Starting with a financial update, Gary shared that the USPS could be profitable without the burden of prepayment of Retiree Health Care benefits, the conversion to 5-day delivery, and changes to employee healthcare and retirement plans.  Lawmakers are introducing comprehensive postal legislation with hopes of final passage by October that could provide relief needed to restore the Postal Service to profitability.

Gary also told us that implementation of the Full Service Intelligent Mail Barcode is official - mailers who want to continue taking advantage of automation discounts for mail must use the IMB starting January 26, 2014.  Despite skepticism that this will happen, Gary said that Postmaster General Donahoe assured attendees that the USPS will be ready, and the mailing community must move forward with conversion.

We also heard that the USPS has proposed a “Technology Credit” of up to $5,000 for mailers who convert and utilize Full Service IMB starting this summer.  They’ve already mailed 23,000 letters to major mailers introducing the credit.  However, the Postal Regulatory Commission has many unanswered questions about the plan and has yet to officially approve the program.  We’ll keep you updated.

Gary shared updates on remaining USPS postage discount incentive programs for 2013 including the Product Samples, Picture Permit, Emerging Technology and Mobile Buy It now promotions.

After a peek at 2014 Incentive Promos and some new technology being testing at the Postal Service, Gary showed off several samples of Augmented Reality post cards that truly bring direct mail to life!

If you’d like more information about the content of the program, please contact Gary at: GSeitz@ctrac.com

According to ExactTarget, what consumers are doing first thing in the morning reveals what their main priorities and motivations are. This early morning routine sheds light on their social activity and what news they’re seeking out. In every country studied, email was the most popular place to start with Facebook coming in second.  So how are these global consumers accessing these channels?

• In the UK: 74% use a personal computer, 13% use mobile phone, and 7% wait until at work or school to access a computer
• In Australia: 74% use a personal computer, 14% use a mobile phone, and 7% wait until at work or school to access a computer
• In Brazil: 77% use a personal computer, 11% wait until work or school and 8% use mobile phone to access a computer
• In France: 79% use a personal computer, 10% use mobile phone and 8% wait until work or school to access a computer
• In Germany: 71% use a personal computer, 11% use mobile phone, and 8% wait until work or school to access a computer

Remember, those findings were based on morning activity. What about when consumers are active in the evening? Do their priorities shift? ExactTarget found that consumer priorities do tend to shift from business to leisure. This was most apparent when looking at email usage. Social media activity during evening hours showed an increase from earlier use during the day. However, evening activities are very fragmented and appear to be more focused around the individual consumer and his or her needs. Which makes marketing to consumers during these evening hours much more of a challenge.

What does it all mean for email? Generalizations are nice, but luckily for us, ExactTarget took this information one step further. They asked what brand messages are consumers most likely to open and read? What does one hope to see in their inbox every day? ExactTarget polled consumers by what they call, “Motivations to Subscribe” across various countries. Here’s what they found out:

• In every country studied, the top reason consumers subscribe to a brand’s email was consistent across the board – to receive discounts and money-off promotions
• The second most common? To receive free stuff or giveaways – according to the UK, Australia and France
• Brazil and German consumers are more product focused, where they said keeping up to date with a company’s products and advanced notice of new products – were among their top three reasons for subscribing

What does it all mean for social? Again, ExactTarget asked the “why” questions to consumers. Why do they follow a company or organization on Twitter? What drove them to “like” a company on Facebook? In every country studied, Twitter’s audience is much smaller than consumers who are using email and Facebook. However, it isn’t small enough to not consider important, because it is. Twitter is seen as the place to test new content and push the limits of your brand you can’t do elsewhere. Consumers use Twitter to gather information, find out about product alerts and gain access to exclusive content. Overall, consumer’s top reasons for “following” a brand on Twitter varied from one country to another.

Facebook is viewed as more of a personal space for consumers. Since this makes it harder for marketers to reach consumers, it is crucial to know when someone does decide to “like” your company on Facebook  – what motivated them to do so? The researchers at ExactTarget found that consumers’ top reasons for becoming Facebook fans are similar to why they subscribe to emails: to receive discounts and money-off promotions. However, for each country they studied, consumers expressed an interest in product-related updates and exclusive content. So even if your brand can’t offer discounts or promotions, it’s important to keep your fans updated and informed. The more exclusive you can be with your content, the better.

To download the full report: SUBSCRIBERS, FANS & FOLLOWERS 2013 Global Executive Summary

INDIANAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global cross-channel digital marketing leader ExactTarget (NYSE:ET) announced today that at-home retail giant Thirty-One Gifts continues to expand its digital marketing programs, extending ExactTarget’s technology to more than 100,000 consultants in the U.S. and Canada.

Deployed by digital marketing agency and ExactTarget Platinum Partner C.TRAC, Thirty-One embeds ExactTarget’s email, analytics and reporting directly into the retailer’s online portal, enabling consultants to send and track data-driven digital marketing.

“Thirty-One highlights the flexibility of the ExactTarget platform to meet the demands of more than 100,000 users while maintaining ease of use and providing sophisticated enterprise controls,” said Scott Dorsey, ExactTarget chairman and chief executive officer. “As the global marketing software as a service leader, we are empowering enterprises around the globe to achieve new levels of digital marketing success.”

Seamlessly integrated into the Thirty-One consultant portal, the embedded ExactTarget solution enables consultants to send and track marketing emails and party invitations alongside the portal’s contact management, order tracking and business management capabilities. A custom C.TRAC application also allows consultants to import contacts from third-party systems.

“Thirty-One is an impactful fast growing brand with a passion for deepening the connections between their consultants and their customers,” said Susan Williamson, C.TRAC’s president. “ExactTarget’s industry-leading technology platform, coupled with our team’s expertise, provides a powerful, easy-to-use solution to consultants as well as a corporate enterprise tool that helps Thirty-One deliver the consistent brand experience their customers expect.”

In addition to providing consultants a streamlined interface for email content creation, sending and tracking, ExactTarget also provides unified enterprise content management, enabling corporate marketers to enforce brand compliance. The solution also provides enterprise reporting to enable corporate marketing teams to analyze campaign effectiveness for future optimization.

The successful growth of Thirty-One’s digital marketing follows ExactTarget naming C.TRAC its 2012 Channel Partner of the Year. Awarded in October at ExactTarget’s annual Connections conference, the award recognized C.TRAC for their innovative strategy, design, integration and execution of digital marketing campaigns.

About ExactTarget

ExactTarget is a leading global provider of cross-channel digital marketing software-as-a-service solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers through email, mobile, social media, Web and marketing automation. ExactTarget’s suite of integrated applications enable marketers to plan, automate, deliver and optimize data-driven digital marketing and real-time communications to drive customer engagement, increase sales and improve return on marketing investment. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America, ExactTarget trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “ET.” For more information, visit www.ExactTarget.com.

About C.TRAC

C.TRAC is a Cleveland-based interactive marketing agency, specializing in database management and related services. We empower our client marketing organizations to Compile their audiences, Communicate their messages, and Comprehend the results using ExactTarget technology and best practices. For more information, visit www.ctrac.com or find us on Twitter @CTRAC.

About Thirty-One Gifts

Thirty-One Gifts is one of America’s fastest growing direct selling companies because it offers products that work with everyone’s lifestyle. Thirty-One Gifts offers stylish and functional products from purses to home organization solutions and much more — most of which can be personalized. There are over 100,000 independent Thirty-One Consultants nationwide. The distinctive products and the independent business opportunity offer a unique solution to those seeking to earn extra income while selling fashionable and functional products. www.thirtyonegifts.com

Media Contact:
Finn Partners for ExactTarget
Kari Brownsberger, 312.329.3980
MediaRelations@ExactTarget.com

Original Source: BusinessWire

C.TRAC began in the interactive space around 4 years ago. Since then, we’ve been able to achieve goals that were set in place as we entered this industry – such as becoming a Platinum partner and achieving the Power of ONE Reseller award. We’ve grown our account service and development teams to support our ExactTarget partnership. We continue to redefine our focus to better align with ExactTarget’s. This agility  has proven not only valuable to our clients, but to us as well. Our dedicated team continues to grow (we’re hiring!) and our relationships with our clients are stronger than they have ever been. C.TRAC is proud to be amongst an elite group of ExactTarget partners across the globe. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Please visit the ExactTarget “Partners” section to learn more about their Orange Partner Network.

Develop, test, and deliver creative solutions to a variety of client marketing challenges, using web-based technologies and data-driven solutions on top of interactive marketing platforms.  Work with some of the greatest brands and companies in the world to deliver solutions that will touch millions of people.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES:   

• Analyze customer requirements, needs, and challenges.  Manage clients’ projects through required steps utilizing specialized applications and APIs for interactive marketing platforms.
• Be open to being mentored and guided by experienced, senior developers to help hone your craft.
• Clearly document and communicate requirements with Account Services and clients.
• Develop, test and deploy solutions, followed by the creation of a documented procedure and staff cross training.
• Strong focus on interactive marketing technologies and data-centric development.
• Provide technical support and expertise to co-workers and clients.
• Cross-train others in the department on established client projects or processes.  Assist co-workers and other departments with needed tasks, respond to questions or overflow projects.
• Provide help and support to coworkers in Account Services and directly to clients as necessary
• Perform other duties as assigned or directed. 

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Drive, passion, and the desire to do great things on a daily basis
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field
• Experience with working in a collaborative development environment a plus, including experience with source control systems such as Git and Subversion
• Familiarity and intermediate proficiency with T-SQL, .NET/C#, JavaScript and related modern libraries such as jQuery, and comfort with basic web development using modern HTML/CSS
• Familiarity with enterprise-grade Email Service Providers (ExactTarget, Silverpop, Responsys) is a plus
• Truly strong interpersonal communication and training/instructing skills.
• Solid reasoning and problem solving skills.
• Accuracy, attention to detail and organizational skills.

ENVIRONMENT & WORKING CONDITIONS:

Usual office environment and working conditions that require sitting, standing, typing, and using a computer.

C.TRAC is committed to adhering to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will make every effort to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.

First, let’s get the business part out of the way. One of the great things about ExactTarget is its incredible power handling data. By using its APIs and data extensions, you can customize and build dynamic communications that are simply not possible in other platforms. Here in the United States, that often means customized content for a particular demographic, or maybe a custom product recommendation based on what you’ve bought in the past. In Europe though, they have an even more pressing need for dynamic content:  their customers span several different languages. A major multinational consumer company (that’s all I can say, unfortunately) wanted help so their emails could automatically go out in the correct language to the correct subscribers. They were also looking to integrate that process with a fairly automated translation system, so they could create one email and send it in over 14 different country/language versions. We also had some side projects, including helping them design a mobile responsive version of their email. Yes–it’s a pretty cool project.

Of course, this also meant international travel for the first time in C.TRAC’s history. So, last month, our Director of Interactive got on a plane at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, and about 12 hours later, touched down in Brussels. After spending nearly fifteen minutes just trying to figure out how to turn on our car and get it in gear, we were on the E411 heading south towards Luxembourg.

We were lucky enough to have arrived on a Saturday, so some minor touristing was obviously in order. Respects were paid to the great General George Patton and his men at their final resting place at the Luxembourg American Cemetery. A jet-lagged and hazy day in Luxembourg City, along with some local beverage, and we called it an early night. The next day we visited the famous city of Bastogne, which you might know as a focal point of the Battle of the Bulge.  And what weekend visit to a Belgian town is complete with sampling a Belgian Trappist Ale?  Or viewing a beautiful cathedral?

We had a wonderful time with our clients/gracious hosts, who helped us sample some great Belgian cuisine and beverages. And of course, as polite Americans, we told them that if they ever found themselves in Cleveland, we’d be happy to take them to some of our great local establishments. Perhaps a day at Cedar Point followed by some walleye and an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter at the Great Lakes Brewing Company?

In all seriousness, this was an exciting milestone in our continued growth here at C.TRAC, and the first of many global adventures and clients to come!

What we should also become more dependent on though, is actionable content. It is a great thing to be constantly connected, tuned in, and socially aware. However, those are all passive forms of information gathering. There is no interaction, no value and no personalization. In order to better engage with your audience, track real-time results and drive value, you need to combine mobile and actionable content. Alas, SMS and push notifications. As Mashable stated in an article, “When done right, push notifications enable a brand to socialize with its best connected and engaged customers anytime, anywhere.”

What are some additional benefits of push notifications? Since ExactTarget is leading the way in mobile technology and integration, we’ve listed some of their highlights:

•  Drive engagement and mobile commerce
•  Greater brand awareness
•  Gain valuable user insight
•  Improve mobile app ROI

In fact, according to the Mobile Marketing Association, consumers are even asking to be more connected. The banking industry already has consumer demand for push notifications. A Varolii Corp. report revealed two-thirds of consumers want a notification when their account balance is low. Currently, only one-third of bank-app users are receiving those push notifications. Marketers need to meet consumer demands, or else the consumer will quickly find another alternative. The key to staying in tune with technology is listening to what people value.

When incorporating mobile into your advertising and marketing efforts, keep push notifications top of mind. This is a perfect way to connect with customers at the right place and the right time. When using push in addition to SMS, email and social campaigns – you open the door to higher response rates, email list growth and customer retention.

Why do we even need to be concerned about data? The day-to-day costs of poor data can range between 10 and 20 percent of revenue. The majority of those costs are derived from mailing materials to incorrect addresses. The end result? Loss of revenue, returned mail and annoyed customers. So how can you ensure a better data year ahead? We’ve outlined the three most common pitfalls and problems from our clients and explain how to approach each of them.

1. Current data is unorganized and poorly managed

According to an Experian survey, two out of three businesses waste up to 35% of their marketing budget due to bad data. That’s a hefty percentage regardless of your marketing dollars. Chances are, your data is housed in a few excel spreadsheets somewhere…someone looks at them on occasion, right?

Solution: You can’t do it alone. Luckily, there are ways to analyze current databases and figure out exactly what isn’t working for your business. In fact, you can send us a sample of your current data and we’ll perform an analysis for free! Email info@ctrac.com to get started.

2. Multiple sources 

A very common and frustrating issue is always communication. Most companies are using different software systems and programs that don’t talk to each other. Lack of integration actually prohibits successful delivery of information.

Solution: Moving from multiple systems to one, cross-channel platform will work wonders for your data and overall marketing efforts. Companies like ExactTarget are leaders in this space and help eliminate this issue.

3. Duplication of data

It is estimated that 37% of an average sized business database will decay every year. When handling consumer data, accuracy is so important. Mailing to a wrong address or sending the wrong item can cost your reputation. How can you keep up with the ever-evolving data landscape?

Solution: Again, having a proper analysis on your data can save a lot of time and money in the long run. Reducing duplicate records, incorrect addresses and data processing errors are well worth the investment.

Other common issues arise with unorganized data as well. Problems like having a hard time understanding buyer preferences and activity. Most companies are aware of what information they want to capture, but are unsure of how to easily access that information. Don’t let another year go by with data hygiene and management at the bottom of your list. Let 2013 be a year of new beginnings, smarter priorities and happier lives!

See our related case study on database management, consolidation and development.

With SMS being an integral part of cross-channel marketing, we wanted to share some of our knowledge on the topic. We’ve included lessons learned from our customers and industry tips to better prepare you for the future.

Make the most of your content

• Data-Driven: Delivering relevant content that applies to your customer will prove to be of value, not viewed as spam. If you know the audience you’re targeting buys product 1, promote product 1 instead of product 2. This can lead to increased response rates, and happier customers.

• Keywords: Use single keyword call to actions that are easy to spell when creating SMS campaigns. Anything that can be changed by autocorrect will make the keyword invalid. Some examples of words that work:

(auto correct will split these words)

Text MYFOOD, Text JINGLEBELLS

Utilize all aspects of mobile

• Email: Integrate email best practices into your SMS campaigns. The MMA requires that the “opt in” and “opt out” options are easy to understand and available for users. Ensuring you are sending to an audience that has given you permission is critical. In fact, the FCC just recently confirmed once a user has opted-out, a onetime text message to confirm may be sent without legal repercussions. Another benefit to pairing SMS and email is the ability to promote one within the other. For example, you could run an SMS campaign targeted just to your email   subscribers, or gain more subscribers through SMS opt-in efforts.

• Push notifications to Apps: The obvious benefit to push notifications is that they require the user to take immediate action. Even though push notifications can be ignored – it still is an important touch point if positioned correctly and the benefit of accepting it is clear to the user.

• Optimization: Make sure your website is optimized for mobile. According to ExactTarget, HTML5 helps aid in making sure your site has what it needs to survive the mobile world. Everything from interactive content to improved usability. This is an important factor when integrating SMS campaigns, as the user will most likely be visiting your website for more information – especially if your SMS offer takes them there.

So what’s in store for the future of SMS? In an article published by Mobile Marketer, James Citron, CEO and co-founder of Mogreet, shared his insight on the topic: “The biggest change in SMS in 2013 is going to be the shift from short form text-only messaging to multimedia rich MMS messaging. The increase in smartphone adoption and as the advancements of phone camera equipment grows, consumers are more and more comfortable with creating and sharing multimedia content.”

The impact of SMS in the mobile space will continue to be one of the best and most preferred ways of reaching consumers. Just how much of an impact? Consider this: Throughout the world, SMS traffic is growing and stood at 7.4 trillion messages in 2011, up 44% from the year before, according to Informa. If SMS isn’t a part of your 2013 marketing strategy, hopefully this article proved why it needs to be.

This person offers consultative solutions for clients within the context of C.TRAC’s ExactTarget partnership.  This person owns the client relationship and advises customer on best practices in the interactive space.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Actively leads assigned accounts by learning client’s business goals and strategically recommends C.TRAC projects to serve those goals
• Establishes an expert level understanding of ExactTarget
• Collaborates with Interactive staff regarding client needs as necessary to scope projects, build awareness of client goals, and to ensure on-time delivery of projects
• Lead client interactive programs to guarantee testing, deployment and ad hoc reporting are complete as necessary
• Proactively identifies potential client problems and/or opportunities as related to their interactive activities
• Compiles account review documentation for use in client meetings
• Solid understanding of interactive marketing concepts, practices, and tools
• Ability to think and act independently
• Reports time usage by client as instructed by manager
• Perform other duties as assigned or directed to contribute to team effort

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree.  If not in marketing or related field, the equivalent in work experience.
• Five or more years account management experience
• ESP experience required.  ExactTarget experience preferred.
• Intermediate knowledge of HTML
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel and/or Access
• Knowledge of other Microsoft office applications
• Knowledge of SQL and Photoshop preferred
• Demonstrated success in learning and utilizing new SAAS platforms
• Demonstrated professional written, verbal and presentation skills
• Excellent time management skills and ability to dynamically prioritize according to the situation
• Solid reasoning and problem solving ability
• Accuracy, attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Ability to work well as a leader with peers and clients

ENVIRONMENT & WORKING CONDITIONS:

Usual office environment and working conditions that require sitting, standing, typing/keying.   Also, some car travel to and from appointments, meetings, and events.  May encounter weather conditions while driving, and other environmental conditions at off site meetings.

C.TRAC is committed to adhering to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will make every effort to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.