn something from Ali.  Not all of your decisions are going to be received positively – but true authenticity requires you to go through the storm to get to the sunshine.  However, in the end doing the right things – helping your community, providing the best product/services, growing your staff, being honest and not trying to put lipstick on a pig when you make a mistake will all lead to long-term authenticity.

RIP Champ and thanks for the lessons.

Scott

P.S.  Check out the NYTs article on Ali… I think it is the best piece I’ve read.  http://nyti.ms/28fWBQH

You and Your Brand

You’re an asset.  Don’t forget that.  Your skills, the way you conduct yourself, your reputation and integrity define your personal “brand.”  And just as we develop brands for businesses, ensuring the message is correct, that the promise is delivered upon, etc., you must constantly be aware of your personal brand in your dealings.

If you’re in the beginning portion of your career, keep the following in mind:

1. Do what you say, say what you do — don’t promise something you can’t deliver.  
2. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want your Mother, Priest, Spouse or the New York Times to know about.
3. It’s true, keep politics and religion out of your conversations.  In this political year, I’ve been negligent in expressing my thoughts… but I’m getting better at controlling myself.
4. Social media is easy — stay clean, don’t show the stuff which will embarrass you or your employer.  Look the separation of business and social media is tricky, my recommendation is to be conservative.  Because when you find out you were to liberal in your posts, etc., it’s usually to late to change it.
5. Golden Rule — do what your Mother told you… treat people with respect.  I pay very close attention to how people deal with others.  If you treat the waiter like crap, you show your true self.  It’s simple, but I’m surprised at how badly people treat others.
6. Which leads to Manners — do the simple things, thank you, please, your welcome.  It makes an impression.
7. Polish Your Shoes — two lessons here.  First, be wary of man who doesn’t shine his own shoes.  If you can’t do the dirty work, how can I trust you to get in the trenches when the real work starts? Second, when you walk into a room with a $1000 suit and shoes which look like combat boots, it shows your lack of detail and concern with your entire appearance.
8. Dumbest Guy in the Room — strive to be dumb.  What I mean is listen, listen, listen.  Get the thoughts of others before making a decision.
9. Remember, there is a difference between management and leadership.
10. Ebenezer Scrooge — I love the part in the story, when Ebenezer says he’ll keep Christmas in his heart all year long.  Try to do the same… it’s a 365 day year.  

This isn’t all of the list, but I hope you get the idea.  

Scott

Service Still Matters

In many cases companies advertise what they aren’t.  And when you must advertise your service level I usually find the service is terrible.  Service is best spread word-of-mouth.  It has authenticity when you hear it from another person, not an advertisement.

I was reminded today of the continuing importance of service — in fact EXCEPTIONAL service.  It was time for my 30,000 mile service on my car.  So I set my appointment through the handy technology imbedded in the in-car computer.

Arriving at Northside Lexus of Houston, I was greeted by a friendly Advisor who checked in my car and walked me to his office (yes an actual office).  He patiently explained to me what was involved in the service - explaining each item, made sure I didn’t a loaner car, etc.  At this point, he walked me to seating area’s…  Leather chairs, couches, multiple big screen TV’s, WiFi (and strong signal WiFi to boot) — it was a designer perfect family room.  The second area was a more general area with chairs and tables.  The third, was a business room with all the amenities — a fax machine, printer, etc. etc.  And fountain drinks, juices, coffee, cappuccino were all available.  

Then, Northside Lexus went for the “service kill”… freshly baked cookies…right out of the oven.  It is impossible for any man on the face of the earth to not fall under the “spell” of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie — it’s like a love potion.  All along the way, my Advisor checked in with me to give me an update on the multitude of items they were checking, changing, tightening, washing and vacuuming, etc.  I received text messages with the estimated time my car would be ready. 

Check out was so fast and the Advisor walked me to my car.  The car was on, with the A/C lightly cooling the car.  And all along the walk the staff said thank you, enjoy the weekend, etc.  And this was like 3-4 people along the walk.  Oh, did I say they used my name.

If I didn’t have things to do I would have asked to stay a few more hours.  Northside Lexus of Houston doesn’t advertise its exception service, it doesn’t need too…I just did.

Scott

Prince – Master Musician and Brand Master

As many, I was shocked with the passing of Prince yesterday.  A musical genius who had tremendous influence on multiple generations.  Personally, I had 3 cassettes of the Purple Rain soundtrack.  Why 3? I wore them out from listening to some of the greatest songs of my generation.  Thank God the modern CD was created.

Prince was more than a musician; he was the master of the “Prince” brand.  Now whether he was cognizant or had a plan can be debated. 

• -          Color – how many artists are recognizable by a color?  For Prince it was purple.  The evidence was his use of the color in his marketing materials, songs, etc.  Last night’s tributes to him had lighting of purple across the globe.
• 
  
• -          Symbol – “the artist formally known as Prince.”  Remember that?  At first it was considered a joke. However, the symbol became as iconic as the color purple.  From guitars, graphics, t-shirts, etc. the symbol was uniquely his brand logo.
• 
  
• -          Super Bowl Half Time Performance – when on the grand stage of performance, with 100 million plus people seeing you perform, he cemented his brand.  His 2007 performance in the rain is legendary.  Frankly, it was perfect… the rain provided the backdrop when he played his hit “Purple Rain.”  An Interesting tidbit.. His performance was named the best Super Bowl performance.
• 
  
• -          Privacy – Prince was a private individual.  Living in Minneapolis certainly helps you be private.  But he didn’t get caught up in the LA scene, where the paparazzi and tabloid press prey on and can distort images.  That’s not saying he didn’t make the front page of The Enquirer, but it seemed to be tempered.  He controlled his brand by staying out of controversy.
• 
  
• -          Letting “Lightning” Strike Once -- After the movie Purple Rain ran its course, I was sure there would be a sequel.  There wasn’t.   But I have to believe it was discussed.  It seems to me he probably knew the risk of trying to make another hit, thus, damaging his brand.
• 
  
• -          Have Others Advocate His Brand – just a few artists who he helped or who played work he penned include:  The Bangles, Sheila E., Vanity, Tom Jones, and Sheena Easton.  They carried his brand by making hits out of his songs… those artists broadened his brand through their association with Prince.
• 
  
• -          Ownership – Prince was a stickler for “ownership” of his performances and work.   Sheryl Crow and others have discussed his business acumen at ensuring he “owned” his brand.  Prince seemed to know what his brand was worth and controlled it to ensure the value remained high.  

I’ll miss the live performances, new music and trend setting Prince provided.  RIP O’Purple One.

Scott  

Is Mobile Phone Technology Peaking?

I was due from an upgrade on my iPhone for quite some time now and decided to get to the local AT&T store to get what I thought would be “killer” new tech.  What a disappointment. 

I upgraded to the iPhone 6 -- yes I know I was a laggard on this one.   Usually, I’m the first guy upgrading to any new tech, but alas I just fell behind on the phone front.    

For all of the hype which is made around new technology and the lines which seem to wrap around the block at the Apple store I found this one to be a total let down.  When you really consider it all in context of a consumer experience, you really only get:

Larger screen size – yea this is a nice to have, but not a game changer.  Puts them equal with Samsung.

New screen saver – it moves.  Wow!  Who gives a damn.

Wallet and Apple Pay – is really the only new functionality I see.  It’s great and a next step in evolution, but isn’t the must have reason to buy a new phone.

Better camera – I was ok with the last one given all of the apps you can purchase to improve the old camera versions.

It seems “Moore’s Law” on the growth of technology might be fading a bit in the mobile hardware and software space.

Scott

My iPhone Could Launch Apollo 11

I stumbled upon an article on the computer which ran the Apollo 11 space mission.   The 1960’s based technology was merely 64Kbyte of memory.  This computer helped get NASA Astronauts over 350,000 kilometers to the Moon and back.  As I pondered this achievement I looked at my iPhone and realized how far our technology has come.  With just the applications I’ve loaded to my phone I can:

1.       Consume Content

·         Play thousands and thousands of songs

·         Play, store and create videos

·         Read and store books

2.       Communicate

·         Video conference

·         Monitor house security system and cameras

·         Communicate via email, facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc.

·         Translate content into different languages

3.       Commerce

·         Form of payment

·         Purchase items from online merchants

·         Book and manage travel

4.       Inform

·         Instant access to news, stock quotes, weather, sports, etc.

·         Track the location of where my kids are

·         Monitor traffic and get driving directions

·         Determine my exact location via GPS

5.       Work

·         Create spreadsheet, word and power point presentations and project them to another screen

·         Print to any wifi printer

·         Analyze calculations, etc.

And the above are just a smattering of all the things we can now do with technology which can be placed in our pocket.  What tomorrow brings will be even more amazing.

Scott

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

From time-to-time I’m asked what information I keep in touch with.  A few of my favorites include:

Web Sites

Advertising Age – http://adage.com/

AdWeek http://www.adweek.com/

Creative Magazine http://www.creativemag.com/

Marketing Week http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/ 

DMA Organization News http://www.the-dma.org/news/

B toB – The Magazine for Marketing Strategists http://www.btobonline.com/

Chief Marketer http://chiefmarketer.com

Direct Marketing News http://www.dmnews.com/

Ad News http://www.adnews.com/

Campaign Magazine http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/go/news/

PR Week http://www.prweek.com/

CNET  http://www.cnet.com

American Marketing Association  http://www.ama.org

WSJ CMO Today  http://www.wsj.com/news/cmo-today

CMO http://www.cmo.com

HubSpot  http://www.hubspot.com

Engadget    http://www.engadget.com

Tech Crunch   http://techcrunch.com

eConsultancy   https://econsultancy.com

Chief Marketer   http://www.chiefmarketer.com

Social Media Examiner    http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com

Talent Zoo   http://www.talentzoo.com

Twitter

@wsjcmo

@cmo_council

@britopian 

@pkfletcher

@TimHanlon 

@siriusdecisions

@rishad

@mmaglobal

@charlenli

@tedtalks

@timsuther

@sesamestreet

@bogusky 

@mckquarterly

LinkedIn Groups

Digital Marketing

Marketing Communications

eMarketing Association Network

Executive Suite

Marketing & Communications News