The Big Winners are getting the Balance right Between Digital & Experiential Marketing
Today, Digital Marketing fatigue is real. Getting genuine cut-through outcomes, seems harder than scaling Mt Everest, for many brands. The one-trick digital marketing pony has gone home to rest.
NextGen Multichannel Marketers are winning by successfully integrating time-tested traditional marketing with digital, direct, and relationship marketing supported by ad-tech and CRM/Marketing automation. If you have a single marketing channel strategy, you may want to peek over the fence to see what the new neighbours are up to.
What exactly is NextGen Multichannel Marketing?
In simple terms, NextGen Multichannel Marketing can be defined as the implementation of a single strategy across multiple channels or platforms, both online and offline, thus maximising opportunities to interact with prospective customers.
The goal of Multichannel Marketing is to give consumers more choice and allow them to buy/connect when, where and how they want to. That means instead of running a single start-and-stop campaign or using one marketing channel, like TV or email; marketers are using customer lifecycle strategy to meet their audience, wherever they are at. Right channel, right message at the right time.
These channels can include (but are not limited to):
- Social Media
- Mobile & SMS
- Print including Catalogues, Direct Mail Drops and Newspaper Ads
- Broadcast Media such as radio, podcasts & TV
- In-store, such as a retail space
- Websites
- Other Digital platforms such as search engine ads, online interest groups & blog sites
Multichannel Marketers identify the channels their target customers are using and understand how their target customers move from one channel to another to create a memorable brand experience. In fact, according to HBR, 73% of consumers regularly use multiple engagement channels to interact with a preferred retailer.
Multichannel Marketing seeks to establish a marketer’s presence across these many places. Online, that includes search engines, blogs, social networks, email, and more. Offline, that means print, TV, and radio, among others.
The Cornerstones of a NextGen Multichannel Marketing Strategy?
Success in Multichannel Marketing doesn’t come by just being present on these channels. Nope — just like the Customer Lifecycle Methodology, the following need to be addressed:
- Brand Reach
- Message Effectiveness
- Message Consistency
- Engagement performance
- Memorable Experience through channel Integration
The Secret to Deploying a Successful NextGen Multichannel Marketing Program
By establishing a Multichannel Marketing program, you will be able to integrate traditional and emerging channels. Following the steps below – puts the holy grail of marketing within your grasp – reaching the right person with the right offer through the right channel at the right time, while reducing costs and improving the effectiveness and performance of your marketing efforts.
- Formalise your buyer’s persona
- Select Channels through Customer Lifecycle Mapping
- Develop a Unified & Singular Message
- Play to the strengths of each channel
- Create a memorable brand experience across integrated channels
- Implement CRM & Marketing Automation Platform & Best Practice
- Make Website channel the best it can be
- Measure performance & channel attribution.
- Retarget through the funnel – the perfect partner to NextGen Multichannel Marketing
Ultimately, your goal is meet your audience where they are at. Step beyond just being present on multiple channels and start connecting them all together into one scalable & repeatable brand experience.
Here is a great example of a KILLER Multichannel Marketing campaign we previously delivered for our client Uni Hill Town Centre – ‘Win a Cruise’ Competition.
CASE STUDY: Uni Hill Town Centre ‘Win a Family Cruise’ Competition
For this campaign the VooDu Marketing team were tasked with the planning & execution of an exciting competition to launch the renovation/redevelopment of Uni Hill Town Centre. This was a local area marketing campaign targeting mostly families who lived within 10km of the shopping centre.
Our Client had run a similar campaign previously where primarily traditional methods were used, so for this particular promotion, we looked at ways we could incorporate some digital marketing channels with the aim of increasing exposure (and the number entries received) from the previous campaign.
The channels that best fit our objectives and target audience were:
Point of Sale Promotional Material including Signage, Posters, Counter Cards and Entry Pads in all the retail stores, and a big-eye catching competition entry barrel prominently located in the high-traffic area outside Coles Supermarket.
Featured Website Banner and News Item on the UHTC Website and a dedicated Competition Landing Page, allowing entries to be submitted online for the more tech-savvy customers. (Such an important element was missing from their last Competition, where entries could only be made with a physical entry form submitted within the centre)
A Promotional Video for the Val Morgan digital screens throughout the centre as well as on social media. (link to video & motion graphic page)
Pay-per-Click Ad Campaign on Facebook, aimed at our target customers
Organic Social Media Posts on Facebook and Instagram directed at local Bundoora families.
The Results
This Case Study gave us some valuable insight into what a well though out and planned Multichannel Marketing campaign can do.
What we achieved:
So hopefully this brief intro to NextGen Multichannel Marketing has given you plenty to think about when it comes to the planning of your next campaign.
Are you meeting your customers where they are at?
Are you spending the right $$ on the right Channels?
