Rhonda Basler

There is nothing more challenging, and exhilarating, than scrapping an old system and implementing a new one. Upgrading our online shopping experience to provide an easier customization and ordering process for our customers’ business greeting cards has been everything we thought it would be....

Do companies have to be perfect in order to win in the marketplace? Sure, we aim for flawless execution and high-quality products. But let’s face it. Maybe the shape of snowflakes and warm, sunny spring days consistently hit the mark…but businesses? Afraid not. We all...

Think back to a memorable experience you had with a business. What is it about that unique experience that stands out? Most likely it was not simply what you purchased, but the interaction you had and how it made you feel. Truly memorable experiences...

How often did your parents tell you that? My siblings and I always heard it when we were giving a halfhearted effort at our homework or dawdling over our least favorite chore. Work harder. Try more. In my adult life, that saying has taken on...

It is no secret that your employees are the single most critical element in determining business success. But, let’s pause for a moment and consider why and how this works in the realm of customer experience. When customers interact directly with your employees, they can...

Creating meaningful and authentic opportunities for businesses to express appreciation for their customers is something many struggle with. Naturally occurring occasions do exist for this sentiment, but they are so few and far between that customers may feel overrun by receiving simultaneous messages of...

In today’s business landscape, the explosion of social media and digital technologies has changed the game for companies looking to connect and build relationships with customers. Armed with a goldmine of customer data (shopping and purchase behavior, likes, tweets, posts, shares, etc.), brands can leverage...

Pumpkin pie, cranberries and turkey characterize the fourth Thursday of November. We spend this day each year with friends, family and loved ones to celebrate our good fortune and everything we have to be thankful for. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, consider how you can extend...

First things first, to focus on customer experience metrics requires a good deal of focus. Hard to do when you’re in San Diego… …And while my hometown team, the Royals are in the World Series (first time in 29 years, folks!). But, I prevailed in...

Personalized QR Codes offer a highly interactive and personal way to interact with your target audience. Strategically, a personalized QR Code is a slightly different experience from pushing a text message to a group of recipients. The QR Code gives the recipient...

If you need statistics about the potential potency of multi-channel communications in business-to-business marketing, this blog post is for you. Pitney Bowes recently surveyed 4,000 B2B marketers—divided equally throughout the U.S., U.K., France and Germany—to uncover current B2B thinking regarding marketing channel choice...

It's not easy being friends with a marketer. Marketers like to watch television commercials, get mad if the mail is thrown away before they get to see it, and hijack their friends' smart phones to see what new text-based marketing campaigns they have...

Although my made-up term of "statistical pictures" may seem like an oxymoron, by using infographics you can do just that… turn data and statistics into pictures. For many people, numbers are scary. A bunch of numbers together, even scarier. And don't...

Marketers are taking another look at direct marketing, and focusing on print automation and cost reduction as key drivers of profitability. As the economy shows signs of shifting in a more positive direction, many companies are revisiting direct marketing programs that were profitable years ago,...

The integration of social and direct marketing is creating larger-than-life results for marketers. I recently came across a great illustration of how businesses are using direct marketing and social media together to achieve immediate results and ongoing "viral" benefits. I'd like to share this story...

Hidden costs are lurking in the unused printed materials hoarded by your sales and field marketing personnel. Did you know that 72% of sales and field marketing personnel over-order or stockpile materials? (Yep. That's right. It's not a typo.) According to a study by the...

Integrate online and offline direct marketing efforts with PURLs. Ever since PURLs (or Personalized URLs) hit the scene, the integration of offline and online media has become a powerful way to improve direct marketing results. Now, direct mail and email can link to a...

Don't risk alienating your audience by using a PURL inappropriately. Personalized URLs (PURLs) or personalized landing pages are definitely a game changer for direct and database marketing. With PURLs, all that great data you've collected about your prospects or customers can be used to...

Using business intelligence along with triggered communications is the new rocket science behind digital and direct marketing. Identifying prospect and customer activities and behaviors that indicate the need for more or less contact, business intelligence is what makes everything else happen. For example, using strategic...

Ever been disappointed by a gift? You're not alone. 73% of consumers participating in loyalty programs have received promotions for products and services they already own (CMO Council). Irrelevant offers and messages alienate customers and reduce the love in the Return On Marketing Investment (ROMI)...