Get this web marketing director's advice on how best to partner with agencies.
Kevin Doohan has over 10 years of internet specific marketing experience at leading companies including Cendant Corporation, Homestore.com, Digital Insight and ConAgra Foods. Doohan is currently employed as director, web marketing at ConAgra Foods. In this role, he develops and manages internet strategy for the organization including corporate efforts and all consumer brand websites. Doohan also is responsible for all email marketing and for management of ConAgra Foods' consumer database. Specific consumer marketing responsibilities include: increasing size and productivity of the database, segmenting the database into brand-relevant target groups and directing marketing activities that engage consumers and drive sales.
iMedia: Please describe your role in the company.
Kevin Doohan: The web marketing services team directs online marketing strategy at ConAgra Foods and manages our consumer database asset. The team is a central resource for the organization. We offer strategic web marketing advice, tactical recommendations and execution, project management, and access to best-of-class vendors through our approved vendor program.
iMedia: With P&G's recent announcement that it's pulling some dollars from network TV, and ZenithOptimedia's new predictions showing internet advertising increasing, it seems "spray and pray" is starting to feel some pressure. Is this a good thing for interactive marketers? Has it opened some budget for you?
Doohan: How to spend advertising dollars is a question most effectively answered on an individual brand basis. Whatever investments are most efficient should be favored whether they're online or offline. Industry announcements or predictions are valuable considerations to our planning process but are considered along with many other sources.
iMedia: Following up on that, how has the media mix changed for you over the last few years?
Doohan: Our media mix has changed over the years but I have no dramatic news to share on it.
iMedia: What was your most successful online or integrated campaign recently and what made it successful?
Doohan: Our most successful recent integrated campaign was the Chef Boyardee jumping boy promotion and the accompanying game launch and giveaway. What made it successful was integration of offline and online elements.
iMedia: What do you think is the greatest benefit of online advertising? The ability to measure? Precisely target? Gather data? Something else?
Doohan: The greatest benefit is the ability to test inexpensively and change direction quickly based on learnings. No other medium offers the flexibility that online does.
iMedia: Is there a "killer app" for you? What is it (email, search, advertising on certain sites, integration of advertising)? Why do you believe that works for your company/product/service?
Doohan: Email is the killer app. It provides the ability to reach out directly to consumers. This is a unique capability of email and something that is very valuable.
iMedia: What still frustrates you most about online advertising? What can be done to improve the situation?
Doohan: Across the industry, integration of online into media mix models is frustrating. I continue to believe online doesn't generally get appropriate consideration. To improve the situation, we need to relentlessly tell the story of ROI and document web marketing successes.
iMedia: What's the next big thing and how will it affect you?
Doohan: The next big thing is consumers deciding how they want to interact with web marketers. It will affect us in terms of changing customer expectations and requirements for their interactive experiences.
iMedia: Are you being affected yet by any consumer-generated marketing (CGM) -- blogs, user groups, etc.? Are you using any blogs or other social networking tools to market?
Doohan: We monitor blogs infrequently. We are not using blogs or social networking tools.
iMedia: Are you doing any behavioral targeting? If yes, please describe.
Doohan: We optimize our marketing efforts based on consumer data and on consumer actions when the data is available and the benefit will be meaningful.
iMedia: What's the key for having a successful relationship with agencies?
Doohan: Active management of the agency. Ongoing communication with agency teams re: successes and failures. Asking questions about projects, resources and timelines. Paying attention to the work and making sure you receive the quality and commitment you're paying for.
iMedia: Have you done much with wireless, iTV or other emerging mediums?
Doohan: No.
iMedia: Any final words of wisdom for other marketers? Something you've recently learned, perhaps, or some advice someone has given you?
Doohan: Stretch. Challenge your team and your agency partners to do more. I love a Leo Burnett quote I found recently and published it on my website with others that strike me: "When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."