There’s been lots of buzz around Twitter since it launched in 2006 .  Twitter really came onto the scene at 2006’s SXSW conference and has been growing steadily since.  Lots of brands are jumping on the Twitter wagon and more are wondering why anyone would care.    At today’s Digital Coffee Klatch (DCK) for the RTCRM staff in DC, we’ll be discussing what Twitter is and how it is used for personal and marketing reasons.

One of the biggest issues right now with social media and marketing is that people seem to forget to match the technology to the business goals.  There are specific types of social media technologies that lend themselves to specific types of business goals.  Before jumping on the Twitter wagon you should know what it is you want to achieve and how you will measure success.

However, it’s good to have an understanding of what Twitter is first.

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I think we should have a new category for emails we receive - requested spam .  These emails are not true spam - we ask for them - but we didn’t really know what we were getting into when we opted-in, nor do we have the ability to fine-tune our settings to receive emails at just the right intervals.

Email is an incredibly cost-effective, green, response-generating medium, and by implementing best practices , marketers are now delivering real value to their customers via email.  But now i think we need to figure out how to turn all that requested spam into requested content.

To address this challenge, marketers need to focus on where to be flexible, and where to be rigid.  Being flexible in allowing us to opt-in to a frequency that suits them , and allow us easy re-setting of this counter.  Being rigid in sending us content that is deeply relevant - at a reasonable frequency, or, saying "NO" to "spray and pray" when sending us messages, in the hope that a small % of us will respond or buy.

Given the economics of email marketing, paying us this attention and showing restraint in blasting emails will require further discipline and a possible re-thinking of what constitutes"success" when organizing an email marketing plan.  It’s in the marketers interest to do so…

…after all, we’re not really reading our requested spam.

Wassup folks,

Some of you know that I teach an early morning boot camp here. And for the record, it’s not that early. Only at 7am. I also teach spin and sports conditioning classes at local gyms. So yes, fitness is a big part of my life. I do it because it’s fun. It’s a great way to meet people. And changing people’s lives is a complete sugar rush sans sugar.

I’m gonna post some tips on fitness, since i’m kind of a freak in this arena. These suggestions are merely for the benefit of mankind and womankind. So taking as you see fit. And if you want to be more fit, I suggest taking them.

Of course, if you have any questions, please, please shoot me an email. I’m more than happy to help and offer any advice I can.

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A quick teaser from Lisa Magerl’s session at the 2008 Direct Marketing Association’s Conference in Las Vegas, NV on October 13th, from 11:15-12:15am.

Speakers:  RTCRM’s Lisa Magerl & AARP’s Craig Fontenot

Session: Retention and Loyalty through Engagement: the AARP Story

• Have you ever wondered how to align a decentralized organization around integrated and ongoing communications?

• Have you struggled to define the value of ongoing customer relationships that go beyond one-off transactions?

• Have you looked for tools and techniques that help you unlock and measure the emotions that drive behavior?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you’ll find actionable answers and techniques based on AARP’s real experience.

The winners of The 2008 W3 Awards have been announced by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, and out of over 3,000 entries RTCRM’s " Destroy A Printer " microsite for Samsung took the Silver W3 Award in the Computer Hardware category.

The RTCRM team developed an interactive game that could alleviate printer-induced frustration by whacking printers with a baseball bat, a crowbar and a chainsaw. The printer didn’t take it lying down, chiding the player with paper taunts. Players were encouraged to register their high score and send the game to their colleagues.

The W3 Awards honors outstanding Websites, Web Marketing, and Web Video created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide.

“We were amazed at the caliber and quality of work received this year. Our winners continue to push the envelope of internet creativity and web design, and it is gratifying to see such great work from the smallest agencies to the biggest firms” said Linda Day, the director of the IAVA. “On behalf of the The International Academy of the Visual Arts, we are honored to recognize our winners as they continue to set a high standard of excellence for Web development.”

Highlighting the diversity of entries and winners in this year’s competition, the 2008 Best-in-Show winners represent an impressive group of agencies and companies of all sizes.