Newsletter Upgrade – Keep an eye out!
You may have notices some changes The Marketing Connection over the last couple of issues. We’re working hard to not only make your newsletter more visually appealing, but also easier to navigate and read. On the left, you’ll find headlines for our main features and upcoming events as well as member news. We encourage you to send us highlights such as information about promotions or new hires within your organization or even a note about a successful campaign and the people in your office who made it happen. This is your opportunity to brag about your accomplishments and achievements to your fellow members.
In the center of the page, you’ll see summaries and links to the articles and upcoming events that we’re featuring. If you have an idea for an article or a subject that you’d like to read more about, please let us know. This month you’ll find an article from Ramiro… There are also links to information about two exciting two-day training events. Stay current and up-to-date with ever-changing marketing issues and enjoy opportunities to network with other members at any of our events.
Finally, on the right side of the page you’ll find yet another way to get attention from our members with paid advertising opportunities. Do you have something that might interest marketing leaders in the Philadelphia region? With over 700 members in our chapter, our newsletter reaches a key audience of professionals in our area.
We hope that you find these changes beneficial. Look out for more changes within our chapter throughout the year as we continue to improve the ways that we serve you.
Mobile Marketing with QR Codes - a barcode, a picture… a movie?
By Ramiro Padilla Klein
This summer I had the opportunity to visit Tokyo as part of my MBA at Temple University, and was given the opportunity to explore the latest technologies that are being used for mobile marketing purposes in Japan.
One of these technologies is “Quick Response Code”, or QR Code technology. One afternoon I was in one of Tokyo’s subway stations waiting for my train, when I noticed that the girl next to me was taking a picture of a square barcode-like image located at the bottom right of a poster promoting the new “Die Hard” movie.
Five seconds later she was watching the movie trailer on her cell phone. I asked her about it (to my fortune she spoke some English), and she explained to me that these codes were pretty common in Japan and that they were just an easy way to access a mobile web page without the hassle of typing in the whole URL from the phone’s tiny keypad.
Pretty simple concept, huh? It’s the missing link that connects the physical world to the mobile Internet. It’s a quick, easy jump from printed content to online content. So how does it work? Using your QR-enabled camera phone, just take a close-up photo of the code. A piece of software embedded in the cell phone decrypts it, and you are automatically directed to a mobile web address in the phone browser. You can see this technology in action in this clip found on YouTube.
QR codes were created in 1994 by Denso Wave, a major Japanese electronics manufacturer, to track inventory parts utilizing hand-held scanners. Denso patented the process, but left it open for anyone to create their own QR’s without paying licensing fees, which helped the technology take off. A couple years later, when Japanese marketers realized the potential, QR codes started popping up everywhere in Japan.
A survey taken by InfoPlaint carried out at the end of August 2005 reveals that 73.3% of Japanese mobile phone users have used QR codes at least once. This percentage goes up to 90% for teenagers and twenty-somethings. Some of the common places to find QR codes in Japan are business cards, magazine and poster ads, flyers, websites, billboards, and even grocery stores (snap a picture of the code on the price tag on the watermelon you’re just about to buy, and find out which country it came from, how long it’s been in the store, etc.)
There are signs that QR code marketing (or variations of the same concept) will soon be available in the United States. Companies such as ScanBuy and Mobot are offering interesting tools for tech-savvy marketers to launch innovative interactive campaigns. I’m not sure how long it will take for these technologies to reach critical mass, but I, for one, can’t wait.
FIND THE PERFECT JOB OR FIND THE PERFECT EMPLOYEE AT THE PAMA JOB BOARD
If you are a current job seeker, or looking to find the perfect match for a marketing position, the PAMA job board is the first place to start! Right now, companies such as Vanguard and Big Brothers and Big Sisters are seeking marketing candidates to fill positions. [VIEW JOB BOARD]
BECOME A MEMBER TODAY AND SAVE $30
If you have been considering becoming a member of PAMA, now is the perfect time to join! If you join before October 31st, you can receive a $30 membership fee discount, plus, the chance to network with local marketing professionals, and
Share best practices
Special access to events
Professional development opportunities
Local and national job bank
Online marketing forum
Join now and receive these special offers:
A $30 membership fee discount
Marketing News subscription
One additional publication of your choice
PAMA newsletter
Special Interest Group membership
[JOIN TODAY AND START MAKING CONNECTIONS]
Upcoming Events
10/4/07 - Free Breakfast for New Members
If you joined PAMA after September 1, 2006, then please join us for a FREE new member breakfast on Thursday, October the 4th at 8:00 AM on the 6th floor conference room on the Temple University Center City Campus at 1515 Market Street.
When:
October 4, 2007, 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Location:
Temple University Center City Campus
1515 Market Street, 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
To Register
Please send an email to pama@association-cba.org. If you have any questions about the event, please contact the PAMA office at 610-642-0607
10/9 -10/07- Marketing ROI Techniques: Improving Campaign Measurements, Analytics, and Profitability
Recent improvements in marketing analytics and data accessibility make measurements more possible than ever before, yet no silver bullet approach exists to make this an easy task. With executives demanding increased accountability, corporate marketing managers must respond to win more of the untapped profit potential that lies just out of reach.
This two day course will take you through the basics as well as more advanced marketing ROI techniques.
When:
October 9 & October 10 (2 day program)
Location:
The Hub, CityView
30 South 17th Street
United Plaza, 14th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.thehub.com/cityview.php
Pricing:
AMA member $1,475
New member Plus $1,710 (includes membership fee)
Non-member $1,760
To Register:
Learn More and Register Today
10/10/07 - Let the People Speak: Journey into the world of Web 2.0
The Web has always been about people, but in a Web 2.0 world this is taking on a whole new meaning. Giving your users more control and influence over your site unveils a whole new set of opportunities - and a whole new set of challenges. Unfortunately, Web 2.0 doesn’t come in a box with installation instructions and a user guide. Web 2.0 is a set of new philosophies and approaches to Web site strategy and design, which consists of increased user participation, openness, and rich interfaces. But with this philosophy in its infancy, many are struggling with not only defining it, but uncovering what it can do for the online channel and how to make it happen.
When:
October 10th, 2007
11:30 AM - 1:30PM
Where:
Downtown Club
Price:
Members $45.00
Non-members $60.00
Students: $20.00
Register Today!
10/18-19/07 - American Marketing Association: Marketing Boot Camp
In today’s ever-changing marketplace, businesses need their marketing professionals to understand the basics of marketing now more than ever. Business is rapidly changing and needs have increased competition faster than ever imagined. To help reinforce and focus your teams or your own marketing skills, the AMA introduces this highly interactive program facilitated by an experienced AMA instructor.
Register now for the Marketing Boot Camp and provide your marketers with the tools and marketing skills to keep your organization ahead of the competition!
When:
10/18 & 10/19
Where:
The Hub, CityView
30 South 17th Street
United Plaza, 14th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.thehub.com/cityview.php
Pricing:
AMA member $455
New member Plus $690 (includes membership fee)
To Register:
Learn More and Register Today
10/26 - WHARTON MARKETING CONFERENCE
SAVE THE DATE! The Wharton Marketing Conference is intended to serve as an integral forum for the marketing community within and beyond Wharton, providing access to the latest trends and research in the field, as well as an opportunity to build personal and professional networks.
11/14 - EXECUTE A BRANDED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE STRATEGY: TURNING CUSTOMERS INTO ADVOCATES
Never have consumers had so much choice: choice of supplier, choice of channel, choice of products and services. Their loyalty is determined increasingly by the quality of the experience they receive. Join the Philly AMA for this one of a kind event at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Philadelphia.[LEARN MORE]
