Keep the Tribal Algorithm

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Keep the Tribal Algorithm by Jason Prescott (below) contains musings on search marketing, web analytics and why we don’t just feed the dog.
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We hear from newbie clients: Their web analytics tell them “this” and “that.” As we hear it, analytics are full of business wisdom, dictating advertising and search marketing decisions … which key word is Good, what distribution network is Better, and what PPC bid strategy is Best.

Take a closer look. Sure, web analytics offer valuable input for trend spotting, understanding user behavior and help measuring marketing success. But the operative word is HELP. Analytics are one tool in the marketing kit bag. And it’s a touchy tool, at that. Web analytics software can be very sensitive programming built on proprietary metrics. The huge data stream that analytics dumps into slick graphic reports demands interpretation, especially when you compare one company’s analytic apples to another’s pomegranates.

Am I saying ignore Google Analytics? Was Yahoo! foolish to play analytical catch-up buying IndexTools in early April to measure web behavior and paid search ROI??

Absolutely not.

All I’m saying here is that there is a Tribal Knowledge Algorithm you can’t ignore: It’s the collected knowledge of people who know your industry or product line, because they’ve worked it. It’s where Gut Instinct meets By-the-Numbers. It’s what still matters in successful business decisions.

Some in the search marketing biz dare to question 3,000-pound gorilla Google because Google relies on tech voodoo and search algorithms. Translation: Google depends on its proprietary search algorithms to go broad, horizontal and massively comprehensive, rather than organize around its users through their interests and their industries. (verticalizing)

Jim Meskauskas, director of online media for ICON International, observed that advertisers need not fear The Google after it acquired ad-serving network DoubleClick. Because marketing and advertising relies on ideas … and only humans have those. Successful campaigns don’t come from a another ad-buying auction technology or yet another intermediary in the ad-buying process. It’s still about the creative tribe and human strategy.

Because we don’t just feed the dog. ??

Says Jim: “If technology and engineering were the answers to all the questions, most businesses would consist of a machine, a dog and a man. The man would be there to feed the dog and the dog would be there to keep the man away from the machine.”

We run a lot of analytics here at TopTenWholesale. But we keep tribal knowledge and experience in the mix. We don’t just feed the dog.

JP Communications and TopTenWholesale are #1….It’s official!

I was pleasantly surprised and quite shocked to be awarded the Fast Growth 2008 award by bizSanDiego last night at the Prado in Balboa Park. We were notified of the nomination a month ago, and had no clue that we were the #1 Fastest Growing company in San Diego until the count down began. The bizSanDiego put on wonderful award ceremony and recognized 20 of some the best organizations in the area. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank: Brian Sacks, publisher, for his incredible coverage of the San Diego business environment. John Lincoln, associate editor and web master, for his interview of myself and every other candidate ( John is an amazingly talented young man whose got a shining future ahead of him! ). Roger Hurni, creative director, for his design and interactive development of the publication and all online media contributions. We all thank the entire staff at bizSanDiego for their contributions and can’t wait to see them grow!

None of this is possible with out having a vision and establishing an organization full of talented, passionate, and energetic people that add something that is irreplaceable: Human Power. Often the most forgotten asset in organizations are the people dedicated most to the cause. Businesses need constant innovation to survive and move forward. Providing an environment that nurtures creativity and growth is imperative if a company wants to attain any type of growth. There are some great companies that do this already. Google is a prime example with their 80/20 rule for engineers. What that means is that 20% of their time is spent just thinking and creating something they are passionate about. No strings attached. You can find many examples of human power out there, but I encourage all of you to listen and realize that micromanaging gets a company nowhere. Let your people try different tasks and let them develop on their own. Giving those most dedicated to any cause autonomy, independence and trust has huge rewards—-for everyone.

JP Communications Inc thanks all of you!!! for making this happen. Our customers, users, employees and numerous other contributors to the JPC network—thanks to all of you and keep letting us know what we need to build. You all make it happen.

ps: The bizSanDiego has some great community involvement. The bizSanDiego blog is a phenomenal read for all you locals.

Off Price Works in a Tough Economic Climate

By Bob Nordstrom

The latest issue of Off-Price Apparel magazine has been put to bed and should be arriving in subscribers’ mailboxes in a couple of weeks. The winter has been tough up here in the northern climes and the economic news we’ve been inundated with hasn’t lightened our winter load. But the off-price industry is a unique animal in the apparel industry. For some, economic pain can mean gain, as was reflected by the performance of various off-price retailers and discounters during the past holiday season. In addition, attendance and buying activity at the February Off-Price Specialist Show in
Las Vegas was very strong. Smart retailers, and the list grows as new buyer attendance continues to increase, know that sniffing out the below wholesale deals they find at the Off-Price Show is one of the best ways out there to build margin and remain competitive in a tough market populated by savvy consumers.

The feature article in the upcoming issue of Off-Price Apparel focuses on these issues. Titled “Economic Woes: Pain Means Gain for Some Apparel Retailers,” the article solicits the comments of four experts in the financial field on the current state of the economy and how it affects retailers in general and off-price retailers in particular. This article and others can be found atwww.offpriceshow.com.