Each year at DW Green Company, we host a positioning workshop on a topic that we believe will benefit our clients the most. This year, we’ll work together with attendees to bring the power of purpose to their marketing and to their brand.

Recently, we worked with a client to develop their 2011 promotional plan. We began with the holiday weeks, as they are obviously much easier to plan than the non-holiday weeks. When we got to the Memorial Day ad, we started off by talking about promoting the usual summer suspects: ground beef, poultry, ribs, melons, sweet corn, soda and the like. Then I recalled a Memorial Day cover page ad we created several years ago to commemorate what this holiday is actually about. The ad honored America’s brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country.

Clipping coupons is no longer the only way for price-conscious shoppers to get a good deal. Coupon usage is on the rise, and companies are responding by providing customers with convenient multi-media coupon offers that can benefit the consumer—and the retailer. By offering multi-media coupons, retailers are able to un-clutter their print ads by dispersing weekly items to other platforms while still collecting co-op money. Email and text message programs also enable businesses to continuously build their customer databases, laying the foundation for stronger and more enduring customer relationships.

Arriving home from work a few weeks ago, my wife greeted me at the door excitedly. “I saved $172.25 on groceries today with coupons!” she exclaimed.

“Wow, how much did she spend?” I wondered. In twenty-eight years of marriage, I can’t recall a conversation about coupons, excitedly or otherwise.

Over the past few months, we’ve taken a closer look at new media marketing, and the latest opportunities for retailers looking to reach out to customers beyond traditional print and broadcast media.

In response to the questions we frequently receive about how best to utilize these new technologies, we’ve collected some of our favorite articles on five of the most important new media for innovative marketing efforts.

Take a look, and don’t forget to share any thoughts or questions in the comments section at the bottom of each posting!