Editor's Note: I'm Here to Serve
Hello loyal All About ROI readers. As your new editor-in-chief, I'm excited and humbled to serve you.
For those who don't know me, I'm also editor-in-chief of eM+C, a sister brand to AAROI that focuses on e-marketing and e-commerce. eM+C publishes two e-letters (eM+C Weekly and All About eMail), has an active website, and produces webinars and virtual trade shows. Prior to that, I spent 10 years at DMNews as a senior editor and then deputy editor, and authored the books "Entrepreneur Magazine's Open an Online Business in 10 Days" and "Start Your Own e-Business."
I'm using this space to let you know that my main goal as editor-in-chief of AAROI is to make our magazine, website and e-letter as relevant, timely and helpful to you as I possibly can. We're all going through rough times right now — despite the great online retail holiday sales news I'm hearing as I write this — and I know you turn to AAROI for tips and tactics to make your business as successful as it can be. That's why AAROI's focus will continue to be on what matters to you most: the integration of sales channels, including print/catalog, transactional websites, email, brick-and-mortar retail, mobile, social media and more.
Another goal is to make this publication more interactive. I've started an All About ROI LinkedIn Group (you can access it at allaboutroimag.com/linkedin) and a Twitter account (@AAROI). I encourage all of you to sign up today and get some dialogue going. I truly believe in the power of communication and the sharing of ideas, and we'll base AAROI's content this year on the trends and issues most important to you.
You'll find many articles this month that tie in to exclusive content on our website, AllAboutROIMag.com. Later this year, look out for a redesigned website, offering a more modern, streamlined approach to presenting our information with more interactive features. (When launched, be sure to check out our new blogs and communities.)
Watch for some new bylines in the publication as well. I'll no longer write Check it Out. Instead, look for posts by Thorin McGee, our newly minted managing editor, and Joe Keenan, our senior editor. Thorin will also be contributing to our Prospecting page every month. These professionals have been with AAROI and Catalog Success for several years, so they know what to watch for in this fast-changing space.
In This Month's Issue
I'm very excited about the content inside this month's issue. Check out the cover story on Meijer; Joe Keenan delves into how the Midwestern general merchandise discount chain has successfully integrated the web into its previously retail-heavy marketing approach.
In particular, learn how e-commerce has helped Meijer increase sales and traffic to Meijer's 190 "supercenters" throughout its five-state footprint of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
Meijer's top categories online can actually now be credited for up to 10 percent of all company sales in its product categories, and it's seen weeks when those numbers swelled to 20 percent.
Also be sure to read our "Outlook 2010" feature from Paul Miller. The former editor-in-chief of this publication, now a marketing and media consultant, brings extensive insight into why industry insiders see only a modest uptick in sales coming over last year, and why a further shift from print and store to digital is inevitable.
Finally, please contact me with any questions or comments directly at mcampanelli@napco.com. As I mentioned earlier, I really value your thoughts, opinions and questions. I'd love to hear from you.
Enjoy!
