Bryan Eisenberg of Future Now, friend and fellow preacher of using direct and conversion marketing methodologies applied to your digital efforts, points to the top retailers over the holiday in terms of website conversion.

Bryan's book Call To Action (co-authored with brother Jeffery) is mandatory reading for the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Professional Certificate Course in eMarketing which I have been teaching since last September.

One of the themes I try to reinforce throughout the course is that the internet is built for database and direct marketing applications. They can make all the difference to your online performance. Understanding them and applying the principles can work overtime for you everyday of the week, including holidays. Something tells me that the list of retailers below know something about how it works.

The Popcorn Factory - 29.50%
L.L. Bean - 23.60%
Abebooks - 20.60%
Amazon - 17.60%
Hollister Co. - 17.60%
Lands End - 17.20%
QVC - 17.10%
Coldwater Creek - 17.10%
Cabela’s - 16.80%
Gymboree - 16.00%

[Source: Nielsen Online / Marketing Charts]

As the old phrase goes, expect the unexpected. That is why, as morbid as it sounds, publishers often prepare for both the timely and untimely demise of many public figures. While it is a given that past presidents and over-the-hill celebrities have obits prepared in advance of death, is it so surprising to learn that young celebs like Britney Spears have one prepared at various publications?

I was in New York city this week, arriving in town just hours before Heath Ledger died. While his death was sad and unexpected, it made me think about the preparedness of business to deal with unforeseen events. Some are much more suited to the challenge.

In this case, the publicity machine that is Hollywood had put Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker at center stage of the marketing campaign for the past many months. The upcoming movie The Dark Knight had a great online campaign around the film. It was a well executed teaser campaign that generated a lot of buzz. Will they suffer from events of this week? I think not. Even if the studio takes the spotlight off Ledger's Joker in the marketing, the tragedy and media coverage lead me to predict this installment of Batman will be the biggest grossing movie of the franchise yet. It's a sad but likely true prediction that the film will profit from his death.

According to Jon Thurber, obituary editor at The Los Angeles Times in a recent article on the subject of pre-death obituary writing, "there's no way to deal with the unpredictability of death." I don't think we can argue with that at all. However, the nature of the publishing industry is to be prepared for, and to profit from, these circumstances. And, the entertainment industry reaps some short term benefit as well. Nothing out of school here.

I loved Thurber's quip at the end of the article that summarizes the whole issue of putting your bet on the odds on favorite; "Who in the '60s," Thurber asked, "would have thought Keith Richards would have outlasted John Denver?"

Who would have thought that Amy Winehouse would have outlived Heath Ledger? The seemingly predictable often surprises us in the end. How prepared is your business for the unexpected?

Truth be told, I am no designer. However, what I am fairly good at is reading. Unfortunately it is quite hard to do in this example of designing for the squint factor. Nice colors I suppose, high use of gradients, with a low level of proof reading to see how longer post would shake out.

While I have no clue if this blog is legit or not, let this be an example of what happens when you put design ahead of function.

Report on podcast listeners in the U.K. found via Blog Herald. Original story from U.K. based The Press Gazette

Bottom line is that 4.3 million people have listened to a podcast with 80% listening at home. Average is less than one per week and they listen to the full episode.

Jackie Hubba of Church of The Customer Blog and co-author or the book Citizen Marketers has a great post today about the retail experience at Whole Foods. It is based on her spending a week on-site at the Whole Foods flagship store in Austin, Texas. I had the pleasure of meeting Jackie and hosting her at one of our Geek Dinners last year in Toronto. Very nice and very smart individual.

Being a foodie, I totally get what she is saying. Whole Foods has many interesting and unique products to offer accompanied by knowledgeable and enthusiastic employees. The Whole Foods retail presentation is a theater where food is on stage. It is a unique shopping experience that has all of the details covered nicely. They are aware of what will help them spread their word-of-mouth. As Jackie puts it "too many American businesses are culture-less shlubs." So true. Same up here in the Great White North. Very few exceptions.

Target does retail quite well too. Target stores feel different when you are inside. People notice and talk about how it is fun and unlike other bigger box stores (at least the Canadians I know who cross the border to shop there have noticed and talk about it). However, the last time I was in a Target store one of the employees spoiled the experience. It was enough to detract from the theater feel. All of the sudden the curtains closed and it became very much like everywhere else.

I bring Target into this post/discussion on the point of being aware of how word of mouth spreads. I saw this story by Warner Todd Huston (hat tip to C.C. Chapman) about how Target reacted to a complaint by a blogger concerned about Target's advertising.

Whether or not you agree with the issue that Target's ads are "sexualized" which was raised by Amy Jussel of Shaping Youth, the response from Target seems to lack any sort of knowledge of the digital world in 2008 (or 2007,2006, 2005). The flippant response is more than likely to overshadow the original issue. One wonders what they are thinking when they alienate the online world by stating that they "do not participate with non-traditional media outlets". The details of today's consumer conversations are clearly not very well understood at Target.

Non-traditional media outlets are today's media outlets. It is where real customers are searching, where real information is being gathered, where real reputations are being made or destroyed. And, it is where real word of mouth is taking place.

Will this hurt their bottom-line? Likely not. If they are smart they'll learn. My takeaway is that we just witnessed the uninformed and not-so-impressive man behind the curtain in the theater of retail.

Fresh off his interview with Lesley Stahl on CBS's 60 Minutes, Mark Zuckerberg is being asked to remove the very popular "Scrabulous" app from Facebook. An article from the wires this morning cites copyright claims by two of the worlds largest toy companies.

I don't think it is coincidence given that the 60 Minutes piece that aired recently showed the Scrabulous application. Perhaps I am wrong on this, but is seems rather suspect.

Aside from getting into a discussion over copyright, I wonder if the folks at Hasbro and Mattel could have approached this in a different manner? The application is quite popular on Facebook. Is this not likely to do more damage to the brand than good if they get their way and it is removed? Perhaps this is a move to supply Facebook with a "legit" version of the game. Or, perhaps it was the only thing the toy execs could do having been caught off-guard to the opportunity unfolding in the digital world to extend the brand. Instead of unleashing a killer app, they are opting to become an application killer.

Two things are clear to me. First, when it comes to bringing a game to life online, it seems like a lay-up in terms of moving off the shelf from Toys "R" Us and breathing new life via the digital world. The transition of content offered up as widgets, Facebook applications or whatever are sitting right in front of people's noses. Webkinz and Club Penguin have been effective in mixing up the online and offline worlds, so is it really a stretch for established offline games to rethink the model?

Second, I am not a big Scrabble fan, but "Scrabble" has been talked about a lot lately. This is undoubtedly due to the popularity of the application on Facebook. Before this legal wrangle, I had no clue this was not the "offical" version of the game and I'll bet you didn't know either. So, the Scrabble brand has benefited. If I am Hasbro and Mattel, I'd like to find out who programmed the application and put them on staff.

Perhaps Zuckerberg and Co. should try out an angle with select brands (or their agencies) where brand managers and application developers team up to build branded content/games like "Scrabulous" that people will use and love - where the advertising is in the game itself.
It is less likely to create the furor seen with Beacon and Social Ads. I mean, if a fast-food giant like Burger King can do advergaming, why can't the game people?

UPDATE: My friend Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release fame and the blog A Shel of My Former Self has a great post explaining the rationale behind the lawsuit. He worked for Mattel, worth a read.

Let's say you don't read blogs. Let's pretend for a minute that you are Joe or Jane Average. You are not into following the tech scene and don't care what Scoble, Arrington or Rubel are saying or doing. Or, have even heard of these guys.

Here is the email I received today from Apple. It works, doesn't it?. One of the most important things in marketing is to get the fundamentals right. Yes, Apple does the innovation part to the nines. Yes, they ooze cool in everything that they produce. They have nailed down the sex appeal in technology. Yes, they have changed the game several times over. And, the marketing communications just make you want to buy the product in a heart beat.

Below is the timely email they sent. Look at how they do the right thing in terms of ensuring the message is clear, concise and in your inbox at the same time the world is exploding with the news that they have done it all over again, just in case you've been in a cave and missed the hype. All this via the "antiquated" mode of marketing through email.

Good job Jobs.

One of the first questions I've been asked when people have found out that I am moving over to the agency side is "Does this mean you will be re-branding and changing The Client Side blog/podcast?"

Well, aside from changing the header description and bio page to accurately reflect my status and new gig, the answer is no.

Here's why:

• I have spent over a decade working on the client side. It is a quintessential part of me. It's in my DNA and constitutes my world view. After I spend a decade (or at least half that long) on agency side, I'll consider a change : )
• The blog is dedicated to "brand and customer champions worldwide who are making a difference from the client side". I'm a customer champion, always have been and always will be. I will continue to view everything I do through that lens no matter if I am client or agency side. The blog will still speak to marketing issues as it always has. It's a collective of ideas, thoughts and items based on the outlook and reflections from my experience. I still have that experience and bring it to my writing (and to my dealings with clients). And, it will remain dedicated to client siders.
• The reality is that I am simply going from working for one client exclusively (Scotiabank) to a myriad of clients with new and complex challenges and opportunities.
• I like the brand. There is a certain sentimentality to having created it. And, Google juice, Technorati rankings and a host of other vanity items are things I do not want to tinker around with (at this stage at least).

What happens if I go back to being a client one day? What if that is my master plan? What then?

• And finally, now more than ever, my chief concern will be clients. As a former client, I really want them to know that I am on their side! Groan.... yes, I know how cheesy that sounds, but it is true.

So there you have it. Although it will not likely change my decision, I would love to hear your thoughts if you agree or disagree with the rationale.

Yes, you read correctly. I can now be found on the dark side of the force.

It was the worst kept secret but I can now officially inform that I have moved on from my position at Scotiabank to join Thornley Fallis as Vice President, Digital Marketing.

For those of you that know of Thornley Fallis, you know that I am joining a superb group of individuals that are leaders in the social media and digital space. Joseph Thornley (Pro PR) is a prolific blogger and is a force in helping to define the evolution of communications through social media. Terry Fallis, (half of the great Inside PR podcast with co-host David Jones) has been a big influence and inspiration on my podcasting and social media presence. In fact, my first podcast experience was co-hosting Inside PR way back in episode 20-something. Needless to say I am stoked to have the opportunity to work with the folks at Thornley Fallis and help make a difference by working with a range of great clients.

It was not easy leaving my gig at Scotiabank and the fantastic team of folks that I worked with everyday. Over the past ten years, our team built a world-class relationship and database marketing platform that spoke to our customers and prospects in meaningful ways. I had the great fortune of developing our digital footprint over the last decade, creating programs that delivered content that actually mattered in the lives of our customers. This is not a pat on the back to myself, it is a testament to great vision and leadership from the executive at Scotiabank who let ideas take seed and grow. And, to the vendors, partners, agencies and contractors I had the pleasure of working with over the years. Thank you all.

The most asked question of me so far?: Will you rebrand The Client Side?
Stay tuned...

A major influence in my life and one of my top five favorite business books of all-time is now a slide show. Doc Searls, co-author of The Clue Train Manifesto pointed to it on his blog today and, while I am not sure if he created it (I don't think he did), it is worth a look for a refresh or as a crash course on the principles of the best-selling book written back in 2000.

If you have not yet read The Clue Train Manifesto I highly recommend you give it a some quality time in the very near future - it will change the way you think. It is free on the Cluetrain site.

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Hat tip to Sundog.

I just read WIRED's article titled Facebook Ads Make You the Star -- And You May Not Know It. I had started to see Social Ads in use but the uproar over Beacon and related privacy concerns seems to have overshadowed the discussion.

WIRED's Megan McCarthy writes:

According to Facebook, a user has to take a "social action" in order to trigger the appearance of their name and picture in an advertisement. According to Facebook spokesperson Brandee Barker, that could be almost any activity that the user does on Facebook, "such as the download of an application and the acceptance of a friend request." It could also include becoming a "fan" of a business by clicking a link on that company's Facebook page.

We all knew that advertising would make the cash register ring at Facebook. As Colin Mackay said recently at The Canadian Institute Conference on Social Media (where we both presented) "Did you really think that the folks at Facebook were just being nice when they created a free platform that lets you see and message all your friends and family?" That being said, I suspect not many (even industry pundits) could have envisioned the controversy surrounding the ad model Facebook developed. From what I understand through the article, there is no way to opt-out of the Social Ad model for users at this time.

While I am a huge fan of social networks and Facebook in particular, I fear that new advertising tactics may push the limits of what is deemed acceptable and dampen the spirit that brought people there to begin with. And, ultimately turn people off of advertising even more than they already are.

As an individual, my advice to Facebook is to dedicate more time and effort to communicate in plain language (without the legal jargon) how their advertising platforms will involve users and what options are available. And, as a marketer, I wonder if there is a real lift in response from employing Social Ads versus the old standard banner ads? Is it really worth the furor and the potential loss of users?