In her first year with a budget, IM director says Web's effect on sales will justify more.

Molly Mansur is director of interactive marketing for Redken 5th Avenue NYC. She oversees the development of Redken.com, Redken's site for salon professionals and all other interactive activities, and works with marketing, sales and education to increase exposure of all product launches, sales and education programs.

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

Mansur: My biggest win had to do with a new tool we've created to help our customers -- salon professionals -- utilize Redken.com as a resource to bring more business into their salons. We have two audiences with our Web sites, the consumer and the salon professional. The win thus far this year has been on the salon professional site. We are promoting the new resource through internal channels and a five city road show. We're utilizing search to find salon professionals online -- they're tough to target.

iMediaConnection: How has your job changed this year?

Mansur: Where do I start? It's the interactive world, so the job changes as much as the industry changes. We now have a dedicated interactive department at Redken, which is new, so building the department and selling the importance of interactive internally have been the two biggest changes this year.

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

Mansur: The boom in ad spending. It's exciting -- it seems like online advertising is back and better then ever.

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

Mansur: Our interactive department (of me, plus one) has always worked closely with offline media and events, and with our PR department. Everything we do with regards to media and PR touches the Web sites. Everything is integrated.

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

Mansur: This year was the first time we got an online advertising budget. I am continuing to make the case for more money -- research helps. Studies that show online media affects sales at retail are the most helpful. With the (small) budget I have, I need to accomplish a lot. So it's a challenge to decide the best marketing mix. This year was a learning process. With 2005, I hope to be more spot-on with the allocation.

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

Mansur: More strategic direct marketing, which might include offline direct marketing too. We have a lot of information in our databases on our users. I want to figure out how to truly leverage that data to meet our business objectives.

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

Mansur: Yes! and no. It's difficult for Redken to track because our salon partners aren't like major retailers. They don't scan coupons; many of them still don't have computers. We have challenges with this issue but we try to work around them. Yes, we've seen it in email campaigns, but only through anecdotal feedback.

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

Mansur: Yes.

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

Mansur: There's a bright future for ad agencies, especially agencies that provide higher then expected service, analysis and creativity. I need an agency to really understand my business. It's very different then other CPG companies.

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

Mansur: I have the hardest time finding up-to-date research that shows online media increasing offline sales.

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?

Mansur: No, but I am investigating this.

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

Mansur: More staff.

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

Mansur: Bad service from vendors and agencies. 

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

Mansur: I wish I had the time. Yahoo mail, CNN, Salon.com and LAWeekly.com/rockie (best horoscope online).

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

Mansur: Salon industry magazines. All the magazines we advertise with. The New York Times. And great fiction, whenever I get the chance.