We are looking for beta testers for our new website called MarketingReportCard.com – a marketing measurement dashboard. Designed for small to mid-size businesses, companies can login to the beta version of the MarketingReportCard.com and document and measure tactical marketing results over time.

The MarketingReportCard.com beta is simple and free to use. Honestly, the biggest advantage of the marketing report card methodology is the fact that everyone agrees on the key performance indicators upfront. If you can agree on how you are measuring your marketing, it becomes easier to improve your marketing performance.

MarketingReportCard.com was originally envisioned as a dashboard for small and medium sized companies seeking a simple way to evaluate tactical marketing performance. Marketers use this tool identify, agree upon Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and measure marketing performance month over month, so they can quickly see when performance is slipping and when to take corrective action.  To be effective, KPIs must be monitored and updated monthly. Continuous monitoring allows marketers to quickly take action when performance drops below benchmark levels.

The BETA version of the MarketingReportCard.com uses a simple spreadsheet interface that makes the learning curve virtually non-existent and also to make data collection quick and painless.   Since no two companies are the same, marketers using MarketingReportCard.com can define their own KPIs as well as their own methods for weighting and measurement.

To register for the beta, simply visit MarketingReportCard.com to register. No credit card or other financial information is required to participate.

Ben Bradley will be speaking to the Midwest Entrepreneur’s Forum on September 14 from 6 to 8PM. The topic is Using Trust to Bridge the Sales and Marketing Gap. Please join us for networking afterwards.

CHICAGO, February 2, 2009 -Macon Raine, Inc., a demand creation firm, has announced that Managing Director, Ben Bradley, will be delivering a presentation for the Computing Technology Industry Association ( CompTIA), as a part of its 30-Minute Web Luncheon series.  “Find More Customers by Aligning Marketing and Sales” will take place February 18 at 12:30 p.m. CST and will cover practical and inexpensive methods for quickly finding new customers by aligning sales and marketing efforts.

In tough times, finding new customers can be incredibly difficult, especially for technology companies. Lead generation is often the difference between life and death for companies, yet many are not able to effectively coordinate marketing and sales functions to produce the necessary leads.

“Lead generation is the lifeblood of a successful business,” says Bradley. “Without cooperation between sales and marketing to drive demand, an organization is dead in the water. The strongest companies not only have a strong client base, but a robust pipeline and a harmonized sales process. ”

Macon Raine will serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for CompTIA University, which offers education resources and tools designed to help solution providers grow their businesses and boost profitability.  Macon Raine will provide its expertise for web events and the development of products and deliverables for the reseller community.

“Our focus in using Macon Raine is to provide resources that not only tell you what to do to grow your business, but most importantly, how to,” said Kim Santaniello, Vice President of Education and Training, CompTIA. 

Bradley has eighteen years of lead generation, product marketing, sales and channel management experience including starting and running his own companies.  Macon Raine’s current and past clients include resellers, integrators, consultants, ISVs, SaaS, MssPs, distributors, computer retailers and solution providers. The presentation will prove beneficial for small businesses interested in gaining more bang from their marketing and sales buck as well as larger businesses who want to fine tune lead generation processes.  

For registration and further details, please visit: http://www.comptia.org/events/display_event.aspx?eventid=CUWL021809

About Macon Raine, Inc.

Macon Raine, Inc. is a management consulting, marketing, and demand creation firm for technology, staffing, professional services, financial institutions, universities and research organizations. In addition to developing agile marketing, selling and demand creation campaigns, Macon Raine identifies key performance indicators and implements and configures CRM and marketing automation technology to support the strategy. The company focuses on strategy implementation, demand creation and campaign performance measurement and monitoring. Online at www.maconraine.com.

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, please visit www.comptia.org.

“Robert represents a new level for our B2B marketing offerings,” said David Raine, co-founder of Macon Raine, Inc. “For any our clients, intelligent, rigorously executed marketing is how you build the relationships that result in sales. You cannot improve sales performance unless marketing performance also improves. Our strengthened capabilities in this area put us in a prime position to help our clients identify the systemic marketing improvements that matter most to the growth of their business.”

Hamilton’s business experience includes over 25 years as a corporate marketing leader, startup business owner, and e-business pioneer. He began his career with FedEx, managing the most recognizable brand in the industry as it became global; eventually doubling its customer technology base before taking the core functions to the Internet, where he operated one of the first profitable e-business service sites on the web. Three years after moving to Chicago to head e-business for a Fortune 500 multi-line insurance carrier, he founded a company to commercialize a patented set of business services based on public-key cryptography.

Senior Consultant Pamela Taylor brings 14 years of experience in marketing, communications and public relations through her work with Oracle, Sun, Intel and Cisco while a business development and marketing specialist for Siemens Business Services.

Taylor has also executed marketing and business development programs for BBC Technology and iXL, and is a former evening news anchor and producer for CBS, KEPR-TV.

Ben Bradley, managing director of Macon Raine, said “we are thrilled to have someone of Pam’s caliber on the team.”