DMNews recently interviewed Chris Paradysz, CEO, PM Digital, and asked him to elaborate on the some of the key trends he saw for direct marketers in 2010. The original DMNews interview can be found here.
DMNews: Search marketing continues to command the lion’s share of online budgets. How will we see that channel evolve this year?
Chris Paradysz: Consumers have radically improved their search and online sophistication as a result of having less cash but still buying what they need to live, feed and clothe their families, pay their bills, enjoy their passions and manage their health. Search phrases are more targeted because they know more about how to get what they’re looking for.
DMNews: Does that make it more competitive for marketers?
Chris Paradysz: Definitely. Consumers are only willing to pay for the value they perceive and no more. If they don’t like what they’re offered, they click away to a place where they can get it at the price they want. From better targeting at the shopping engines to features like private sale sites, the top retailers are adapting. At the same time the squeeze is on consumers, the search engines have brought enormous changes to their technologies. With the newly released Google Caffeine, for instance, posts from YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media are getting instant, top billing bringing an even more urgent real-time experience to searchers.