As technology has evolved, so have consumers' concerns surrounding the use of their personal data. Not only are they leery of providing information, consumers also are leery of who uses their personalized data and for what purposes. Marketers can ease their customers' concerns by taking precautions, especially surrounding their online marketing efforts. Here are a few tips to think about when creating a personalized URL (PURL) campaign:
 
Define and Assess Security Risks of the Web Site: In the planning stages you should define and assess the potential security issues with your marketing campaign to minimize their impact. If the Web site includes sensitive data, consider creating a threat model to identify the risks and possible vulnerabilities. The analysis assists the development team in its Web site set-up.
 
Take Complete Stock of the Web Site: Information security is not just about preventing theft or damage. It also includes ensuring your Web site is available, fast enough, complying with legal and regulatory requirements, providing accurate information, preventing release of confidential information to unauthorized users and inappropriate use, protecting your users, and providing the ability to analyze and learn from incidents.
 
Password Protection: Consider using a unique four-digit number when creating the PURL string. This keeps recipients from accidentally or purposely viewing another individual's site. For example, you may have several individuals in your mail file with the same first initial and last name, so in this case you'd have to use a number to identify each (JSmith1, JSmith2, JSmith3 …). If JSmith2 was inclined, he could access JSmith1's PURL. It's better to assign a random multiple-digit number to each PURL so your recipients can't crack your code. Some marketers use separate passwords included in the marketing offers with the PURLs so recipients can securely access their sites.

Test Before and After Rollout: All projects must include structured testing. Security testing involves checking what is not allowed on the site as well as the intended functionality. This requires thinking outside of the box to foresee any potential obstacles. You should proof PURL sites before a marketing campaign deploys as well as after.  
 
Monitor Your Reports: Review your data collection reports often to identify abnormal behavior and how these problems occurred. Problems with capturing information can skew your results and possibly prevent a future marketing campaign. It's also a good idea to protect the reports from alteration. In some instances, we've seen recipients of PURLs pass their personalized landing page information to friends, who then access and use the recipients' identities to fill out the pages. This wreaks havoc on your reports. You may want to consider locking each PURL so the recipient cannot change her name, and instead provide her with the option to refer the friend so he gets his own PURL.  

GE Money leverages Distributech's DOX application to deploy personalized URLs along with Variable Data Printing to reach their customers and prospects.  Customers are receiving highly personalized communications with targeted offers.  These offers direct them to personalized URLs that track all response activity while at the same time maintaining the personal touch. Response rates for this program increased from the 2% range to over 10%.

Hershey's engaged Distributech to develop and manage their online "Rip the Wrap" program.  This involved the development of over 30M PINS, building a database-driven site to capture consumer entries, determine daily winners and managing the entire process including hosting. Integrated SMS/Text Messaging is also a component of this program.

Distributech Multi-Channel Marketing Services:

Web Application development and hosting for data-driven sites 

PURL engine  integrated into  DOX application to enable rapid implementation of micro-sites 

Data processing and data management services for digital communications 

6 colour digital presses producing high quality print communications with full direct mail workflow. 

Email, web, SMS, text communications services

LG Electronics engaged Distributech to develop an online promotion for their consumer products.  By purchasing a Steam Laundry product, the consumer is eligible for a chocolate phone.  To redeem the phone, the consumer goes to the Distributech site to enter their request and the customer communications and fulfillment are handled online by Distributech.  The redemption volume for this program was much higher than planned. 

 1 out of 3 people prefers responding to direct mail online 

If you use direct mail, one of your biggest challenges is beating a control in a head-to-head test. Most people use the "potshot" method, trying random formats, offers or creative approaches, then crossing their fingers and praying for a winner.
There's nothing wrong with testing a wide variety of ideas, but it doesn't have to be a random process.

Here's my 7-step procedure, based on proven problem-solving methods. It works for any medium, including direct mail, prints ads and broadcast spots. It doesn't guarantee a winner, but it does guarantee a logical and well-ordered method that can get you to a winner a little faster.

1. DEFINE your problem
Formulate every control-beating effort as a problem to be solved. Put the problem in writing. Be specific. If your company thrives on sales leads and good leads have dried up, your problem is a lack of good leads. Write "The problem is our current direct mail package is not generating enough qualified leads for our salespeople." Without a specific problem, you'll never arrive at a specific solution.

Even if your control performs well, and you simply want to beat it, you should formulate a problem statement, such as "The problem is that while our control generates 1.4% response and is profitable, we want to increase response to at least 1.8%."

2. EXPLORE your resources
Gather information about your problem. Collect samples, promotional literature, press releases, competitor information, memos, testimonials, articles and reviews, marketing reports, everything. Read and ask questions. But don't make any creative decisions yet.  

3. ANALYZE your control
Look at the control by itself and in context with all past tests. How does it measure up creatively? Look for fundamental problems. Run a diagnostic check against proven principles and techniques.

Then look at the numbers - response rates, conversions, ROI, cost per customer, etc. Arrange tests chronologically or by response. Do you see a pattern? What has worked and what has not? Why?

When your analysis is complete, formulate your hypothesis. This is a statement that summarizes what you believe the real problem is and what - in general terms - should be done about it. For example: "The acquisition package is getting a good response and has beat out all contenders, but the ROI could be better. The package must be made more cost efficient while maintaining the current response and conversion rate."

4. PAUSE
By now, your eyes are bleary and your brain is numb. It's time for a break. Set everything aside and do something else. Take a walk. Golf. Nap. Anything. The break will allow your brain to cool off, to sift and organize subconsciously. If your schedule allows, set everything aside for several days.

5. CREATE your ideas
Now it's time to come up with some ideas. How you proceed will be determined largely by your analysis of the control.

If the control is excellent, it may be doing all it can do. So, your best bet is to brainstorm fresh ideas and take a different approach to beat it.
If the control is merely good - the category most controls will fall into - there's room for improvement. Look for something to change about the current control to improve results.

If the control is bad, toss it. Start from scratch and create something new. It's safest to use a proven formula, to go back to basics. (Caution: A control can only be a control if it has won in tests. So, a "control" that shows poor technique or low numbers may indicate faulty testing or other serious problems.)

6. EVALUATE your ideas
Go over the ideas you've generated. Weed out all but the best. If you don't like anything, or think you can do better, go back to creating for a while. When the deadline gets close or when you stop generating useful ideas, move on. Choose the single best idea you have. This is the one you will develop.

7. ACT on your best idea
Plan how to make your idea happen. Anticipate obstacles and prepare for them. Be ready to sell your idea to others. Expect hesitation or even resistance: "We've never done this before." "I wouldn't respond to this." "It won't work." "This isn't very creative."

Doubt is a natural and inevitable feeling as you arrive at the moment of truth. Don't let it stop you. Only testing will prove what works. So, GO FOR IT!

Recently OB tampons leveraged VIP to issue an apology to their loyal Canadian customers for discontinuing a popular product line. This two-minute online video seems to be putting a smile on the faces of disenchanted fans of the Johnson & Johnson Inc. brand. By going to www.obtampons.ca/apology, the viewer enters her name and then sits back to not only hear the performer sing the name within the song's lyrics, but also to see the name integrated into the video.

We recently analyzed data from our Facebook fan page to see that VIP is a very popular topic. Overall, when posting videos, photos and articles about VIP our engaged users increased by 21%.

VIP is a unique and creative tool that will:

• Grab consumers attention
• Increase engagement
• Increase social sharing
• Create emotion for the consumer

The benefit to marketers is that it is now available in all channels!

It's hardly news that young adults are the most digitally connected, but now Nielsen has come up with a new name for this group based on their common behaviors: "Generation C."

The C stands for "connected," and the group comprises Americans between 18 and 34 - who are defined by their digital connectivity, Nielsen and NM Incite's U.S. Digital Consumer Report says. They consume media, socialize and share experiences through devices more than other age groups.

The most recent U.S. Census finds 18- to 34-year-olds make up 23% of the population. Yet they watch 27% of online videos, constitute 27% of visitors to social networking sites, own 33% of tablets and use 39% of smartphones. When it comes to watching TV, they are exactly in proportion with their ratio of the population, representing 23% of TV viewers.

"Their ownership and use of connected devices makes them incredibly unique consumers, representing both a challenge and opportunity for marketers and content providers alike," Nielsen writes. "Generation C is engaging in new ways and there are more touch points for marketers to reach them."

The below graphic visualizes different Nielsen numbers on American media consumption. Some stand out figures from the graphs show that tablets are the only device that men own in higher numbers than women and that whites use more tech devices than blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S.

CMO.com has developed this infographic: to help you navigate through the complexity by illustrating some of the main trends, such as the forecast for tablet computers and smartphone penetration. Couple that with common key objectives marketing leaders must meet, as well as a quick guide of five simple rules on how to take advantage of the digital Wild West.

To read more go to: http://www.cmo.com/trends/cmocoms-2012-digital-marketing-landscape?cmpid=TT124

While email does have its advantages, for both marketers and consumers, we can't overlook the fact that more email than ever is being sent to consumers, clogging their inbox's, sometimes causing your message to be lost in the crowd. Consumers will only open emails that are relevant to them and that are from trusted brands. One way to build that brand trust is to offer customers a choice of what they want to receive and how they want to receive it.  The key is to ensure that your message is consistent across channels and relevant to the consumer you are targeting. By offering customers a choice and delivering on it, you will maximize your marketing dollars by increasing your ROI.

Direct Mail Dominates as Customers' Preferred Information Channel

Though considered outdated by some, direct mail holds an emotional connection, making it the favored mode of brand communication for U.S. and Canadian consumers.

By Anna Papachristos | Published 12/20/2011 in 1to1 Magazine

Just like a gift at the holidays, receiving a letter in the mail brings with it a childlike sense of excitement. But now, with the technological revolution afoot, much of our mail arrives electronically, becoming a nuisance rather than a pleasure. However, when it comes to brand communications, U.S. and Canadian consumers continue to prefer "old school" direct mail above all other forms of contact.

According to Epsilon Targeting's 2011 Channel Preference Study, "The Formula for Success: Preference and Trust," 60 percent of U.S. consumers and 64 percent of Canadian consumers enjoy checking their mailboxes each day, signaling an emotional connection with direct mail. The study, which polled 2,226 U.S. consumers and 2,574 Canadian consumers, also reveals that 50 percent of U.S. respondents and 48 percent of Canadian respondents pay more attention to postal mail than email. Additionally:

*Thirty percent of U.S. respondents and 50 percent of Canadian respondents said they're receiving more direct mail that interests them as compared to a year ago.

*There's a perception that reading email is quicker than sifting through postal mail. However, only 45 percent of U.S. respondents agreed with that in 2011, down slightly from 47 percent in 2010, suggesting that clogged inboxes are increasingly a time drain.

*This year saw a 66 percent increase in consumer product information research and review via Facebook. Yet, 33 percent of U.S. consumers and 31 percent of Canadian consumers said that they don't find advertisements on social media sites useful.

*Thirty seven percent of U.S. respondents and 29 percent of Canadian respondents use television to get consumer product information daily, down from 43 percent and 35 percent, respectively, in 2010.

*The least trustworthy channels are social media and blogs, garnering only 6 percent and 5 percent of U.S. and Canadian trust, respectively.

*Of those who prefer email over postal mail, 34 percent of U.S. respondents and 42 percent of Canadian respondents cited saving on paper as their main impetus.

 Key takeaway: Acting on customers' contact preferences facilitates customer trust because customers then feel that they're in charge of how and when they're contacted. To convey brand communications in an effective, successful manner, marketers must first come to understand which channels appeal to which customers during various points of the purchase cycle. This will allow marketers to build a cross-channel marketing strategy that reinforces information shared offline and vice versa.

Amy Jo Martin, founder of Digital Royalty, gives us her top social media trends to watch for in 2012. 

1. Social TV Integration

Many shows have already begun to integrate social TV, either through polling or integrating social elements within the show. Social media played a pivotal role in the last presidential election, and it will likely be more integrated into political broadcasts.

As each news channel fights hard to keep their viewers engaged, networks like CNN and Fox have made significant strides to engage their audience, although some would argue that this social media integration has come at the expense of hard-hitting journalism and analysis.

2. TV Is Going Online in a Big Way

2012 will be the first time that the Super Bowl will be streamed live to the world. Since the Super Bowl is generally viewed as the mother of all advertising spectacles, it will add a new dynamic into the digital component to advertising and social media integration.

3. Facebook Credits Take Center stage

Facebook in 2012 has the potential to project its power and truly take Facebook credits into a viable currency. Amy puts it quite well when she says "they're building an online destination we'll never need to leave, and my guess is they're only about 8% of the way through their product roadmap."

4. Big Business Has Woken Up

The way corporate entities approach social media is shifting. Many companies realize that setting up Twitter, YouTube and Facebook accounts is not going to cut it as their social media strategy. Brands will need to seriously shift their perspective by treating social channels more like communication channels and less like an advertising channels in order to make a difference. From my perspective this transition has already occurred, judging by the extent to which brands' Twitter accounts are now used as channels for CRM and customer support, managing pissed off or happy customers in near realtime.

5. ROI Is Still Huge

ROI will remain a key metric to any social media strategy. The concept of engagement is now becoming more and more an excepted metric. CEO adoption of social media is improving, and more CEOs are recognizing the benefits of humanizing their brand by taking to Twitter.

Customer service, research and image branding could all be considered social media intangibles, yet all three are obviously important in business. Social channels impact every single aspect of business from human relations to finance, sales, operations and legal. It's important for everyone to understand how social media affects their role and responsibilities. Opposite of television, social media is a dialogue vs. a monologue and if a brand is able to collect opinions real-time in high volume via social channels like Facebook polls, they can save a great deal of money on formal research studies.

There have been a lot of discussions about social media fatigue and whether brands refuse to play for that reason. With over a billion people on social media it's irresponsible for any brand not to have some sort of presence. 2012 will be the year for brands to go beyond cookie cutter campaigns and really determine how it not only adds value to their company, but how it adds value for their customers. 2012 will be crucial for companies and social media. For those who don't see a direct correlation between social media and sales consider:

"Social media is an ideal tool for moving people up the fan ladder, from being a casual fan of a brand to a loyalist, because the communication channels allow people to build stronger emotional connections with brands."