Vision - July/August 2011 - (Page 24)
CEAnewsline sBc MeMBer Profile “It was an opportunity for me to embrace this new kind of marketing but still stay close to consumer electronics.” OwnerIQ M ichael Chass feels like he has spent most of his 18-year career in the CE industry helping companies transition from analog-to-digital (A-D), in one fashion or another. He has worked through all the big A-D transitions, like CD, DVD and HDTV. In his current role, however, he helps companies with a less-intuitive transition—from analog marketing and advertising strategies to digital ones. The way customers learn about and compare products they intend to purchase has changed drastically, he explains. “Two-thirds of all consumers use an online resource as a step in the path to purchase.” It’s his job to actively keep his manufacturer and retail partners’ brands and prod- ucts in front of consumers at every step on the way to purchasing. His work at OwnerIQ goes beyond simple online display marketing. The company’s unique approach enables its manufacturer and retail partners to stay in front of potential customers online as they go from site to site researching products. Here’s how it works: As a shopper visits a partner’s site, OwnerIQ drops a cookie in his or her browser. The cookie contains no personal information; rather, they simply tag the browser as having viewed a particular brand or product. This data is then used to trigger targeted ads as those shoppers visit other sites—anything from Yahoo! Finance to CNN to quality third-party forums and message boards. Chass served most of his career as a vice president of marketing for several well-known CE companies. He seized the opportunity to come on board with OwnerIQ to launch the company’s innovative business model to the CE industry. “It was an opportunity for me to embrace this new kind of marketing but still stay close to consumer electronics,” Chass says. He encourages other CEA members to get involved with the association. He has been an active member for the past few years. “This business is something that I love so much,” he says. “I wanted to find ways to be helpful.” Currently he serves as a CEA mentor and elected board member of CEA’s Small Business Council and a marketing co-chair for CEA’s Retail Council. He believes that being an active member of the association benefits both him and his company. “The various events allow me to keep my relationships fresh,” he says. To learn more about digital marketing, or for more information on SBC programs, contact Deb Kassoff, dkassoff@CE.org, 703-907-7655. • 2011 SINOCES The Chinese consumer technology market is an important component in the growth of the global CE industry, expected to reach $144 billion U.S. in retail sales this year. To introduce U.S. companies to this dynamic CE market, CEA will again sponsor the 2011 SINOCES scheduled July 7–10 in Qingdao, China and organized by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government in conjunction with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronics Products (CCCME). SINOCES will feature more than 500 global technology companies including Haier, Hisense, Microsoft, Panasonic, Philips, Toshiba and Siemens, along with major telecom carriers China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. Conference sessions will focus on key issues surrounding the global CE industry including convergence, information security and government procurement. CEA will lead a delegation to Qingdao which will include Randy Fry, president of Fry's Electronics Inc. and chairman of CEA’s Executive Board. CEA also is sponsoring a VIP buyer program to SINOCES with executives from leading companies such as Best Buy China, RadioShack and Office Depot China. The International CES Best of Innovations Product Showcase also will be on display featuring more than 25 award-winning CE products. For more information on the 2011 SINOCES, visit SINOCES.com. • 24 July/August 2011 CEVision.org
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