It was meant to be the ultimate 21st century way to shop, the fast and efficient way to buy without the hassle of braving the High Street crowds.

An interesting piece of Microsoft Advertorial, that nevertheless highlights Microsoft Corp's product portfolio to help retailers embrace digital and interactive marketing

Tellme combines the passion of people, the innovation of the Internet, the potential of voice technologies, the unprecedented transformation of the phone, plus a few new ideas. With more mobile phones than computers in people's lives, there's more demand than ever for simple, fast ways to get what you want, when you want it. With billions of voice requests interpreted each year, human input improves the accuracy and speed of the Tellme platform to help you do anything on the go.

Microsoft Tag creates unlimited possibilities for making interactive communications an instant, entertaining part of life. They transform physical media (print advertising, billboards, product packages, information signs, in-store merchandising, or even video images)—into live links for accessing information and entertainment online.

Waitrose, the supermarket division of the John Lewis Partnership, has selected Infosys Technologies to co-develop a new multi-channel web platform intended to deliver an integrated online experience from waitrose.com. Waitrose chose IBM Websphere Commerce as the technology platform for the Waitrose multi-channel commerce strategy.

Pets at Home, which has 246 stores across the UK, has replaced its existing ecommerce platform with a new solution from systems integrator Salmon that is designed to increase its multi-channel capabilities.

The notes cover sessions on;
ACQUIRE: Social media, viral marketing, creativity…
ACQUIRE: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
ACQUIRE: Display advertising and multi-channel acquisition marketing
CONVERT: Optimising site conversion – the best tools and techniques
CONVERT: Increasing conversion rates – tips on what works best

This is a great video exploring mediated culture, and in particular Youtube. Wesch presented it at the Library of Congress, in June 23rd 2008, but I only discovered it today. It resurfaced on the wearesocial blog. You can keep up to date with his work, and his students work at http://mediatedcultures.net.

If you are Youtube-aphobe, or plainly just don't get it (or so) its really worth watching. "We live in interesting times" aint the half of it.

Sketch-3D is an interactive, integrated software/hardware system that enables users to create their own anaglyphic 3D drawings. By using a ubiquitous interface metaphor (the "Etch-A-Sketch "), Sketch-3D allows anyone to participate in generating stereoscopic imagery in a way that is simple and engaging.

Most Lack a Personal Goal Strategy. Jeremiah Owyang lays out some the observations he's noticed from some of the smartest folks who have achieved success in their lives. Often they have told him about the challenge, that most people don’t even have a personal goal strategy.

Nikki Baird of Retail Systems Research has developed a new “Assembled Commerce” model to help online retailers better evaluate the true impact of cross-channel consumers on their business – and to better organize to deliver an effective cross-channel experience.

She shared this new model in a recent ATG-hosted webinar for online retailers after reviewing the key results of the recent 2009 RSR Benchmark Survey: Winning Online Retailers Have Changed the Game.

Written by Theo Papadakis of cScape, this informal guide gives you the lowdown on the key ideas in Persuasion, from Aristole to Ziegelmueller, via goodwill, kairos, motivation and reciprocity.

Multi-channel precision marketing is an integrated solution to handle on-going dialogs with customers, over time, across channels as customers’ behaviors change. By presenting targeted offers and customized promotions at the individual shopper level, WebSphere Commerce Version 7.0 enables companies to design and fine tune on-line shopping flows, content and e-marketing messages that resonate with the target audience, and help to make the brand stand out over the competition.

Pets at Home is the UK-based retailer of pet goods, most well known for their large out of town superstores, packed to the rafters with pet products. The company is embarking on a mission to make its presence felt in the online space and this commitment is reflected in the launch of their brand new website. K9 Magazine takes you on a video tour as we give our opinion on the all new, PetsatHome.com.

A comprehensive list of UK journalist on Twitter

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With Google Insights for Search, you can compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties. See examples of how you can use Google Insights for Search.

The book I wish I could get a copy of in the UK: Zappos.com Gear Zappos Culture Book – 2009.

BtoB's annual top agencies spans the gamut of agencies large, medium, small and interactive. Our editors pick the agencies which orchestrated the most challenging, inventive and effective campaigns, recognizing achievement of three agencies in each category.

Halfords User Generated Content increases conversion, doubles page views. Review readers and writers convert 82% higher. Customers who interact with online Q&A convert 58% higher. In April 2008, Halfords teamed with Bazaarvoice (and Salmon) to implement Ratings & Reviews and Ask & Answer, to further engage with its clients online and drive sales. By September 2009, Halfords was receiving an average of over 100 user contributions and interactions daily. Analysis done at this point proved that user-generated content had a positive impact on Halfords’s online business.

As Zappos grow as a company, it has become more and more important to explicitly define the Zappos core values from which they develop their culture, brand, and business strategies.

Internet World Stats is an International website that features up to date world Internet Usage, Population Statistics and Internet Market Research Data, for over 233 individual countries and world regions.