DotNetNuke new release includes leading-edge social functionality

We like to associate ourselves to only the best technology available and recommend our clients consider industry leading solutions such as DotNetNuke, a .Net-based open source content management system. If you aren’t sure what DotNetNuke is, Robert Scoble released a video today with DotNetNuke CTO and founder, Shaun Walker and CMO, Mitch Bishop where they discuss capabilities, benefits and the new social and community features released in 6.2.



Businesses that are interested in creating external communities that turn customers in to advocates can now enable relationship building, activity feeds, social groups, forums and private messaging all from their website. These features are an addition to the e-commerce, content workflow, content staging, multi-user, and mobility capabilities that have been available for some time. For more information on how DotNetNuke can support both your external and internal (great intranet capabilities too!) needs please contact us today.

Summit Marketing a Proud Sponsor of Maker Faire KC!

Summit Marketing is proud to sponsor the 2012 Maker Faire: Kansas City event to be held at Union Station on June 23-24. The event is part of One Week KC, an entrepreneurial focused week brought about by KC civic leaders to elevate the area as a hot bed for new business and commerce. You can follow #1wkc on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the week long activities.

Union Station is gearing up for the big weekend festival — a weekend show-and-tell festival celebrating innovation, invention and creativity. Maker Faire: Kansas City features more than 270 makers showing off their creations and innovations in the areas of technology, electronics, pyrotechnics, engineering, art and craft making. Highlighting the things people make themselves, Maker Faire: Kansas City could very well be displaying the beginnings of the next great innovation in science, technology and engineering. And, it could spark some of Kansas City’s newest entrepreneurs.


“Maker Faire is a fun and inspiring event for families and individuals to see first-hand what others are making as hobbyists or for a career,” George Guastello, President and CEO of Union Station said. “Union Station hosts this event because it offers such a great opportunity to demonstrate the invention, innovation and creativity happening in our home community and region. As Kansas City’s civic center, Union Station hosts this event to provide great networking opportunities among Makers and those interested in what others are making. It also helps connect entrepreneurship and education so that students will see what skills they can develop and how they can use their own creativity to design inventions and products of the future. This event is sure to inspire making in all who attend.”

In addition to booth displays and exhibits, featured activities include Arc Attack (making music with Tesla coil energy), Extreme Sand Castle Building (hosted by Wonderscope), Power Wheels Racing, Roving Robots, Percy Peacock Art Car, Lego Building, Aerial Performance Art by Voler: Thieves of Flight, Demonstrations in the Science City Test Kitchen, 3D Printing for Kids, Learn to Solder, Crafters Village and much, much more. You can see the detailed weekend agenda by clicking here.

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Pre-cognitive Marketing & KCDMA

We had a great time today showcasing our two pre-cognitive marketing experts, Kathy Miller and Ric Lipman at the Kansas City Direct Marketing Association monthly luncheon. They shared how we help companies reshape opinions, endure change or transformation, adopt new technology, obtain organizational cost savings, significantly increase revenues, and – in many instances evolve in to a new culture. We accomplish these outcomes by focusing first on uncovering unique audience motivational and emotional insights using our proprietary pre-cognitive research methodology that Kathy and Ric shared with the KCDMA crowd.

Our pre-cognitive research techniques have been used successfully on a number of behavioral change communications campaigns and most recently was instrumental in shaping a Fortune 50 telecommunications company’s media messaging strategy. Traditional cognitive studies do not include a look at specific social, cultural and interpersonal dynamics between and among the target audiences and the individuals who regularly interact with or support ecologies. Pre-cognitive research is particularly useful in this area as it provides a 360-degree view of a particular issue by including key ecologies within the research population. Moreover, we have found that target audiences are reticent to share their true feelings in a traditional cognitive survey, interview or focus group setting.

Pre-cognitive research utilizing techniques such as personifications, stories, decomposition techniques, drawings, laddering exercises and emotion sheets to create an open dialogue. By engaging individuals with our proven pre-cognitive techniques, participants are given a means to comfortably share closely-held attitudes and beliefs. These unique insights are then used to develop the highly focused and effective communications campaigns that inspires desired outcomes.

If you would like to learn more about market research methodologies please read our “Demand Intelligence” white paper or contact us today!

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Chronicle of Philanthropy Features Bed & Bread Club

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY FEATURES ON WEBSITE THE SALVATION ARMY’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BED & BREAD CLUB

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, MAY 25, 2102 — We’re shouting it out! The Chronicle of Philanthropy, one of the fundraising industry’s leading publications, recently featured an article about the 25th Anniversary of The Bed & Bread Club, created exclusively for The Salvation Army.

“The article on the Chronicle of Philanthropy website and the fact that the Bed & Bread Club has been so successful for so long are signs that Summit Marketing has the know-how to use giving programs as a way of taking organizations’ fundraising to a whole new level,” says Michael Tritt, president of Summit Marketing.

— OVER $100 MILLION RAISED —

Twenty-five years ago, Barbara Antrim, co-founder of R&D Group (Summit Marketing’s predecessor), developed the Bed & Bread Club for The Salvation Army as a way to increase steady, year-round giving. Bed & Bread Club members represent some of The Salvation Army’s most valuable donors — with a pledge fulfillment rate of 93%. The average annual gift from members is $276, with nearly 70% of Bed & Bread Club supporters making multiple gifts outside of the Bed & Bread Club during the year.

Says Tritt, “Helping to make a difference in the world is Summit Marketing’s passion. We’re humbled by the fact that the program has raised more than $100 million and currently has 106 Clubs and 19,500 members. We look forward to supporting The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Club for another 25-plus years as it feeds and shelters those in need across our nation.”

Learn more about why Summit Marketing is the expert in monthly pledge programs, by contacting Michelle Noyes at 800-843-7347 ext. 3413.

Visit http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting to read more about the Bed & Bread Club, one of the most successful monthly giving programs in the country!

CONTACT:  MICHELLE NOYES, SUMMIT MARKETING

                      EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC FUNDRAISING

                      1-800-843-7347

In the News: Bed & Bread Club generates $100 Million for The Salvation Army

Summit Marketing is enjoying a bit of notoriety today. The Chronicle of Philanthropy has dedicated space on their website to draw attention to the fact that this year, one of our most successful fundraising programs, turns 25 years old. Yes, The Bed & Bread Club has been helping to feed and shelter those in need for a quarter of a century!

This unique club has set the standard for successful donor pledge programs. It’s the first and only true donor pledge program for The Salvation Army, raising awareness of the organization’s mission. The Club has generated more than $100 million for delivering basic services to struggling individuals and families.

The idea for the club came from Summit Marketing’s Barbara Antrim-Bledsoe, who saw the need for non-profits to establish a steady, predictable stream of income. “I knew if I could get a large enough group of individual donors to write a check for $10 each month, it would significantly increase overall income.” Today Summit Marketing manages 106 Clubs with nearly 20,000 active members around the country, processed nearly a million and a half gifts with no sign of slowing down.

The Bed & Bread Club has turned donors into philanthropists, and engaged them through stories about how their gifts have made a real difference in the lives of men, women and children – often preventing them from becoming homeless, going hungry or falling deeper into desperation. And donors have responded by fulfilling their pledges at an incredible 93%, and even increasing their other gifts to The Salvation Army throughout the year.

If you have ever considered what a donor pledge club can do for your organization, we invite you to let Summit Marketing make a case for our brand of Club that works for you, your mission and your donors.

We invite you to check out the article about The Bed & Bread Club’s accomplishments and this exciting milestone. We are so pleased to celebrate this success, and we are optimistic that this model of donor loyalty programs can lift your success to a whole new level.

For more information about donor pledge programs, contact Michelle Noyes, Vice President of Strategic Fundraising at Summit Marketing, 800-843-7347, or michelle.noyes@summitmarketing.com.

Lessons from May 22, 2011-An Employee Perspective

One of our own, Rachel Caldwell, proudly calls Joplin, MO her hometown. Rachel was living in Joplin a year ago and survived what is arguably one of the worst tornado’s in US history. She took the time to share her personal story with our employees today. With her permission we have chosen to share her words with our Summit Social readers. 

Today isn’t a very good day for me. It’s the one-year anniversary of the Joplin tornado. I didn’t expect to take it so hard and honestly my feelings of grief have completely blindsided me. Today has been a painful reminder that I’m not as far along as I thought I was in mourning my hometown.

Joplin is where I was born and raised, where my parents and closest family members reside and where nearly all of my childhood memories were created. When I think of Joplin, I can only envision it as it was. There are things I really miss, like my high school. I know it might be odd, but I’m a nerd and I had many happy memories of learning there, and of lunch in the rose garden and orchestra class. I also miss certain homes, like a particular one on Joplin Street, which was a historic brick home with so much character. (I’m also an architecture nerd as well.) And I miss Dillon’s grocery store, where my mom always bought groceries when I was very little. It was very retro, almost straight out of the 70s and never updated. I went into the store a couple of months before the tornado and felt like I’d stepped back into my childhood. But, probably what I grieve for the most is that as more time goes on, I will forget. I won’t remember the buildings that stood in particular areas, and since the tornado cut a swath of destruction into almost a third of the city, I fear there is so much I will forget.

But there are things that I will always remember, maybe lessons that can only be learned from tragedy. I remember the horrific fear, as I huddled in my bathtub, of not knowing where the tornado was and if it was going to hit my home or a family member’s home. The fear was even worse after the storm passed and the city was left without cell service. All I could do was wonder if my family was ok. I will never forget the feelings of helplessness followed by the feelings of pure joy to know that they were all alive and unscathed. It was a mixture of bittersweet feelings in those moments to know you are one of the lucky ones celebrating life, while a few blocks away someone is mourning a death.

I also remember coming home and looking at all of my belongings. The clothes hanging perfectly on their hangers in my closet, realizing that if they all blew away it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Glancing at my television, thinking that the TV is about the last thing on earth anyone needs. Looking at everything in my home, even my most coveted keepsakes, knowing that they are material things. Surviving the tornado made me realize that the most valuable things in this world are immaterial. I still have the memories of the happiest times in my life, regardless of if I have a token to remember it by. I still have my family and friends, who can never be replaced. I feel extremely blessed.

If I have anything to impart on you after reading all of this, I hope you will realize how truly blessed you are. When you get right down to it, it doesn’t matter how large your television screen is or if your counter tops are faux granite. What really matters is the people you love and that you make sure they know they are loved. So, if nothing else, make sure you give your family a hug today and let them know you’re glad they’re a part of your life. Thank a stranger for being kind to you today and appreciate what you’re blessed with today, not tomorrow. But really, don’t worry if you’re driving an ugly car or your living room is so outdated it looks like it belongs on the set of Mad Men – that doesn’t matter.

Tide Dry Cleaners wins 2012 Gold Edison Award

Proctor & Gamble’s Tide Dry Cleaners has been recognized with a coveted 2012 Gold Edison Award for innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services. As the agency charged with launching and establishing the Tide Dry Cleaners brand and local store marketing strategies, Summit Marketing has been integral to the success of Tide Dry Cleaners. Working closely with Proctor & Gamble’s Agile Pursuits Franchising, Inc. to develop an innovative marketing plan for Tide Dry Cleaners, Summit Marketing has again delivered award winning marketing solutions for one of its clients.

 * Utilizing multiple communication vehicles, including web-based communication, Summit Marketing conceptualized and implemented enhanced branding and messaging to assist Procter & Gamble establish a new brand: Tide Dry Cleaners.

* Summit Marketing provides ongoing support; designing and managing content for the Tide Dry Cleaners website, focused on both generating customers and franchise opportunities—while establishing the Tide Dry Cleaners brand.

* To ensure ongoing success for Tide Dry Cleaners, Summit Marketing develops an annual marketing plan to account for launching a new brand, opening new stores, educating franchise owners and differentiating a retail service in an otherwise commoditized industry.

* As leaders in franchise marketing, Summit Marketing provides ongoing strategic counsel to Agile Pursuits Franchising, Inc. to assist with the launching of new Tide Dry Cleaning stores and to develop opportunities for franchisees. This includes conceptualizing and creating a robust local store marketing guide that helps Tide Dry Cleaners establish and expand their local market shares.

* Winning the Gold Edison Award in the category of New Retail Frontiers demonstrates the success Proctor & Gamble has found with Tide Dry Cleaners—and Summit Marketing is playing an important role in extending the Tide Brand to a new retail market.

Interested in what the press had to say about the win? Here are some of the top articles:

Bloomberg

Consumer Goods Technology

Street Insider

Demand the Intelligent Advantage

We are now making our latest white paper, “Demand the Intelligent Advantage” available to the general public. Never before have marketing executives had access to the tremendous amount of information like they do today. In our latest white paper, we highlight best practice research and analysis methodologies that companies should consider to help identify meaningful insights and relevant actions in today’s marketplace.

When 70% of CMO’s confess fear of marketing data overload and 39% of marketers admit they can’t turn data into actionable insight, then research and analysis practices become critical.

The information in our white paper is valuable in helping marketing departments know where to start and how to get smart with finding the right data and innovating the right actions.

Advertising Trust Survey

It’s no secret that most of us put more stock in the recommendations we get from friends and family than in traditional advertising. The latest data from Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising Survey shows just how dramatic that shift is:

1. 92% of consumers trust earned media (word-of-mouth, friend or family recommendations, etc.) above all other advertising. That’s an increase of 18% since 2007.

2. Less than 50% trust paid ads in traditional media. That’s a decline of more than 20% since 2009.

3. Search ads get the highest “relevance rating” from Nielsen’s global panel of respondents (42%), followed by video ads (36%), ads on social networks (36%) and then banner ads (33%). According to Nielsen’s global head for advertiser solutions Randall Beard, this shows that “there is still much potential for marketers looking to reach the right audience through advertiser-driven messages.”

4. One of their conclusions, found on page 8, is that there is “room for improvement by marketers to make a more personal connection with consumers.”

Full Report: global-trust-in-advertising-2012

For this survey, Nielsen interviewed 28,000 online consumers in 56 countries throughout Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America.

Demand the Intelligence Advantage

Download our latest white paper today and uncover critical insights that directly influence behavior!

http://www.summitmarketing.com/intelligent-insights/