Abbreviated Marketing News Round-up

An Introduction to Website Split Testing

It’s a fact of life that when people hire a web designer, they don’t just want a website, they want a website that does something! There can be a world of difference between these two things. The “action” they need the website to take for them can be one of several common things: selling products for their business (an e-commerce site), generating sales leads, and/or providing free information in the hope that the visitor will make a purchase from the company at a later date.

Super Bowl Ad Prices Fall; Still Cost Millions

TNS Media Intelligence said Monday that 30-second commercials during next month’s Super Bowl on CBS are selling for between $2.5 million and $2.8 million. That’s a drop from last year, when ads averaged $3 million on NBC.

Some big players like Pepsi and General Motors are staying on the sidelines. This leaves holes for smaller companies like Diamond Foods and Dr Pepper Snapple to use the Super Bowl to get their wares in front of 100 million viewers who are practically guaranteed to watch their ads.

It’s unclear how much revenue Super Bowl advertising will generate for CBS. Nearly all of the 62 commercial slots have been sold. While not conceding that ad rates have slipped, CBS said the pace of sales has been better than it was for NBC a year ago.

Best-Liked TV Commercials of 2009

TV commercials featuring Clydesdale horses, a candy-eating llama, a pampered puppy and a golf-savvy baby made the 2009 list of the top 10 best-liked TV commercials, as reported by The Nielsen Company. The media measurement firm also released is lists of the top 10 most effective product placements on brand opinion and the top 1o programs with product-placement activity.

Growing Your List Via Social Media & Blogs

Social media can help grow your brand and possibly your revenues, but have you thought about how it can also help grow your email marketing list? Let’s explore some ideas for how to capitalize on this hot marketing medium.