Services

Internet and Business Integration

MakeBuzz merges an understanding of marketing, with an in-depth knowledge of business processes, to create business efficiencies and promote the flow of customer engagement. Evolution is at the heart of what we do: moving forward in an increasingly global economy and making optimal use of the tools that facilitate this progression. From tactical to academic, MakeBuzz draws on over 14 years of experience to help businesses realize the full potential of both marketing efforts and the Internet. Our strategies address the diversity of worldwide markets to facilitate customer reach, maintain brand loyalty and increase sales.

The Internet delivers e-business capabilities, offering new sales and growth opportunities; if used incorrectly, however, it can create difficulties for previously thriving companies. MakeBuzz facilitates transition from the business goals out, optimizing multi-channel efforts and establishing realistic and measurable benchmarks to propel business forward.

Case Studies

• Repairing Brand Damage Online and Rebuilding Market Share

  For large, established brands, the internet can be a disruptive force in terms of distribution and brand management. These companies have significant sales and brand value in traditional retail outlets but have difficulty integrating the internet effectively into their business.

  When MakeBuzz was hired to develop and manage an online presence for a large jewelry retailer, we focused our efforts on two areas: taking back market share and defending the brand online.

  Executed incorrectly, online marketing can actually detract from in-store purchases by simply converting existing in-store shoppers to online shoppers. While online shopping may be efficient, conversion rates and cart size can be significantly less than retail. By reaching into the first stages of the acquisition cycle MakeBuzz created new customers and accessed a larger audience earlier. We reinforced that relationship, both on-and-offline, by following the customers through to the purchase phase, developing new demand for the brand without sacrificing in-store sales. Keeping the marketing message channel neutral, we drove additional customers into stores and increased sales overall.

  Even large and well established companies can lose brand value to aggressive challenger brands online. By policing the misinformation and trademark infringement that had proliferated in the jewelry company’s absence, MakeBuzz was able to clear up channel conflict, return brand loyalty, and increase sales.

  Larger companies are often slow to adapt and as a result, may lose out to smaller competitors online. As this study illustrates, MakeBuzz can help these companies integrate the internet by complimenting their existing marketing efforts, defending their brands, and creating new demand for their products across all sales channels.

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• Juggling a Multi-Channel Multi-Distribution Network

  Manufacturers that are also retailers have a variety of channels through which to sell their products: wholesale and retail, including in-store, catalog mailers, call-centers and online. Managing these different spheres can be complicated work, requiring brand management, consistency, and an integrative marketing plan.

  MakeBuzz was hired by a well known manufacturer and retailer to increase net sales and create online marketing momentum. Since the company distributes both wholesale and retail, and their marketing and retail sales channels are diverse, our priorities were to raise brand value and measure the results across all channels to increase overall sales.

  Manufacturers often lose value and the resulting equity to their resellers but MakeBuzz dealt with this issue by managing multiple campaigns across all stages of the customer engagement cycle. Specifically, we launched over 30,000 terms in paid placement, positioned behavioral, multi-targeted media on over 22,500 sites, managed social media and web design, and conducted SEO and internet integration services.

  To properly measure the effects of marketing efforts, MakeBuzz built systems to track in-store, online and call center sales. Our system segmented the media value from each channel and measured discrete changes. By looking at the macro-economic effects of each medium using Cost Volume Profit Analysis, we were able to continually adjust and improve our tactics to benefit the brand as a whole.

  MakeBuzz developed and supervised complex multi-channel strategies that increased sales fivefold and managed sales to maximize profit volume. We created online marketing components that enhance offline campaigns and advance the flow of the customer engagement cycle.

  Companies with complicated sales and distribution structures can have difficulty maintaining brand value and consistency across all channels. MakeBuzz can help these companies build their brand, implementing complimentary marketing programs and appropriately measuring the results.

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• Cost Volume Profit Analysis: Looking Beyond ROI

  For too long, marketing firms and their clients have focused on ROI, assuming that higher return ratios meant their campaigns were successful. But a reliance on ROI often limits a brand’s reach, momentum and sales.

  A large travel company hired MakeBuzz to develop its online marketing to increase overall sales. We discovered that, although the company’s marketing efforts yielded a high ROI, there wasn't enough online investment to reach new customers and generate significant sales.

  MakeBuzz understands that ROI is a ratio without substance. Real analysis is necessary to produce results, therefore we examine cost, volume, and profit to attain the right balance. In this case, we conducted a series of tests, generating reliable markers, which indicated the appropriate media budget and placement to achieve maximum profit.

  Using Cost Volume Profit Analysis, we determined that sales could be scaled from the low thousands to 50,000 bookings per month. We delivered this wider audience through connection strategy, speaking to customers through subtly related networks at appropriate stages in the customer engagement cycle. By shifting focus from ROI to macro-economic goals, MakeBuzz was able to increase sales and overall profit volume.

  Businesses often fall short of their potential by focusing on irrelevant relationships between numbers. MakeBuzz examines the crucial factors, looking beyond ROI to deliver results where it matters.

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• Global SEO/SEM: Applying Connection Strategy

  Global corporations face potential challenges selling their products and services within many different markets. Understanding the wants and needs of individuals in diverse countries and connecting to them can be difficult. The messaging that marketers use, therefore, must be tailored specifically for the given region while still remaining consistent with the larger brand identity.

  A global home goods retailer hired MakeBuzz to conduct SEO / SEM services to increase brand value and sales. As they had not previously performed SEO / SEM efforts, our first task was to define their business metrics and desired financial outcomes. We determined the value of a customer on a per country basis, which allowed us to estimate customer acquisition costs. We then created strategies based on business priorities; for the developing countries, educating the customer and building the brand online were concerns, whereas in developed countries, we knew the market was saturated and we would need to reach the customer through more subtle, interconnected means.

  By using country-specific experts, MakeBuzz understood the online behavior of the audience and bought media on relevant regional, national and international sites. These country liaisons helped establish the proper tone, voice and phrasing for media and search terms. We considered factors such as home computer vs. internet cafe users, social mores and holidays, colloquialisms and customs.

  At MakeBuzz, advertising and marketing strategies are built upon reasonable expectations derived from our metrics. We perform initial tests and adjust our tactics to produce increasingly positive results, similar to dollar-cost averaging. Because our medium is the internet, we can measure, adjust, and scale quickly to reach our clients’ business goals.

  In this case, MakeBuzz co-built a tracking system to monitor pure search engine referrals and the income derived from SEO efforts. We integrated the cost and value of SEO and SEM campaign’s to create a comprehensive report to evaluate success. The results were marked growth in new customers for developing nations and market share in developed countries. There were increased sales across all channels and improvement in overall brand value.

  In order for global corporations to connect with their customers, they must act on a local level. MakeBuzz understands the differences between markets, creating and managing actionable strategies that achieve their goals worldwide.

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• Integrating Catalog + Online Efforts: Pioneering Tactics to Increase Sales + Brand Reach

  Historically, catalogers were the first businesses to understand the value of paid placement and adopt it’s usage in online marketing campaigns. As a pioneer in the field of Internet Marketing, MakeBuzz was the first company to launch big catalogers online, and has managed campaigns for over 150 catalog brands. We have introduced many concepts to the marketplace that are now considered industry standards, such as geographic and day-part targeted media placement.

  Unlike most firms in our industry, we have always looked beyond ROI to focus our campaigns on maximized profit volume. Our knowledge of the customer journey gives us unique insight into paid placement strategies that solve business problems. We understand our clients’ brands, and know what measures we can take to increase their brand value.

  MakeBuzz has launched paid placement campaigns for some of the world’s top 100 brands; we have managed over $175 million dollars in online media for catalogue brands, alone. Our extensive experience has taught us how to build and manage successful campaigns.

  The following scenarios comprise only a snapshot of our experience with cataloguers:

  When SEM was in its early stages, most agencies worked on a system of arbitrage, whereby the agency would earn a percentage of sales generated by tracked media. This way of operating gave agencies little incentive to spend on early stage media, where conversion rates are typically much lower. MakeBuzz created a method whereby the amount of money spent on media is based on performance throughout the customer journey.

  When we initially launched a campaign for a premium electronics brand, under the old way of thinking, with 10% arbitrage, net revenue was $150,000 dollars for the month. Once we switched to our performance-based model, we increased ad spend 15% and sales grew to $750,000 per month, and continued to grow in the months following.

  This pioneering way of thinking is at the heart of MakeBuzz philosophy. Not content to follow tired Internet marketing methods, we evolve with the medium to generate new and better standards.

  We were among the first to consider the importance of brand equity in an online campaign, and we continue to balance brand and in all of our SEM efforts. When a company known for tall women’s clothing, approached us before the launch of their petite-sized line, we knew that we would have to leverage their existing brand value to create demand for the new products. Understanding the limits of the brand was crucial; we helped create site content and were able to build out the appropriate amount of petite-oriented search phrases, without extending too far into early stage media, to increase demand and generate sales.

  Often, increased sales volume is the objective of marketing campaigns, but MakeBuzz delves deeper, using Cost Volume Profit Analysis, to ascertain the point at which maximum profit volume exists for our clients.

  A stylish, yet value-priced, line of clothing and home-goods, geared mostly to an older demographic, was experiencing very low conversion rates and hired MakeBuzz to determine the problem. With technology we had invented prior to the standard tracking methods that Google uses today, we were able to determine that their max conversion rate was occurring between 3-6pm. We then shut off keywords, on a search-term basis, during the least productive hours, in order to increase conversion rates and the value of their media.

  This knowledge of customer behavior is at the center of every media campaign that we manage. For example, a leading catalog retailer of top-quality cooking equipment, presented MakeBuzz with a unique challenge. Their wide array of merchandise and quick turnover of products necessitated a thorough understanding of product release timing and predictive analysis. MakeBuzz created categories of search terms for the company based on the customer journey and thought, rather than the specific term name. For instance, we created a category of Pre-Thanksgiving terms in instead of a category of 'Baster' terms. In doing so, we were able to target the customer needs more effectively and efficiently, speaking to them at the right moment with the right media.

  Simply put, we know what works. Through millions of dollars in media over 13 years, our extensive experience has given us a proven track record in project management.

  Eight years ago, MakeBuzz was hired by a well known appliance company to increase net sales and create online marketing momentum. Since the company distributes both wholesale and retail, and their marketing and retail sales channels are diverse, our priorities were to raise brand value and measure the results across all channels to increase overall sales.

  To properly measure the effects of marketing efforts, MakeBuzz helped build systems to track in-store, online and call center sales. Our system segmented the media value from each channel and measured discrete changes. By looking at the macro-economic effects of each medium using Cost Volume Profit Analysis, we were able to continually adjust and improve our tactics to benefit the brand as a whole.

  MakeBuzz developed and supervised complex multi-channel strategies that increased sales and managed those sales to maximize profit volume, even through highly disruptive events. We created online marketing components that enhance offline campaigns and advance the flow of the customer engagement cycle.

  Today, we help catalogers understand and refine how their print vehicles contribute to their overall marketing plan. We assist our clients with reach and frequency issues to help them integrate their catalog and online efforts. Our goal is to create a seamless customer flow between their catalog’s and online or in-store components. We comprehend how catalogs behave in the customer journey, what stages they speak to and how to segue those customers to the next stage, towards purchase. Our understanding of how all media work together to increase sales and maximize profit volume, has contributed to our many years of success.

  We want you to make an informed decision about hiring MakeBuzz. If you would like additional information or wish to speak to an expert, please call us at 1-877-966-BUZZ (2899).

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• Merging a Sales-Driven Organization with the Web

  This case study demonstrates the potential of the Internet to grow sales, through responsive, adaptive media; it proves the power of building Brand value and eschewing budgetary thinking in favor of a performance based, self-auditing philosophy.

  When MakeBuzz first began work with a tangible assets brokerage in 2004, the client was skeptical of online media, doubting that their affluent client could be reached online. We were able to gradually overcome their apprehension to eventually scale media 200 times, helping them become the billion dollar company that they are today. By focusing on maximum profit volume, instead of ROI, they were able to increase demand for their brand over 18 times and grow sales tenfold.

  MakeBuzz tailored the marketing messages specifically to the client’s needs; by anticipating challenges associated with various sales channels, we were able to align offline resources with the demand created online. We monitored customer-service oriented metrics to ensure that the sales process did not suffer due to increase volume, and installed reward systems that furthered overall profits, rather than intermediate goals.

  Executing a sustainable growth model, we have guided the client through often dramatic transitions, in marketing and financial realms. By customizing solutions to meet market demands and reach business goals in an ever-changing economic landscape, MakeBuzz has enabled their continued growth.

• Building Internal Transparency in a Complex Global Organization

  A common challenge for large multinational corporations is the tendency for each operating region to act as its own fiefdom, independent from the corporate whole. This can be particularly challenging when it comes to setting goals, determining budgets, and evaluating and comparing performance.

  In order to alleviate the issues that can arise when dealing with disparate operations, MakeBuzz created a global dashboard for an international communications company. Using the dashboard, we were able to standardize reporting across operating countries; we normalized spend allocation and currencies, and automated campaign organization into standard categories for relevant comparison. This gave management a ready high-level view of all regions, which allowed for more strategic goal setting and budget allocation.

  The dashboard also facilitates communication between operating countries, enabling them to share successes and failures, in order to foster understanding and learning. It allows for a standard adherence to predetermined goals and promotes healthy competition.

  MakeBuzz was able to overcome the technical barriers that often accompany data collection and consolidation, by establishing effective filters and email alerts to monitor performance. In doing so, we gave our client a valuable means of high level management review, creating a method for oversight and a platform for moving forward.

• Creating a Global Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy

  Problem:

  Large brand but not found online for important generic phraseology in Search

  Disconnect between offline media and online presence, creating a break in the flow of customer engagement

  Inconsistent messaging across and within operating countries

  Inconsistent efforts/strategy

  What we did:

  Audited current SEO, including Meta tags and page Titles, site crawl, Link density, URL stability, and redirects; continued quarterly audits.

  Created a step-by-step process for improving SEO efforts

  Built out dictionaries (relevant keyword lists, Titles and Meta descriptions for pages that were standard across all operating countries that could be easily translated into regional language)

  Developed and conducted educational seminars to foster learning and allow for work to be continued internally.

  Outcome:

  Increase in positioning for generic keywords in the search space

  Understanding of the value of SEO

  Decrease in money spent on brand terms

  Increased in brand demand, exhibited through an increase in brand search online

• Client-Specific Budgetary Solutions: Shifting Media Budgets Online

  Problem:

  Budgeting model outdated; was not competitive with peers in terms of online vs offline (traditional) marketing budget allocation

  Massive budgets dispersed over multiple, competing areas

  What we did:

  Built out a 5 year plan, estimating growth sales and costs by shifting media budgets online and cutting overall marketing budgets.

  Extensive research into population growth, Internet saturation Growth and applicable market trends, to determine allocation for operating countries

  Outcome:

  A modern marketing budget that reflects the growing importance of online media to our client

• Global SEM Audit: Inspiring & Managing Substantial Change in a Corporate Environment

  Problem:

  Gross inefficiencies in campaign spend

  Inconsistent messaging

  Damaging affiliate program arrangements/lack of control

  Brand occupying most agency effort/space

  No experimental media

  No off-to-online customer flow

  KPIs middle metric based

  What we did:

  Created dictionaries (keyword lists and copy examples that could be easily translated across countries) for emerging campaigns

  Developed and conducted ongoing education

  Organized campaigns according to Phases of customer engagement

  Separated Brand to be held to different goal KPIs

  Determined goals based on performance

  Determine potential based on current and expected reach

  AB Testing discover optimal copy & landing pages

  Outcome:

  Alignment between operating countries on messaging and processes

  Increased Reach/Frequency

  Increased Brand demand

  Increased sales

  Created efficiencies, allowing for reduced brand costs

About Us

Establishing Standards, Leading the Way

• Founded in 2001 by Christopher Skinner, MakeBuzz has its roots in the early days of the Internet. For 14 years Christopher has been at the forefront of online marketing, with a keen interest in the complexities of global communication. MakeBuzz understands how consumers interact with the web across cultures, and we help our clients speak to a global marketplace.

Christopher began his work with search algorithms in 1989, founding Ustium, one of the first companies to specialize in Search Engine Optimization. From 1995 until 2001, he worked internationally on SEO, navigational structure and web usability. He helped build Hotwire.com and built eSurance.com, performing their early search engine optimization and marketing, web design architecture, and business consulting.

With the advent of paid placement, Christopher focused on methods to drive business metrics into the new search engine model and, in 2001, MakeBuzz was born. He holds two patents in fundamental online media management; he invented web to telephone tracking, which segments the value of marketing to call centers, and aspects of word-of-mouth marketing, which allows companies to track subtle consumer behaviors beyond the web.

MakeBuzz has worked with an extensive and diverse range of clients including over 150 established multi-channel retailers. By using MakeBuzz licensed technology and strategy, we helped convert Performics from a distant 3rd place affiliate network to the largest SEM company in the world. Performics later sold to Google as part of the $3.1 billion dollar DoubleClick purchase.

Moving forward, MakeBuzz continues to work on true Internet Integration, drawing on our experience and commitment as an industry leader, to help clients achieve their business goals.