RTC Relationship Marketing’s very own EVP of Media Relations, Gary Kagawa, has been featured in the Video Network for American Business Media. Gary touches on the current B2B market and highlights general trends in current media relationships. Click here to view Gary’s interview.
Written by Rebecca Johnson - Visit WebsiteStarting September 29, INTERACT 2008 will gather together the top creative, strategic, and tactical marketing minds to speak about proven methods in which Interactive Media and Web presence can and will shape the future growth of National, International, and Global companies in the future.
Speaking at the two day event will be RTC Relationship Marketing ’s very own Brent Canfield. Brent will touch on his 12 years of user experience design, project management and development, and layout his thoughts on where creativity and design interface to positively impact the overall "user experience."
Written by Rebecca Johnson - Visit WebsiteWPP Group agency has more than tripled in size since 2004
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 28, 2008– RTC Relationship Marketing (RTCRM), a Washington, D.C.–based direct marketing agency, today announced a series of recent new hires that have contributed to the agency’s nearly 30% growth in the first six months of 2008.
It’s been over 2 months since the Great Cupcake Taste-off , and I think I’ve only just now recovered from the sugar-induced coma that followed. It was a battle of epic proportions: 10 very brave colleagues stepped forward to taste 4 different cupcakes each. We laughed, we cried, and thankfully no one puked. Keep reading to find out if our beloved Baked and Wired came out on top. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Jennifer Wilson - Visit WebsiteAbout a week ago six fellow RTCRM employees and I began walking our way around the world. Well, not literally, as we don’t have enough vacation time for that, but rather virtually. Let me explain. For the next 118 odd days (we started on May 22) we’re wearing pedometers to track how many steps we take. We then entered our steps at Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) site and as a team track how far we’ve moved from one point on the globe to another. FYI: the route is kept secret, so we don’t know where we’re going until we get there. Our kick-off location was Valparaiso, Chile and after 8 days of counting, we’ve collectively walked 128 miles to Agua Viva, Venezuela. We’re averaging 10,000+ steps a day–GO TEAM!!!
The winners are the first team to walk our team around the world. We’re competing for honor within a variety of categories: The World, United States, WPP, and of course against the four other RTCRM teams. Teams and companies from all over the world are participating with the Aussies dominating the leader board –cheaters . My team the “RTCRM Hot Steppers” is currently ranked 516 out of 7000+ teams. Not too shabby. We’re in 5th place within WPP companies and we’re the leaders in the RTCRM race.
More updates in the coming weeks. Keep up the amazing pace Hot Steppers!
Author’s Note
I had originally intended today’s posting on consumer privacy issues to be the second of a three part series. But after last week’s discourse , response from the public was immediate and massive. “We can’t possibly wait two entire weeks to hear about HIPAA or the Final Word on RTCRM’s baseline approach to managing PHI!” they shrieked, frantically wagging their thin claw-like fingers at me. “Post both remaining chapters next week — or else,” they threatened.
“Or else what?” I asked, wishing quietly for the millionth time that I’d gone to librarian school.
“Just finish the post, pretty boy. Don’t make us hurt you,” they said.
“Okay, okay,” I acquiesced. “I’ll finish it up next week. Jeez, Mom.”
Thanks for reading.
ZR
Written by Zachary Rodman - Visit Website
Data is the lifeblood of relationship marketing and we live and breathe it. Industry studies and sales numbers are starting points, but a more profound understanding of consumer behavior requires insight at a more granular level. So we assimilate, study and mine data provided to us by our clients to inform how we segment, target and position marketing communications. And when existing data about our clients’ customers is not enough, we go directly to the customers themselves through the administration of surveys and the integration of transactional data. We build upon and enhance our data – constantly seeking better means of nurturing the delicate relationship between a brand and its customers.
Use and possession of this type of data brings with it a solemn responsibility to protect individuals’ privacy, and nowhere are these issues more important than in the pharmaceutical industry. Customer data related to health is not only inherently more private, it is also protected by a host of industry ethical guidelines and legal statutes. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Zachary Rodman - Visit WebsiteI just celebrated my 2nd year anniversary here @ RTCRM. It’s not just a lifespan marker that signals to me that I’ve met and worked with all the teams across the agency but more so a threshold recognizing the establishment of a discipline.
We aren’t talking about media purely from a planning, buying and implementation standpoint. The core part of the practice is really focused on being a consultancy…working across all the teams to help provide insight, perspective and strategic support. Being at the heart of marketing planning and program development is so helpful in ensuring that the teams think as holistically as possible about the target and potential communication touchpoints. Online and offline.
The other parts of “the practice” lie in the areas of “parternships” and “information.” Partnerships are our relationships with media agencies. One of our key objectives for our teams to have strong working relationship with them. The on-going connection of creative and media is so important. It’s an opportunity for all of us to take advantage of our collective thinking and experiences.
As for “information,” it goes without saying that there are so many ways in which research, secondary and proprietary, can infuse great strategy. Media is a central point to many sources of secondary research…through our network and our media agency partners.
So what now as I, and the practice at large, begin the 3rd year? Evolution and innovation. Evolution because the discipline needs to continue to listen to the needs of our clients, agency teams and partners. We need to continue to think about how to continue to deepen our channel and communications savvy. Innovation because we need to keep challenging ourselves to think of new ways to create, nurture and loyalize our relationships. New tools and tactics are coming about…even old ones that are enhanced technologically that allow direct marketers to utlize.
Written by Paul Petty - Visit WebsiteYou Tube “views” may be small compared to other media, but those views are from active, engaged consumers seeking out content. Compare that mindset to the average television consumer, TiVo remote in hand, distractions abounding. Also, keep in mind the sheer breadth of content on YouTube. One video with a million views may not seem impressive, but what about a thousand videos that a million people have chosen to watch? The most popular video on YouTube has 76 million views (and counting); the hundredth most popular has 13 million (and counting). Those figures are up dramatically from 40 million and 3 million, respectively, a year ago. Imagine those numbers when YouTube’s been around for a decade or two. Compare this to television. Ten years ago, Bruce Springsteen sang “57 channels and nothing on…” A decade later we’ve got more channels… do we have anything more to watch? Do you know anyone who channel surfs any more? While Viacom may have slapped the hand of YouTube, other companies are embracing it. Search for any Letterman appearance you may have missed and you’ll find it uploaded by CBS itself. Like any medium, the Internet and YouTube in particular, has more than its share of tomfoolery, but watch some of the videos mentioned in this Washington Post article and see if you don’t come away with new respect for the emotional impact potential of this nascent art form (did he just say art form?).
Written by Paul Petty - Visit WebsiteEveryone is talking about about social media and word-of-mouth marketing these days and acting like it’s a new phenomenon. When, in reality, it’s the same thing that’s been happening for centuries (if not longer) just now we use fancy technology to do it. Word-of-mouth referrals are the holy grail of marketing. Just how do you convince someone to tell someone else about your product? How do you convince someone to share their opinion on their blog, on your website or in a cafe? Really, it’s quite simple — do something that is actually worth talking about.
Written by Carly Lesser - Visit Website