More and more of the media giants, such as Disney Media Networks and CBS, are investing millions of dollars on new research facilities to track how people respond to ads of varying sizes, locations and animations on the Internet.  We know how to measure precisely how often Web site visitors click on advertisements, and which kinds of ads draw the most clicks. But what about those who do not click, the many millions of others whose eyes merely flit across the screen?  These types of answers are what companies like Disney are hoping to uncover with these studies.  By using advanced technologies, such as eye-tracking goggles, heart-rate monitors, skin temperature readings and facial expressions (probes are attached to facial muscles), scientists and advertisers hope to uncover the secrets of how the human brain responds to different types of online ads and messages.  As findings are unveiled, they will begin to drive the design of Web sites and ad campaigns of the future.

TARGUSinfo Lead Verification

EDU Interactive has selected TARGUSinfo as its strategic partner for real-time lead verification. TARGUS improves lead quality and conversion rates by verifying leads the instant they are submitted. On-Demand Lead Verification services not only validates that the individual pieces of a prospective consumer’s contact information are accurate, but also confirms that they belong together and relate to that consumer.

TARGUSinfo Integration

Integration with LeadGenisys facilitates the seamless passing of leads through TARGUS for a final quality check before accepting them from a vendor and delivering them to the client. LeadGenisys allows us to enable or disable TARGUS in real-time for a client based on lead source, program of interest, location or prerequisite. We are able to customize for each client whether a lead is accepted or rejected based on each of the 20+ possible TARGUS decisions returned. For clients using TARGUS, LeadGenisys includes a detailed summary of leads accepted and rejected based on TARGUS decisions in the daily lead reports.

Read the rest of this entry »

As a company, we believe strongly in giving back to the community and assisting those that are in greater need than ourselves. In the past we have participated in 5k and 10k walks fighting hunger, improving the health of newborn babies, granting “wishes” and fighting breast cancer. Recently a few of us spent an entire Saturday taking part in building a home through Habitat for Humanity. During the holidays, it is our agency tradition to sponsor families in need by providing warm meals, holiday presents and decorations to help spread the cheer. As an agency, we have also donated our services to help numerous local, non-profit organizations with their print design, collateral assistance, website and landing page development and event promotion.

A few of us have taken volunteering to another level and have decided to participate in the 3-day breast cancer walk. In August, we’ll walk 60 miles over the course of 3 days with thousands of other men and women. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Our partner company, Barker Educational Services Team (BEST), has been feverishly fundraising over the past few weeks and Bob Barker has agreed to match the funds that his employees have agreed to put forth. Not only is this an incredibly generous offer, we feel as though it has put a greater level of respect and trust between BEST and EDU Interactive.

Read the rest of this entry »

The answer will be revealed on August 5th, when Bing announces the winner, who will hold title to Bing’s new jingle (or “bingle” as they like to call it) and a $500 AmEx gift card!  Be warned – time is running out…you only have one more week to submit your entry on Bing’s You Tube site!  The contest winner will be picked based on number of views and quality of ratings they get on their video submission.

This is another perfect example of a company attempting to use viral marketing as a new way to market, advertise and connect with prospects and customers.  They are utilizing a creative way to spread conversational buzz about their search engine and with hopes – begin to compete on the same level as the Google giant.

I’m interested to see how well the campaign will be received and picked up by online users.  Check back in early August for a follow up on their campaign performance!

I officially have a serious case of blog envy.

Murphy-Goode, a winery based in Northern California, is seeking to hire an internet-savvy wine-lover to blog and tweet about their experiences in wine country for six months. The pay? $10,000 per month — that’s $60,000 total — plus free lodging in a private home nestled in the picturesque Sonoma County Wine Country. And did I mention tasting hundreds of wines every day for free?

Talk about a buzz. Already, the social media job search has generated a significant amount of promotion for the winery: 2,000 applicants, 900 posted videos, national media attention and a major jump in traffic to the company website. What’s more, these are just the preliminary results– the official launch of the actual campaign begins August 15.

Read the rest of this entry »