Optimizing Online Business with Omniture
Over 2,000 of the world’s top online marketing talent — and those spending 30% of the world-wide web ad budget — descended upon Salt Lake City for Omniture’s annual Summit on web analytics. Omniture is recognized by Fast Company as one of the world’s most innovative companies (interestingly, 66% of the top 50 are Omniture customers).
Chris Parkin, Sr. Director of Genesis Solutions and former Sr. Director of Product Marketing, sits down with Brad Baldwin between sessions to talk about the trends and advances in online business optimization.
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Benefits of a Virtual CFO
Today, venture-backed, high-growth companies have more choices to spend on core business and outsource the rest. From enterprise software like Salesforce.com to hiring virtual CFOs, companies are trimming expenses.
Mark Marshall, Managing Director of The Accend Group, provides outsourced accounting services and the financial decision making on a virtual model. Like Salesforce.com, Marshall’s organization “rents” the CFO and general accounting services on a monthly basis. One of the top sources for acquiring new customers is venture capitals. VCs want their money going toward core sales and marketing or development, not unnecessary expenses. At the same time, these same VCs like knowing that CFOs with proven track records are close to their investments.
Marshall talks about the benefits of outsourcing to a Virtual CFO and the main questions that organizations ask when considering outsourcing over full-time employees.
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Blogging for Business Conference (10/22/2007 - SLC, UT)
The Blogging for Business Conference is coming to Salt Lake City Monday, October 22nd, 2007. Brad Baldwin catches up with Matthew Reinbold and learns that the organizers are focused on delivering content that will benefit the business-minded person interested in learning about social media and it’s benefits.
Keynotes:
- Wendy Piersall, eMoms at Hom
- Gary Goldhammer, Edelman Interactive Vice President
Speakers:
- Cheryl Snapp Conner, Snapp Conner PR
- Lee Gibbons, Podango
- Rand Bateman, Bateman IP Law Group
- David Politis, Politis Communications
- Lindsey Pollack, on Selling to Gen Y
- Malcolm Atherton, BusinessWire
- Tim Stay, Know More Media
Location / Date / Time / Cost:
- Marriott Downtown (across from Symphony Hall)
- Monday, October 22, 2007
- 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- $299
More details on the conference can be found at the Blogging for Business web site http://bforbconference.com.
The “Game” of Work
Charles Coonradt is the author of The Game of Work. Coonradt had an epiphany one day when he watched how engaged and excited people were when playing basketball on a work break. His thought was why couldn’t this same model be applied to work? Coonradt created a methodology for increasing productivity through making work a game. He incorporated important lessons from sports and games, complete with feedback, scorekeeping, goal setting, coaching, choice, and accountability.
Coonradt talks with Brad Baldwin about the creation of his business “The Game of Work,” entrepreneurship, and a new book released in July 2007, The Better People Leader.
VideoMeasuring Service Experiences with Richard Hanks at Mindshare
As a former EVP and Corporate Officer at Marriott, where he led the marketing strategy, sales, distribution, and revenue management efforts for Marriott’s 13 lodging brands and $18 billion in sales, Richard Hanks knows a thing or two about service. Today Hanks is the President of Mindshare Technologies, which is all about measuring and reporting on service experiences.
From mystery shopping to restaurant to call centers to retail to hospitality to travel, Mindshare Technologies provides an easy to deploy and customize ASP service measurement solution where executive teams can monitor and determine individual customer experiences. In addition to survey tools, Mindshare also provides alerts and triggers that notify management and action teams so they can take care of a poor experience quickly, before it becomes a problem for the organization.
Robert Scoble on Living in a Google World
For those who braved the crazy weather drive, the Robert Scoble keynote at SlopeCast was a real treat. Living in a Google World is something we all must do in today’s world. Technology is picking up the pace and information flow isn’t slowing down.
Robert walked us through how he starts his day and how he keeps abreast of the news and the buzz of the blogosphere. He makes recommendations to those business who have not engaged in social media. He answers questions about how to get started and what to do next.
Cheryl Snapp Conner, SNG PR Partner & Executive PR Director
Social media and public relations activities are converging at different paces and in different ways for companies. Cheryl Snapp Conner, Partner & Executive PR Director at Salt Lake City-based Snapp Norris Group/SNG PR talks about this evolution and the impact of social media on PR strategy. Describing the phenomenon as ’shifting ground’ and a ‘moving target,’ Snapp Conner shares her professional insights, shares success stories from SNG’s clientele, and also comments on best practices–including how not to mix social media and public relations.
Founded in 2002, award-winning SNG PR is one of the industry’s premier public relations firms, and was voted the “Best PR Firm in Utah” by the readership of Connect Magazine.
Robert Scoble’s Advice to News Outlets and Journalists
Robert Scoble, one of the most recognized voices on social media, shares his opinions on how traditional newspapers, like the Mercury News, and news outlets, CNN and BBC, must change to absorb the new “on-the-street” journalist. These new field correspondents can leverage their own blog, Flickr, YouTube, or yet-to-be-invented social media solutions to provide real-time news. Scoble relates a personal example of living in the bay area during the earthquake of 1989. At that time, the news was too centralized to the “hot” news spots, while the thousands of other locations around the Bay did not get covered — both good news (like, hey we’re okay in this part of town) and other trouble spots. Digital photos, cellular communications, broadband web connectivity, WordPress and Blogger.com are challenging news outlets. Scoble gives his recommendation of how these outlets — and the journalists struggling to keep their own jobs — need to change to include this new type of field correspondent. Between cell calls, Brad Baldwin talks to Robert while driving from San Francisco to PodTech’s new offices in Menlo Park.
Will it Blend? $50 Gets Six (6) Million Hits in Five (5) Days
George Wright, Marketing Director at Blendtec, invited us back stage for the filming of Blendtec’s next “Will it Blend” video. Currently YouTube’s #3 most watched video producer, Blendtec has found an amazing ROI for their $50 marketing spend. With over 6 million visitors to their WillitBlend.com web site in just five (5) short days, it’s been like hitting the mother-lode for the typically under-the-radar commercial small appliance manufacturer. More interesting than the awareness is Blendtec’s use of blogs, RSS, and comments from watchers/readers to feed future creative. And with over 10,000 comments from prospects in 10 days since their campaign launch, there’s certainly no shortage of ideas.
Tom Dickson, the chief actor and executive office at Blendtec, establishes trust through his “extreme blending” product demos and down-home personality. As Wright says, “what you see is what you get.” Destined to be an MBA business case classic, Blendtec spins up a brand-building showcase through its use of social media technology that even the hippest Madison Avenue firms are struggling to figure out.
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Jeff Kearl on Logoworks Moving Beyond Logos
Corporate design used to be a challenging problem for small businesses. That’s where Logoworks entered the market. However, today Logoworks can bring hundreds of designers to task to deliver the creative for any business, small or large. This includes designing business card, web sites, collateral, spiffs, and much more. And of course, you can still get a great logo design.
Jeff Kearl recently changed roles from Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Strategy Officer at Logoworks. Logoworks is #66 on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 List of the fastest growing companies. Listen to Jeff discribe Logoworks’ plan for growth by attracting new partners like OfficeDepot and Ebay and bringing a network of over 300 designers to the creative process.
Talking Podcasts with InsideUtah
Inside Utah #62 Friday, 10/27/06
Jennifer Napier-Pearce, an award-winning journalist living in Salt Lake City and the driver behind InsideUtah, invited those of us at Rocky Mountain Voices to take the “interviewee” side of the mic and share our purpose and vision for the community play and future of Rocky Mountain Voices. Jennifer soon learned that we’re a lively bunch with lots of side humor bouncing off in every direction. Of course Cydni did what she does best and brought the conversation into focus. Thanks Jennifer. You’re a “great” interviewer and do awesome work with your podcast production.
Keep it up!
Cydni, Kip, Tim, Brad
Technorati Tags: InsideUtah, Podcasting, Podcasts
UTC Hall of Fame 2006 Inductee - vSpring Capital’s Dinesh Patel
Humbly self-described as a “big fish in a small pond,” managing director and founding partner of Salt Lake City-based vSpring Capital Dr. Dinesh Patel talks with us about his induction into the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame. The “Father of Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals in the Mountain West Region” shares insights on vSpring’s equity investment strategy in the region’s unique opportunities in the bio/life sciences sector.
ARMA Coverage: Bill Forquer, EVP, Compliance Solutions Business at OpenText
With OpenText’s recent acquisition of Hummingbird, OpenText continues to add products and service to strengthen their Enterprise Content Management position. Bill Forquer, Executive Vice President of Compliance Solutions brings his personal experience of joining OpenText through an acquisition 8 years ago. He also brings his direct experience with compliance and records management to our questions on leveraging a single system to provide the necessary records and reports when dealing with multiple agencies and regulatory bodies.
This podcast is sponsored by NextPage and ARMA.
Technorati Tags: ARMA, Compliance, NextPage, Open Text, Podcasts, PodTech, Records Management, Software
ARMA Coverage: Judge Shira Scheindlin Q&A on Zubulake, e-discovery, and compliance
Judge Shira Scheindlin oversaw and ruled in the now famous Zubulake vs. UBS Warburg case, which set a key precedent for e-discovery. Judge Scheindlin answers questions posed by ARMA International President Susan McKinney.
This podcast is sponsored by NextPage and ARMA.
Technorati Tags: ARMA, Compliance, Podcasts, PodTech, Records Management, UBS Warburg, Zubulake
John Furrier coverage at UTC Marketing Exec Forum
Rocky Mountain Voices was on the scene at the UTC Marketing Exec Forum Friday, October 6, 2006. Not only did we enjoy the salmon and scrumptious chocolate desert but we also caught John Furrier’s presentation live.
While there, John presented on Social Media and the benefit of starting a conversation with customers and prospects through blogs and podcasts.
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