Top News / January 8, 2010

Hot Topics: What the experts are saying

MEDIA ALERT: January 8, 2010
Attention: Reporters/editors/producers covering U.S. Census 2010

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FACULTY AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON 2010 CENSUS 
Wendy Moe, associate professor of marketing at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, is available to comment on the U.S. Census 2010. As a member of the U.S. Census Bureau Academic Assessment Committee, she can talk specifically about the bureau’s strategy to get the word out about the once-a-decade population count. The Smith School has an in-house broadcast facility for live or taped interviews via fiber-optic line for television or multimedia content.

Census marketing: Getting the word out effectively

One of the U.S. Census Bureau’s goals is to increase the response among under-counted groups. To do so the bureau is undertaking a massive advertising campaign. Moe was part of a panel of academic experts recruited to review the bureau’s marketing plans and contribute her expertise in the area of internet marketing and interactive campaigns. The panel reviewed the advertising campaign, from the background research to strategy and tactics, and made recommendations to improve its effectiveness.

“It is very difficult to design a mass communications campaign that will resonate with every single individual in the United States. Such mass advertising also tends to be more expensive and less effective. For these reasons, the undisputed best practice is to segment the population and target.”

“With the significant developments in digital marketing over the past decade, I was encouraged to see that a digital strategy was planned for the 2010 Census. This is especially important given that many of the hard-count populations are fragmented geographically but come together on the Internet. For these reasons, it is important that the Census Integrated Communications Campaign includes a well-designed and fully integrated digital strategy. The design and messaging of the online communications should be integrated with the offline efforts.”

-- Wendy Moe, associate professor of marketing, is a member of U.S. Census Bureau Academic Assessment Committee. Her research interests lie in modeling online consumer shopping behavior and early sales forecasting. Her current research focuses on technology enabled measures of early product success and examines online product reviews and search engine activity as predictors of future sales. Professor Moe’s research has appeared in Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Management Science, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology,and Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.

CONTACT: E-mail: wmoe@rhsmith.umd.edu; office phone: 301-405-9187 

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283  
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gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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