MediaTrust Acquires Kenzei Conversion Marketing and Email Remarketing Platform

 
On this week’s special edition of Relevantly Speaking, MediaTrust is announcing the acquisition of conversion marketing company Kenzei. Scott Parent talked to Mike Stocker today on the floor of Affiliate Summit West.
We are committed to making MediaTrust the most comprehensive and full service performance marketing platform. The Kenzei acquisition helps us execute on this vision. We are excited about Kenzei being a part of our team and we look forward to working with their existing customers as well as new ones.

Kenzei’s solutions help advertisers increase their site conversion, improve data monetization and improve communication with consumers by retargeting website and shopping cart abandoners via a unique set of automated email and phone solutions. As of this announcement, Kenzei’s conversion marketing and email remarketing solutions will be integrated into the MediaTrust offering and marketed as MediaTrust Conversion Solutions.

"We’ve long admired Kenzei’s innovations in helping advertisers increase conversion rates after consumers have abandoned forms and shopping carts,” said Peter Bordes, CEO of MediaTrust. “Kenzei’s performance-based solutions are incredibly compatible with both MediaTrust’s technology and philosophy. This acquisition is the first of many steps we have planned in 2010 towards fulfilling our vision of becoming a full-service performance marketing platform for results-focused advertisers and publishers.”

The Kenzei offerings being added to MediaTrust’s pay-for-results solutions include:

• ConversionMail, targeting consumers who have completed just part of a multi-step opt-in process or have abandoned a shopping cart;
• RemarketMail, enabling marketers to up-sell and cross-sell additional relevant items from their own catalogs to existing customers; and
• ConversionCall, which automatically follows up with consumers who abandoned a signup process but provided a phone number

“I could think of no greater home for the Kenzei family of products than MediaTrust, which has a much-deserved reputation as the best-performing and most trustworthy performance marketing player,” said Mike Stocker, CEO at Kenzei, who will stay on as vice president of strategic development at MediaTrust. “Working together, we will be able to provide advertisers and publishers with results second to none.”

Via a single login, MediaTrust offers a diverse set of services for advertisers and publishers working with performance-based online advertising campaigns. The company's proprietary cost-per-action platform supports campaigns using display advertising, paid search, social media, and e-mail, and includes a network of vetted, trusted publishers to ensure the highest quality results. Combined with the newly acquired Kenzei retargeting solutions, the MediaTrust digital marketing platform will enable advertisers to setup, track, manage and maximize value from performance-based campaigns.

trendwatching.com's January 2010 Trend Briefing covering "10 CRUCIAL CONSUMER TRENDS FOR 2010"

trendwatching.com's January 2010 Trend Briefing covering "10 CRUCIAL CONSUMER TRENDS FOR 2010"

Opportunities aplenty in 2010 for those obsessed with satisfying consumer needs in new ways

January 2010 | First of all: It’s going to be another interesting year. Has the global recession really, officially ended? And if so, will the aftermath cause pains for years to come? Whatever the outcome, we find ourselves spotting more recession-proof opportunities than ever before. Why? Consumers, recession-stricken or not, still value innovations that are pragmatic, or exciting, or those that save them money, or entertain them.... oh well, you get the picture.Time to get busy again!

Win an Amazon Kindle Pre-Loaded with the Top 10 Marketing Books of 2009!

Win an Amazon Kindle Pre-Loaded with the Top 10 Marketing Books of 2009!

Earlier today MediaTrust published our picks for the Top 10 Marketing books of 2009. We believe that reading any, or all, of these books will help you to elevate your business to the next level. That said, you can go out and buy them yourself, or you can enter our swanky little contest to win an Amazon Kindle pre-loaded with these books.
You only have to do two things to enter:
1. Make sure you are following us on  Twitter.
2. Tweet out the following: Attendance at ASW + @MediaTrust list of Top 10 Marketing books of ‘09 = becoming a better marketer! Details: http://bit.ly/4qIYl1 #ASW10
Because we believe in the value of education in our industry, we want to reward those that are taking the next step to expand their knowledge of Performance Marketing by attending Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas. After you follow the instructions above to enter our contest, make sure you stop by the MediaTrust Meet Market Table #34 to drop your business card off for an extra chance to win. To be clear, you don’t have to attend ASW to enter, but it could help your chances.
We’ll be picking a winner on February 1st, so you have until then to enter. Good luck!
UPDATE: We’ve had a few inquiries, so I wanted to be clear that this contest is open to entries worldwide. So get in there and Tweet from far and wide

MediaTrust’s Top 10 Marketing Books of 2009

As the media world shifted platforms over the past decade, marketers and advertisers scurried to replace their traditional methods with innovative alternatives. MediaTrust published the "Top 10 Marketing Books of 2009" which is a compilation marketing thought leaders. In 2009, a handful of books popped up to untangle the mystery of connecting with contemporary audiences and building consumer trust. Here are ten of our favorite marketing books that came out this past year:
The Whuffie Factor
Tara Hunt
Marketing consultant Tara Hunt explores the concept of building online Whuffie (social capital) both for brands and individuals. Hunt focuses on word of mouth engagement, a strategy she calls Pinko Marketing. A breezy, entertaining read – a solid Freshmen effort from a young, creative Canadian.

Free
Chris Anderson
After introducing the concept of the Long Tail back in 2004, Chris Anderson returns, this time examining a different byproduct of online abundance – the rise of pricing models which give products and services away for free. How can this exist in a capitalist system? Free answers that question.

Crush It
Gary Vaynerchuk
Wine connoisseur Gary Vaynerchuk candidly exposes his recipe for web success in this quick, upbeat read. By customizing his career to match his own DNA, Vaynerchuk has built a multi-million dollar business, and successfully branded himself as the internet’s most passionate wino.

What the Dog Saw
Malcolm Gladwell
After fourteen years of staff writing for the New Yorker, author/sociologist Malcolm Gladwell has explored the most fascinating reaches of modern society. What The Dog Saw is a collection of his most memorable articles — adventures that not only thrill, but also engage the mind.

Super Freakonomics
Steven Levitt, Stephen Dubner
The two rogue economists behind the 2005 best seller Freakonomics continue their offbeat investigation of incentive-based decision making. Their subjects of study? Prostitutes, suicide bombers, drunk drivers and more. Who knew Economics could be so gritty?


Inbound Marketing
Brian Halligan, Dharmesh Shah
Hubspot founder Brian Halligan provides a How To guide for getting noticed on the web without spending a dime. This book gives a comprehensive overview of SEO, social media marketing, and everything else you need to expand your web presence at no cost.


Baked In
Alex Bogusky, John Winsor
Two of the advertising world’s leading creative directors team up to tear down the wall between production and marketing. According to their theory, future products must be designed with innovative marketing elements baked in, in order to survive the shifting media climate.

The Backchannel
Cliff Atkinson
Ever notice how audience members use their laptops or smart phones during live events to create their own conversation through social media? Atkinson describes methods for presenters to effectively harness this chatter, and use it to create more interactive presentations.

Trust Agents
Chris Brogan, Julien Smith
Two of social media’s biggest names join forces to demonstrate the impact, both positive and negative, that digital influencers can have on brands. This book, a mix of case studies, theories and tutorials, will help individuals build their digital integrity, and brands build their social value.

Why She Buys
Bridget Brennan
Women are responsible for 80% of all purchases in the US, but 90% of the marketing execs trying to reach them are men. Why She Buys delivers luminous insight into female purchasing patterns, while giving advice on respectfully marketing to today’s sophisticated woman.

Bonus – Marketing Book of the Decade:
The Tipping Point
Malcolm Gladwell
How does a fad become a phenomenon? In this marketing masterpiece, Malcolm Gladwell studies business sensations that emerged from humble origins, and dissects the fundamentals of their success. While the 2002 publication date may seem ancient, The Tipping Point is more relevant now than ever.

Relevantly Speaking Interview with Jim Banks on UK Affiliate Markets

This week on Relevantly Speaking Scott Parent talked to Jim Banks of Unanimis about the current state of international affiliate marketing. Jim gives a great interview and point of view on what is happening overseas and the difference between the US and UK markets.

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Search Engine Strategies Chicago Conference panel “The Oprah Winfrey Litigation: What Affiliate Marketers MUST Know“

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
I am thrilled to be joining the Search Engine Strategies Chicago Conference panel “The Oprah Winfrey Litigation: What Affiliate Marketers MUST Know“ Wednesday, December 9th from 2:30pm-3:45pm at the Chicago Hilton. The panel is led by a fellow affiliate marketing executive and thought leader Kris Jones. Kris is the President of the PepperJam Affiliate Network – which was just acquired by GSI Commerce. The panel promises to touch on a very hot and controversial topic, and certainly one that is on the forefont of many of our MediaTrust initiatives – like the launch of our compliance center and anti-fraud technology.

Notice that the panel description does slant towards the favor of the merchant and places most of the responsibility on the affiliate’s shoulders. This is a position that I will be countering as we have seen merchants equally participating in using the same tactics on thier landing pages. Affiliate networks are also responsible in making sure both the affiliate publisher and advertiser are compliant. We have experienced affiliates asking how they can make sure the merchant on the other side is compliant as well as the advertisers. Our position is that we are all in this together and need to collaborate to proactively get ahead of these issues and help set the regulation frame work . Rather than waiting in the grey area for regulation to to be dictated to our industry from regulators who dont understand online marketing and disrupt our industry.

I am very pleased to see a well-rounded panel and good affiliate industry representation at the SES show. I hope to get a chance to connect with everyone at the show. Here is more info on the panel:

The Oprah Winfrey Litigation: What Affiliate Marketers MUST Know
In August, Oprah Winfrey’s production company brought a lawsuit against over fifty Internet marketers and their affiliates alleging numerous intellectual property rights violations against the marketers and the affiliates. Because many of the merchants used affiliate networks, these merchants were being sued regarding actions by affiliates that the merchants did not know or pay. Because many of the affiliates disappeared the moment that they were sued and because many merchant/network contracts preclude indemnification, the merchants may be liable for significant damages.

Using the context of the Oprah case, the panelists on this session will discuss whether the merchant/affiliate network model needs to be changed and how the risk can be mitigated. While the industry is unlikely to ever be risk-free, it is possible to manage risk by:

* Understanding how techniques like behavioral and contextual targeting affect consumers, affiliates and merchants
* Understanding the legal and regulatory environment
* Understating risks involved with prospective marketing partners
* Using and maintaining proper contracts that allocate risk and provide appropriate indemnifications, and
* Keeping informed about the changes in technology, marketing practices and the regulatory environment.


Attendees will learn how to identify these issues and develop policies and procedures to keep informed about the current technology, marketing strategies and regulatory compliance. The ultimate goal of this knowledge is to help insulate merchants from liability and protect their brands and reputation.

Moderator:

Kristopher Jones, President & CEO, Pepperjam

Speakers:
Mark Rosenberg, Of Counsel, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C.
David Adler, Partner, Adler Law Group
Grant Crowell, Senior Media Analyst, ReelSEO.com
Peter Bordes, Founder CEO and Chairman of the Board, MediaTrust

Search Engine Strategies Chicago Conference panel “The Oprah Winfrey Litigation: What Affiliate Marketers MUST Know“

View more presentations from MediaTrust.

Relevantly Speaking Podcast

This week we’re taking a break from the business of online marketing on Relevantly Speaking. Instead we’re getting into the Holiday spirit and thinking about charitable causes. How can we make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate as a community? As Individuals? MediaTrust’s own  Christopher Smith talks about his work with WhatGives!? and how everyday ordinary people can do something good, tell someone about it and do it again.
As one final programming note, we want to let you know that the next installment of our EDU Webinar series goes live this Monday, December 14th. It features MediaTrust Head of Sales,  Jivan Manhas talking about the importance of international affiliate marketing.

MediaTrust Honored with Top Industry Ranking in mThink’s Blue Book

MediaTrust Honored with Top Industry Ranking in mThink’s Blue Book

Performance Marketing Platform Selected as Number One of Twenty on mThink’s Performance Marketing Networks and Performance Marketing Platform Selected as Number One of Twenty on mThink’s Performance Marketing Networks and Exchanges List

 

MediaTrust, the digital performance marketing company, has been appointed the top spot on mThink’s Online Advertising Blue Book Top Twenty Performance Marketing Networks and Exchanges List. mThink’s Top 20 list is compiled based on expert views, traffic data, measures of industry influence and other editorial factors. The appointment is a testament to MediaTrust’s leadership and innovation in the performance marketing space.


"mThink has its finger on the pulse of the performance marketing industry, and we are honored that the company has recognized MediaTrust in this way,” said Peter Bordes, CEO of Media Trust. “mThink’s accreditation of MediaTrust validates our two-pronged approach of creating a best-in-class performance marketing platform and raising awareness of the efficacy of performance marketing amongst the broader advertising community.”

Via a single login, MediaTrust offers a diverse set of services for advertisers and publishers working with performance-based online advertising campaigns. The company's proprietary cost-per-action platform supports campaigns using display advertising, paid search, social media, and e-mail, and includes a network of vetted, trusted publishers to ensure the highest quality results. In 2009, MediaTrust was ranked the 9th fastest growing U.S. company by Inc. Magazine.

About MediaTrust
MediaTrust makes pay-for-results online advertising easier. MediaTrust offers an innovative online technology platform, supported by best-in-class service, and access to the best direct response advertisers and affiliate publishers in the industry. MediaTrust enables its publisher and advertiser partners to easily create and deploy pay-for-performance marketing campaigns that deliver leads and sales. In 2009, the Company was ranked 9th fastest growing U.S. company by Inc. Magazine. Founded in 2004, MediaTrust is headquartered in New York City with offices in Toronto and Santa Barbara.
For more information on MediaTrust's pay-for-results advertising and publishing solutions, please visit: http://www.mediatrust.com, or follow the company blog: blog.mediatrust.com, or call 1-877-987-8785. MediaTrust news and updates can also be found on Twitter (@MediaTrust) and Facebook.

Relevantly Speaking – Interview with Burst Media CEO Jarvis Coffin

Relevantly Speaking – December 2, 2009 | Mediatrust Blog

Over the Thanksgiving break, CT Moore of Revenews sighted Relevantly Speaking in his article titled “5 Online Video Ideas for Businesses.” He praised us for our “high production” value, but took us to task on what he called a violation of blogging etiquette. We’ve got some stuff to say about that.

We’re also talking to Burst Media CEO, Jarvis Coffin, about why online advertising should be viewed with the same lens as traditional media. Jarvis talks a lot about creativity, accountability and brand safety in the online advertising world.

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How Would You Fix Tiger's Image?

"How Would You Fix Tiger's Image? Inc Magazine asks !

Entrepreneurs in public relations weigh in on how they would repair the billionaire golfer's scandal-plagued image."

At the end of the day yesterday i was asked by Inc Magazine to give a quote on how i would advise Tiger Woods on the PR front. I had no idea why they would be asking me. So i shot off the response, and low and behold when i got home from the office Tiger was all over the media . Good food for thought regarding how social media has changes our world drastically, and certainly drastically changed the may PR handled Tigers response.

The Inc article was beyond timely and i certainly understand the relevance and insights they pulled from other CEO's in relation to last nights media blitz. Good food for thought here in the article.

Facebook's virtual currency conundrum | Blog | Econsultancy

Social networking giant Facebook is reportedly going to pull in approximately half a billion dollars this year in advertising revenue. It's a significant amount, but hundreds of millions of dollars more are being made on Facebook through virtual currency transactions that Facebook has no part of.
Facebook, of course, has its own official virtual currency, Credits, but most Facebook app developers can't integrate them with their apps, and are not required to use them.
In short, Facebook created a thriving developer ecosystem with its open platform, but the 'open' nature of it has potentially cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenue. Ironically, apps developers like Zynga, which have developed own virtual currency, are some of Facebook's most lucrative advertisers. They make lots of money from their Facebook apps, and Facebook gets some of that back in the form of ad buys.
But if Facebook is going to get where it needs to go, that's not enough. Rumors are now circulating that Facebook may be planning to inject itself into the virtual currency trade that takes place on its service by mandate.
According to Insider Facebook, Facebook is talking to large developers about virtual currency, and mandatory use of Facebook's Credits system is on the table. Ostensibly, Facebook would be looking to take a relatively substantial cut of the revenue. Perhaps even "an Apple-like range around 30%" as Inside Facebook speculates.
From a business standpoint, this is a no-brainer. Facebook could probably generate more than $1bn in revenue in 2010 if it muscles in on the virtual currency business. And there are good reasons why developers would be interested in Facebook playing a stronger role. After all, by making Credits universal, there'd be a single virtual currency that all Facebook users can put to use on any app that features virtual currency. That, of course, makes the virtual currency more valuable to end users.
Unfortunately, there are a number of challenges that may make Facebook's life difficult. A mandatory Credits regime would:

• Change the very nature of the Facebook platform. By mandating that Credits be a virtual currency option in all apps that employ virtual currency, Facebook would be going back on what it told developers when it launched the platform: "You are free to monetize your canvas pages through advertising or other transactions that you control". Even if developers are free to use third party virtual currency platforms alongside Credits, the requirement that Credits be used too is not "control".
• Change Facebook's relationship with developers. Right now, developing an app for Facebook doesn't create a formal relationship with Facebook. Yet if Facebook mandates that all (or some) developers support Credits, it will essentially turn Facebook into a development 'partner' of sorts, which could raise some interesting issues. For instance, will developers have creative control over the implementation of Credits, or would Facebook require that integration be done in a certain way? If so, it's worth considering that Facebook's requirements may be at odds with the creative desires of the developer.
• Create new responsibilities and burdens for Facebook. Right now, Facebook does have a variety of rules that developers must abide by. And it does occasionally enforce them. But even so, the recent scam offers controversy has led to a lawsuit in which Facebook is named as a defendant, even though it really wasn't involved. So imagine the potential liabilities Facebook could incur when it is directly involved with the majority of the virtual currency transactions that take place in third party apps. What if a rogue developer creates an app that scams users out of Credits, for instance? Facebook will certainly have to police against these sorts of things, but that will be tough and costly.

If Facebook does make Credits mandatory, all of the above lead me to believe that the company would likely have to move towards an App Store model for apps taking advantage of virtual currency. That's a big shift, and I can't think of any development platform that has ever made the type of transition we're talking about here: very large and almost completely open to very large and very controlled. How developers react is a big question mark. I certainly wouldn't be pleased if I had a bunch of apps making good money and was suddenly forced to invest in integrating Facebook's virtual currency system and therafter having to give up a double-digit percentage of the earnings from it.
Frankly, I think Facebook probably underestimated how successful its development platform would be. In an effort to lure developers, who in turn would build apps that would lure more users, Facebook seems to have overlooked the possibility that those apps themselves would become so lucrative. It was merely trying to get more users which it would figure out how to monetize those users later.
And so it figured it would throw developers a bone: let them figure out how to monetize their own apps. Ironically, it was the developers who created the more lucrative business model and Facebook has left hundreds of millions of dollars on the table with its "you build it, you monetize it, you keep the money" approach. Now it wants to get those dollars back. It will definitely need a lot of good luck.