Tuesday, June 19, 2007

I'm Back!

I haven't posted in nearly seven months...not that anyone out there has missed me.

An insane work schedule, along with getting married left little time for blogging. I have a few things on my mind to share...including how we know if marketing on the Internet is working.

Speaking with my aunt this weekend in Chicago, she told me about a speach the CEO of AOL or Yahoo or something gave to a room full of media buyers and sellers.

He noted that Tide (the laundry detergent) recently had a great experience with the Internet on accident. AOL/Yahoo/whatever's ad programming had placed a banner ad of theirs on a vet site knowing, as most do, that Mom's buy the pet food along with their detergent. Anyway, the site became the Internet hub for information on the contaminated pet food issue a few months back. This person giving the speech noted how many "hits" and "visits" Tide got from the pairing of banner ads and Web sites.

What he didn't mention was if Tide sold any detergent because of it. If if Tide was now viewed more favorably (which doesn't mean shit if people don't buy it).

And I've come to start asking these questions of my interactive peers: cool site, awesome interface, good information...are you selling anything because of it? A Web site has become table legs...but what info do we have that links great Web-based activities with sales?

I've always thought some of the big package good companies (General Mills, P&G) have done some good things regarding receipe sharing...but I still don't know if people then purchase the product, or just take the receipe and do their own thing?

Anyone have some info?

Cheers.