Each topical section will have a single category sponsorship, offered at very attractice rates. The newsletter/e-magazine will be delivered to SCDigest's existing, loyal readership bases of 36,000+. These sponsorship slots are offered at an attractive price, and offer substantial value
For more information, including an On-Target Media Kit , contact account manager Jason Stegent, or call him at 713-783-1139.
Wal-Mart RFID Compliance - Where's the Business?
We still can't quite reconcile what's happening with the Wal-Mart RFID rollout, and the apparent lack of business from vendors that were previously chasing Wal-Mart compliance deals.
The latest monthly RFID report from financial firm
Robert W. Baird is bullish on Wal-Mart's efforts, noting in its July issue that “Most industry participants, and certainly most external observers, believe Wal-Mart has curtailed their RFID efforts, particularly given little in the way of new communication from the retail giant. However, we believe the primary reason for the lack of communication is the transfer of RFID responsibility to logistic operations within Wal-Mart from IT." It also said that "We further understand that Wal-Mart has recently sent a series of letters inquiring of some vendors their lack of compliance, suggesting that their external communication efforts are targeted.”
We've had informal conversations with many providers of RFID compliance systems, and add it up any way you want, the numbers from all of them in terms of systems deployed don't come anywhere close to the number of vendors and shipping points supposedly tagging products for Wal-Mart.
The only conclusion: many Consumer Goods vendors are "rolling their own" with a minimalist approach for now to get compliance done as cheaply as possible, using simple tools and internal resources.
The next Y2K bonanza, as many vendors were hoping, it has certainly not been.
Timing of McGrath's Departure from i2 a Little Mysterious
As we report this week in SCDigest, Mike McGath's earlier than expected departure as CEO of software solution provider i2 caught us a little off guard, as the implication earlier in the year was that he would leave in a more orderly fashion at year's end after a successor was found (See
i2 CEO McGrath Resigns, Months Earlier than Originally Expected).
Our discussions with i2'ers earlier this year were fairly consistent - a lot of respect for McGrath as a person, his integrity, and for getting the company back to financial health, but the feeling a more aggressive leader was needed to get the company back to growth and clear market leadership again.
So why the sudded departure? We're not sure, but one source told us there was some friction between McGrath and founder and chairman
Sanjiv Sidhu about where the company should go now. Regardless, for two years McGrath did what was needed to get i2 back on track.
Consider Adding Regular Mail Delivery for White Papers and other Content
It may sound like something from the dark ages, but we liked this advice from from Marketing Sherpa that suggests responders registering for white papers and related content on your web site should be given the option of also requesting a hard copy also be mailed.
The main point: reaching people through multiple channels increases your chances of generating a response.
"Direct mail is still a great way to reach prospects, and a sizable portion of your audience still wants to receive printed materials. So, when offering white papers as PDF downloads, add a checkbox to your registration form that lets users ask to get a printed copy, too. In the recent survey, 44% of users said they would choose to receive a print version if the option were available," according to Sherpa.
It adds that "a printed version of the white paper offers another touchpoint a few days after prospects have filled out the registration form (and maybe forgotten to even look at the PDF). It’s also a good excuse for a follow-up call: “Did you receive the printed version of the white paper as you requested?”"
One thing left out in our view: this only works if you have developed a very automated process, such as having the registration data needed for mailing go right to the database that can print mailing labels. Too much manual work will kill this idea, no matter how correct.
Fall Videocast Series Now Being Scheduled |
