[Editor's Note: Big brands spent big for different reasons.] Michael Learmonth - Advertising Age - 9/6/10 NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Before BP could stem the oil gusher at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, it unleashed $100 million in ad spending, largely on network TV, to stem the damage to its image. But it also started spending heavily where it had never spent much before: buying ads in Google's search results.

How much did BP spend on search? In two months, BP went from spending very little on search advertising -- about $57,000 a month -- to becoming one of Google's top advertisers, dropping nearly $3.6 million in the month of June alone, according to an internal Google document obtained by Advertising Age. That pushed BP into the upper echelon of search advertisers, in a league with Expedia, which spent at least $5.9 million in June, Amazon, which spent at least $5.8 million, and ...

[Editor's Note: Growers use integrated campaign for baby carrot market.] Ryan Chatelain - DM News - 9/3/10 The baby carrot industry is conducting an integrated marketing campaign to convince consumers that the vegetable isn't just for health nuts. ...

[Editor's Note: Don't create a divide between you and your customers.] Ryan Chatelain - DM News - 8/25/10 If you're looking for one of the worst examples of customer relationship management, look toward Columbia, SC. ...

[Editor's Note: Campaign promotes the benefits of low-fat chocolate milk.] Shahnaz Mahmud - DM News - 8/23/10 The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) launched a mobile rewards program targeting teens as part of its overall campaign to promote the benefits of low-fat chocolate milk. ...

[Editor's Note: E-mails aim to get fans in the seats.] Shahnaz Mahmud - DM News - 8/12/10 Major League Soccer and the New York Red Bulls franchise sent out an e-mail blast August 9 to increase ticket ...

[Editor's Note: Orbitz uses mixed media for new marketing campaign.] Ryan Chatelain - DM News - 7/16/10 Orbitz Worldwide launched an integrated marketing campaign July 15 that aims to assure traveler ...

[Editor's Note: Customer survey leads to program change.] Shahnaz Mahmud - DM News - 7/2/10 JetBlue Airways launched a campaign June 30 to acquire new members for its customer loyalty program, “TruBlue.” ...

[Editor's Note: Personalized customer engagement will be rewarded.] Christopher Petix - DM News - 6/30/10 The American businesses that have the strongest bottom lines right now are those that enjoy the strongest brand loyalty. More and more organizations have come to this realization and as a result are looking at how their online marketing activity can help to gain visibility for and engagement with their brands. ...

[Editor's Note: Use online loyalty promotions to reward your customers in real-time.] Brady Brewer et al. - DM News - 6/21/10 Marketers are finding new ways to improve their customer loyalty programs ...

[Editor's Note: Voice of the customer. engagement. loyalty...what are we talking about?] Mark Johnson - Destination CRM - 6/17/10 Voice of the customer. Engagement. Loyalty.

What do these buzzwords mean? How do we use them to drive value? Where are the best practices? ...

[Editor's Note: Some people just like to compete, Make it work for your business.] Rajani Baburajan - TMC - 6/11/10 Social media tools like Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter are bringing revoluti ...

[Editor's Note: Good customer service means loyal customers.] Windsor Pennicott - JOBS & BUSINESS - 6/14/10 1. Customer service is all about customers’ needs first and your needs second.

If your customers expect a response from you in 24 hours and you always respond much later, that’s putting your needs first and their needs second. ...

[Editor's Note: Two companies are looking to former customers in marketing plan.] Iris Dorbian - DM News - 6/14/10 Cable television network A&E has partnered with bookseller Barnes & Noble to promote the July 11 premier of crime mystery series The Glades. The companies are mailing the book version of the show's pilot episode to Barnes & Noble customers. Agency Fathom Communications created the effort, which began June 9. ...

[Editor's Note: Hospitality guests put high value on other customer reviews when making decisions.] Jennifer Macera - Cornell School of Hotel Administration - 5/28/10 The hospitality industry continu ...

[Editor's Note: Customers today want genuine concern in exchange for their brand loyalty.] Don Roy - Marketing DR - 5/24/10 One of the most significant effects of the recession (which may be over acc ...

[Editor's Note: Customer communication is key.] Adriana Noton - Local Marketing Ideas - 5/18/10 As a business owner or anyone who works with customers, your main goal is to get customer loyalty. You want those customers to keep coming back for more. While many different places are creating cards that gives those who have them incentives to practice this, many of these places have forgotten the old fashioned things that creates this. What are some of those things? ...

[Editor's Note: Loyal customers make introducing new products and services easier.] Julie Ann Ross - ArticleSnatch - 5/16/10 Customer loyalty is one of the most elusive goals in business. If a company is able to develop a loyal, happy customer base, they're able to differentiate their brand, introduce new products and services with little risk, and greatly increase their profits each quarter. Without customer loyalty, however, it's almost impossible to survive in competitive business markets. ...

[Editor's Note: Trend likely to persist.] - MarketingProfs - 5/5/10 Driven by the need to save money during the economic downturn, consumers have been revoking their allegiance to brands in the past two years, and many have opted for cheaper brands across a variety of product categories, according to a new study from comScore. ...

[Editor's Note: Groceries and gas, still time for the small player to get in.] Angel Abcede - CSP - 4/27/10 Michael Haynes wants his customers to get a sense of value when they visit his chain's stores. Like more and more retailers seeing major oil companies and grocery chains getting into the loyalty game, his goal is to win the hearts and wallets of both loyal and new customers. ...

[Editor's Note: Initiative to leverage the mobile phone to drive customer acquisition and retention.] - TMC - 4/26/10 Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF (News - Alert)) North America announced today a ...

[Editor's Note: Promoted Tweets allows advertisers to buy sponsored links on Twitter.] Dianna Dilworth - DM News - 4/13/10 Twitter launched its Promoted Tweets service, which allows advertisers to buy sponsored links on the social networking site, on April 13. Marketers including Starbucks, Best Buy and Virgin America are using the service at its launch. ...

[Editor's Note: New loyalty program brings customers into stores during pilot.] Nathan Golia - DM News - 4/20/10 Pharmacy chain Rite Aid launched the Wellness+ loyalty program nationwide on April 19 at the conclusion of a six-month pilot program in Buffalo, NY; Greensboro, NC; Harrisburg, PA; and San Diego. Rite Aid worked with Marc's Pittsburgh office on the initiative. ...

[Editor's Note: Donuts now part of Blue Savings customer loyalty program.] Karl Greenberg - Media Post News - 4/8/10 American Express is making Dunkin' Donuts the newest addition to its Blue Savings customer loyalty program. When Blue, Blue Cash, or Blue Sky Cardmembers shop four times in a calendar month at any Dunkin' Donuts restaurant nationwide using their American Express Card, they will get a $5 Dunkin' Donuts Card. ...

[Editor's Note: Community loyalty rewards program helps keep money in their own backyard.] Alyssa Sunkin - Times Herald-Record - 4/7/10 Shop local. Buy local. Reap rewards.

That's the idea behind a new community loyalty rewards program, designed to entice Warwick residents to shop in any of the town's three villages and seven hamlets. ...

[Editor's Note: Fighting the recession through loyalty programs.] Nathan Golia - DM News - 4/2/10 Customer retention has been an area of marketing focus for many companies this past year. To combat a ...

[Editor's Note: Brush up on loyalty program financials.] Jo Nelgadde - Suite101 - 4/5/10 Customer loyalty programs and rewards programs are structured marketing efforts that reward customers who are ...

[Editor's Note: New program makes it easy for cardholders to locate local discounted products and services.] - InsuranceTechnology - 3/23/10 PerksCard Network, a premier loyalty savings and discount network, announces the launch of a new website and program platform. ...

[Editor's Note: Money not always the best incentive.] - PR Newswire - 3/22/10 Atlas Meetings + Incentives has a different attitude toward corporate incentives programs than most companies. Their belief is that giving cash does not incentify a sales team or work force because cash is too easily absorbed into a bank account and is soon forgotten. An effective incentive program should use promotions and offer awards that are memorable. ...

[Editor's Note: New program changes make use easier for loyal customers.] Tim Winship - Smarter Travel - 3/15/10 My cousin Carol recently stopped over to visit me in Los Angeles.

She lives in San Francisco, and was returning from a trip to New York to see her daughter who's in college there. So her journey comprised three airline flights: from San Francisco to New York, from New York to Los Angeles, and from Los Angeles back to San Francisco. ...

[Editor's Note: How to use best practices for YouTube marketing.] Ruth M. Shipley - Social Media Examiner - 2/10/10 I bet you only use YouTube when your 10-year-old daughter wants you to watch some cute pet videos, right? ...