Expanding CRM efforts, while search is still in the horizon.

Joanne Hogan has worked for the Slim-Fast Foods Company since 1984. As director of interactive, she has led the effort in creating slim-fast.com and continues to develop the interactive strategy. She is responsible for all interactive business development and online marketing programs for the company.

Hogan also is charged with planning strategy for expanding interactive around the world.. Her primary focus is on consumer relationship marketing (CRM) innovations for the United States, as well as abroad. By applying leading edge technologies, she is striving to build more personal relationships, increase brand loyalty and growth.

iMediaConnection: What was your biggest online "win" this year, and how did you sell it throughout the company?

Hogan: A partnership with eDiets was a big accomplishment in 2004. It was especially unique to the company since it is an online-only partnership. 

iMediaConnection: How has your job changed this year?

Hogan: It has remained the same.

iMediaConnection: What surprised you in the online world this year?

Hogan: The popularity and expansion of blogs!

iMediaConnection: Have you realigned internal structures and resources to simplify or increase integrated marketing?

Hogan: Our company is in the midst of restructuring.

iMediaConnection: How do you determine your marketing mix -- and how has the role of online in it changed?

Hogan: We are presently re-defining our strategy and the online role.

iMediaConnection: What haven't you brought into the marketing mix yet that you want to try?

Hogan: Search engine marketing.

iMediaConnection: Have you seen specific evidence of online driving offline sales?

Hogan: We are just beginning to test a few things that should help us see better evidence: i.e., online coupons, product sales and offers. In the past we established a basis for determining consumer value through self-reported data. This has always had much skepticism.   

iMediaConnection: Are you using consultants, software, agencies or other tools to help with search engine marketing?

Hogan: Not yet.

iMediaConnection: What do you believe is the future of ad agencies?

Hogan: I believe that the future is still strong for ad agencies as long as they adapt to the evolving marketplace.  

iMediaConnection: What do we need to be doing as an industry to help you make interactive marketing a bigger piece of your marketing pie?

Hogan: Getting more involvement from senior management.

iMediaConnection: Are you being affected by any consumer-generated marketing (CGM) -- blogs, user groups, etc.? Are you using any blogs or other social networking tools to market?

Hogan: No

iMediaConnection: How important is CRM in your marketing efforts? Give us an example of what's working.

Hogan: CRM has always been important to us. An example that has worked for us is direct and email marketing to our consumers. Some communications have been targeted to reward loyalty and offer incentives to recent acquisitions to build relationships.

iMediaConnection: What are you investing in now for next year's marketing program?

Hogan: Web site relaunch and integrated campaigns.

iMediaConnection: Does anything still frustrate you about what online can or can't do?

Hogan: The frustration is only in gaining the commitments to excel.

iMediaConnection: What blogs do you read?

Hogan: Nothing specific, just try to read some to keep up to speed.

iMediaConnection: What are your daily "must-see" Web sites and why?

Hogan: I review competitor Web sites daily and also "must see" the NY Times.

iMediaConnection: What are you reading these days, other than iMediaConnection.com, of course?

Hogan: eMarketer, Direct Newsline, DMA, AdAge, Crains