Recently in Marketing Category

Consumer Reports has decided to not recommend the iPhone 4 due to what it calls an antenna design flaw.


This is in direct conflict with Apple's unbelievable letter to the public that the phone's problems are with the software that displays how many bars you have, and not with the antenna design. Come on, Apple, fess up and fix the problem. It's a sign of a good company that makes exciting products and keeps the public energized about its brand. It a sign of a great company that owns up to its mistakes and fixes them before they become a public relations nightmare.

Look at Toyota. Their recall problems over the last year are legendary. However, have you heard that Honda has had similar recalls? Sure thing, my Honda Odyssey and a whole slew of other Honda cars were recalled for braking and transmission problems. Hmm, sound familiar? The thing is, though, that Honda reached out to us owners through the mail and through communication from the dealer to get us in to the dealer and get the problems solved. I didn't have to learn about it on the evening news, and I feel a lot better about my Honda.

I believe that Apple's customers would feel a lot better about their iPhone 4 purchase (and, of course, future technology purchases from Apple) if it would take steps now to fix the phones and get new ones into the hands of its customers.
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Adobe announced the availability of Flash Player 10.1 for mobile platforms such as Android and WebOS. #AdobeCP

http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/201006/06222010FlashPlayerAvailability.html

When we talk about web events and web meetings, more and more we are asked about how mobile customers can participate. While there is a Connect app for iPhone, other platforms have been lagging. Now, with FP 10.1, many of the other platforms suddenly become viable web event viewers, and the reach of web events has just exploded.

I just finished delivering a Connect session on Connect for Web Events (Recording: Webinars that Wow! with Adobe Connect), and when I mentioned that Flash Player 10.1 was announced and that smartphones would be able to participate in Connect meetings (Connect is a Flash-based platform), there was a very positive reaction. 

"THIS IS HUGE!" says one attendee (his capitals). 

"Did you REALLY say that smartphones could attend Connect meetings?" asked another. "Yes, I did," was my reply. "WOW!" came the response.

Other responses were equally enthusiastic. While the Connect app for iPhone has been available for months, there is a huge pent-up demand for other smartphones to be able to attend web meetings, and with Flash Player 10.1 in the mobile marketplace, Adobe Connect becomes more relevant than ever before.
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As you might imagine, while searching for help on image stabilization, I was surprised to see this Avid ad in the Adobe Community Help for After Effects. 

Avid ad in After Effects Help.png
Of course, using the community model means that when content comes from sites other than adobe.com, you get advertisements from those sites. Perhaps there's a way to contextually replace competitor's ads in these sites with Adobe ads when they are viewed through the Community Help portal? Come on, Omniture, get right on that.
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Printoolz.com reports that Kodak has introduced a nearly invisible security "ink" for its NEXPRESS series of digital presses. #AdobeCP

The Red Fluorescing Dry Ink operates in the fifth toner unit of the NEXPRESS and can be used to print static or variable content inline. The ink, which is clear but visible when viewed at an angle to the sheet, glows red when exposed to ultraviolet light. The applications that immediately come to mind are concert and other event tickets, airline and other travel tickets, Personal ID cards, VIP passes for events, VDP promotions (come on down to the Auto Kingdom and put your ticket under our special lamp to see if you're a winner...), Lottery and other games of chance, and more. 

The ink can print images, text or barcodes just like any of the other plates in the VDP stream, and will be available  in June of 2010.


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According to Quark...

There's still one last chance

Due to overwhelming demand, the Buy One Get One Free promotion has been extended until February 28. So if you missed out on this fantastic offer, there's still time to claim a FREE copy of QuarkXPress 8.

Sure. Overwhelming demand.

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XMPie uDirect 4.6.1 finally supports InDesign CS4. I installed the update without incident this afternoon. It is very nice to be able to now be able to use CS4 for variable projects. I can't find an announcement on their site, so talk to your sales rep. I am sure they will be demonstrating heavily at Print 09 in September.

I have always liked the XMPie workflow and its ability to make variable campaigns accessible to designers. Too often, variable workflows depend on a key programmer who works in proprietary applications, and often must disassemble a campaign piece in order to build it back up again. uDirect allows the designer to drive the process, providing either ready-to-run applications, variable print streams (via PPML, VIPP, VPS etc.) to the presses, or composite PDF or Postscript. In either case, the designer can see and accurately proof the results of campaign decisions directly in InDesign.

CS4 support in XMPie uDirect will certainly drive more marketers finally to upgrade their Creative Suite licenses. Adobe should be happy with this silent upgrade.
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On July 28, the US Post Office announced changes to its distribution system. According to a letter from Rick Coughlin, the Customer Relations Manager for Northern New England, the Post Office mail volume in 2008 was down "...9.5 billion pieces, and [they] project an additional 12 billion piece decrease this year." In response, they have "...realigned [their] transportation and delivery network to remain financially viable."

The upshot for mailers is that the hours during which a mailer may enter mail into the system have been reduced at the end of the day, which is the exact opposite of what would be more efficient for the mailers themselves. Mailers now must push their production back a day in order to meet the new, shorter insertion windows. At a time when the post office is struggling to remain relevant, effectively adding a day to the time to deliver mail is absurd.

The Post Office is not new to regulations that are convenient to themselves and detrimental to the customer. Recently, they changed the rules about how booklets were to be tabbed. Previously, tabs (tape circles that close the open edge) along the open long edge of the booklet were sufficient, but now, the booklets must have tabs on all three open sides. This triples the processing time and expense for mailers, since most mailers will send the piece through the tabber three times rather than invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tabbing equipment.

If the US Government wants to stimulate the economy, how about taking a look at the Post Office and how it seems to be working to make themselves the least convenient, least reliable, and least accommodating service available. No wonder email marketing is kicking the Post Office's behind.
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