The marketing department at Capterra, an online service that connects buyers and sellers of business software, is putting their expertise to the test and exposing their search for marketing automation software. They’ve created an online diary, called “Desperately Seeking Marketing Automation,” in which they will share the ups and downs of their software buying experience.

“We’re really showing our underwear with this,” said Capterra CEO, Michael Ortner. “But we figure, since hundreds of thousands of companies go through the process each year, being open and honest about our own mistakes and successes in finding marketing automation software could really be helpful.”

The diary covers everything from narrowing down the possible choices, to demoing solutions and making sure marketers are prepared to ask the right questions. There’s even advice on how to prevent being wooed by slick sales people.

“Every business is so different,” said Ortner. “It would be a shame for someone to choose something just because it’s the most popular. Even though the process of finding the best fit can be frustrating, we want to show that it’s worth the effort.”

Source:http://www.prweb.com/releases/capterra/marketingautomation_diary/prweb9334197.htm

ExactTarget, a provider of on-demand interactive marketing software solutions to businesses, announced terms for its IPO on Wednesday. The Indianapolis, IN-based company plans to raise $136 million by offering 8.5 million shares at a price range of $15.00 to $17.00. At the midpoint of the proposed range, ExactTarget would command a market value of $1.2 billion.

The two largest shareholders are venture capital firms Technology Crossover Ventures (22.4% post-IPO stake) and Greenspring Associates (15.5%), both of which expressed interest in buying shares on the offering. Two other VC-firms, Battery Ventures and Scale Venture Partners, will have 15.2% and 6.2% post-IPO stakes. ExactTarget abandoned its first attempt to go public in 2009 after securing $70 million in venture capital financing.

Sales for 2011 were $207 million, a 55% increase, but the net loss grew from $12 million to $35 million. Rising sales and marketing costs were the biggest culprit in the decline, as headcount increased 25% to 404.

ExactTarget, which was founded in 2000, plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ET. J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank and Stifel Nicolaus Weisel are the lead underwriters on the deal.

Source:http://www.renaissancecapital.com/ipohome/news/Marketing-software-provider-ExactTarget-sets-IPO-terms-seeking-$136-million-11181.html

SOA Software has been selected for the 2011 Los Angeles Award in the Merchandising & Marketing category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA Award Program recognizes outstanding enterprises throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their enterprise category. These companies enhance the positive image of business through service to their customers and region.

“Receiving the 2011 Marketing Award is an honor and very special,” said Roberto Medrano, executive vice president of marketing. “It builds on our recognition from top analysts for our innovative products and from tier one industry organizations for our forward thinking marketing management.”

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/soa-software-receives-2011-marketing-award-2012-01-30