A Note to Readers: MarketingSherpa's Being Acquired by MEC Labs Group

Dear MarketingSherpa Reader,

I'm writing to you today *before* the official press release goes out so you're the first to hear we're being acquired by MEC Labs Group.

Nothing drastic will change. We're keeping our same name, our staff, our regular publications, and yes, our Warren, RI, headquarters. And our goal remains the same -- to conduct new research into what really works in marketing via Case Studies, Benchmark Guides & Summits.

Plus, now our research for you will be supplemented by the team at MEC Labs Group. They run an actual laboratory facility in Atlantic Beach, FL, where they conduct live campaign experiments in partnership with folks such as The New York Times and Reuters.

So, we'll keep doing anecdotal research for our exclusive Case Studies as well as primary studies for our Benchmark Guides. Plus, we’ll be able to partner with their scientists and statisticians to run live experiments on cutting-edge marketing tactics for which there is no otherwise reliable source of response data.

Back in March 2000, when I founded MarketingSherpa from my second bedroom (yes, honestly), I dreamed it would grow to be the most tremendous source of practical research for the marketers of the world. Now we're at 237,000 readers, three main offices, and nearly 700 case Studies. It's been an incredibly satisfying and exhilarating ride!

And now things will speed up even more. I'll still be here (naturally). Our team is just getting bigger -- both at the MarketingSherpa brand and also with the ability to lean on the research and technical team at MEC Labs.

Who is MEC Labs?

They've deliberately flown under the radar for the past five years -- so although they conduct cutting-edge, primary research about marketing tactics such as video ads online, search marketing, and A/B email tests, outside of their own 50,000 newsletter readership, many other marketers have not heard of them.

I first met Lab Director, Dr. Flint McGlaughlin, four years ago when he spoke at one of our Summits on the topic of marketing paid subscriptions to Web sites. I was so impressed I asked him to return to give more Case Studies about his team's experiments at future Summits.

Then, earlier this year Flint invited me down to his headquarters in Atlantic Beach, FL, (near Jacksonville in northeastern Florida.) The beach right outside the lab's offices was magnificent, but I was most impressed with his research lab and team. It felt a bit like what you might imagine a Hollywood set director would create for a marketing laboratory. Glass walls, giant view screens, earnest technicians, and concentrated quiet while experiments were under way.

I was hooked. Wouldn't it be marvelous if we could work together to get practical data for marketers? Well, now we will be.

Plus, I re-double my invitation for you to attend our B-to-B marketing Summit in San Francisco in less than two weeks (Nov 13-14). Yes, the MEC Labs Group leaders will be there so you can meet them in person and put in your requests for the types of experiments you'd like to see us and them run in the coming year.

Here's a link to the Summit info:
http://www.sherpastore.com/B-to-BDemandGenerationSummit2006.html

And, as always, if you have any questions, feedback -- or in this case concerns -- for the team at MarketingSherpa, contact us immediately.

Our service team is available Monday-Friday from 9am-7pm ET at (877) 895-1717.

Thanks for your part in making MarketingSherpa the most popular research publication in our industry.

Sincerely,

Anne Holland
Founder & President
MarketingSherpa Inc.
499 Main Street
Warren RI 02885
(877) 895-1717
service@marketingsherpa.com
http://www.marketingsherpa.com
... now becoming part of
http://www.meclabs.com