Month: April 2018

The New York Times is eyeing inroads into TV and emerging channels like voice search to confront the new realities of the news business. “Publishers who’ve relied too heavily on social platforms and display advertising are in flux, but we built a $1 billion consumer business with 3.6 million subscribers across digital and print,” New… Continue reading »

The post The New York Times Touts TV And Voice In NewFront Pitch appeared first on AdExchanger.

Just six months after its creation, Viacom Digital Studios made its NewFronts debut today with an ambitious slate that included two dozen shows based on Viacom’s biggest networks for a variety of digital and social platforms, an expansion of its newly-purchased VidCon and content partnerships with Twitter and Snap, Inc. During its inaugural NewFronts event…

In response to the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, President Trump proposed the controversial solution of training and arming teachers with concealed firearms. In a new campaign, the Chicago Sun-Times and Ogilvy & Mather Chicago took a group of teachers to a firing range to see what would happen if Trump’s…

Chances are, you’ve already felt guilty about the amount of food you throw out–so here’s some data that’ll make you feel even worse. As Americans, we are the most wasteful creatures on the planet. Of all the food we buy, over 40 percent of it winds up in the trash, about 150,000 tons a day….

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can finally take down its vacancy sign. More than a year into Trump’s presidency, five new commissioners were approved by the Senate late last week. The brand-new commission, comprising three Republicans and two Democrats, are tasked with tackling consumer protection and privacy at a time when consumers are more aware – and… Continue reading »

The post The FTC Isn’t A Ghost Town Anymore. What’s Next? appeared first on AdExchanger.

One wouldn’t normally need to travel all the way to the Emerald City to inquire about a home loan. But then again, this Wizard of Oz homage is no normal ad for British banker Halifax. In a new spot from agency of record adam&eveDDB, Dorothy and her friends go seeking an all-powerful wizard and find…

WPP reported Q1 earnings on Monday for the first time without its founder and long-tenured CEO Martin Sorrell. Since Sorrell’s abrupt exit from the company earlier this month, former Wunderman CEO Mark Read and former European COO Andrew Scott have taken leadership of the company as co-COOs. Chairman Roberto Quarta has stepped in as CEO… Continue reading »

The post WPP To Consider Divestitures But Not A Break Up Under New Leadership – For Now appeared first on AdExchanger.

Overstock.com knows the days are long gone when people would call or email about problems with its products or service. That’s why the online retailer now converses with its customers most frequently through text messages.

Since rolling out a new customer service channel based on text messaging in December, Overstock.com has seen a 98 percent open rate when communicating with people through texts, according to the company. That’s a significant improvement in Overstock.com’s ability to reach and help customers, since the company’s email open rates average between percentages in the single digits and low teens, said Tyler Cook, product management and development executive at Overstock.com.

“SMS is a form of communication we use naturally in our day-to-day lives,” he said. “People get a ton of email, so it tends to get lost in people’s inbox, and they won’t respond to it. We are finding texting has more success.”

Overstock.com, which sees 30 million unique visitors a month, uses Quip text messaging software to inform its customers that their order has shipped and arrived, or that a package is late, will be returned or replaced. From Overstock.com’s mobile site, app or customer service line provided online, people can text the company’s roughly 500 customer service associates 24/7 about concerns — or anything they want.

“They can say, ‘Hey, I found this really cool couch on your website, but I don’t know which lamp I want it to go with,’ and we’ll give them suggestions,” said Cook. “Or, if someone wants to do a return, we’ll help them there. We’ll service them just like with a normal phone call.”

Since the feature rolled out, Overstock.com has received 14 percent fewer phone calls, according to Cook. Cook believes this is because texting puts the timing of service in the customer’s hands. “With text messaging, someone can start a conversation at 9 in the morning and come back to it whenever they want, and we can pick it up from there,” he said. “We don’t have to start the entire conversation over again.”

The company also saves money with the feature because it reduces the number of hours needed to help customers, Cook said. With texting, one customer service rep can help seven people in the same amount of time that it might take to help one person over the phone, he said.

Overstock.com isn’t cutting the number of its customer service reps, though. Instead, the company is allocating the time saved to other operational tasks such as ensuring packages are shipped correctly, which will help the overall customer experience, said Cook.

Eventually, Overstock.com plans to use texting for more than customer service. In the “near future,” the company said it will use texts to send promotions and offers for products it sells online.

The post Overstock’s customer service texts have a 98 percent open rate appeared first on Digiday.

The often bizarre, globally buzzworthy breast cancer awareness campaign from agency David Buenos Aires and nonprofit MACMA has launched its new installment for 2018. This time around, instead of man boobs or singing breasts, the spot makes fun of both how much and how little Facebook knows about women. Created for social feeds, the PSA…

During a recent trip to the chiropractor, it occurred to me that technology vendors and marketers are way out of alignment when it comes to measuring the impact of marketing programs. The tension began several years ago when a new software category emerged, clinically dubbed “marketing automation,” which promised to turn the craft of marketing…