branding 101

The Freelance Studio Denver, Co.User Experience Agency How do we connect with our audience? September 17, 2015 by Drew McLellan Leave a Comment Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on linkedinShare on stumbleuponMore Sharing Services 5 connect-with-our-audienceWe talk about wanting to engage and connect with our audience but what does that actually mean? Global marketers see the value of making their digital interactions with customers and stakeholders richer, more personal and predictive. But most are still struggling to make their mobile, social and web channels work together to provide a more enriching and engaging experience. A new study from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council—entitled “Brand Attraction from Enriched Interaction”—reveals marketers still lag in creating multi-channel, digital marketing campaigns that reach and resonate with diverse, micro-audiences worldwide. Only 19% said they are extremely good or very good in this area. In contrast, 45% gave themselves a lackluster grade , saying “in terms of connecting with our audience with fully integrated mobile, web and social channels — we aren’t hitting the mark.” This compares to just 21% who said they were very proficient. The latest study, sponsored by IBM Digital Experience, was designed to assess the degree to which marketers are embracing new digital channels and content management technologies to realize the full value of rich media engagement, crowd-sourced content, and mass-customized commerce through higher levels of personalization and tailored interaction. “Digital marketers are challenged to create an end-to-end, multi-channel experience that engages and enlivens customer, partner and employee audiences with more compelling and relevant content-driven commerce and conversation,” noted Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director of the CMO Council, which has nearly 10,000 members in 110 countries. The council’s research was based on input from 287 marketing leaders across all regions of the world. A free strategic brief summarizing research findings and highlights is available for download from the CMO Council website. “A critical area of insight from survey respondents centered on what technology transformations are most likely to impact how companies market, operate and connect with our customers.” Topping the list was the advent of the smarter digital enterprise, with its automation of marketing execution and customized interactions at scale. Next was the new API-driven economy, where partners and ecosystems share mobile/web links, information and insights to add value and further monetize transactions and interactions. Not far behind this is the disruptive potential of the “Internet of things” and the ability to gather real-time data and intelligence through pervasive, sensor-based tracking of behavior, intention and satisfaction. The CMO Council believes content has become pivotal to the way companies and brands attract attention, entice engagement, acquire and grow relationships, encourage purchase and further word-of-mouth. In addition to its thought leadership studies, the council operates the Content ROI Center, which shares best practice innovations in content marketing. Areas of exploration covered by the study included: How brands rate their ability to captivate and connect with their audiences, partners and employees through evolving mobile, web and social channels of interaction and digital experience How effective brands have become at creating, executing and tailoring new multi-channel digital marketing campaigns to better reach and resonate with diverse micro-audiences worldwide Which mobile apps, analytics, tools, solutions or cloud platforms have been embraced (or are being considered) to create richer, more meaningful, relevant and persuasive interaction with key stakeholders How companies believe they are achieving competitive advantage and business impact with more enriched, personalized content and digital interaction Where and how digital experiences are shaping and influencing the attraction, acquisition, conversion, monetization and retention of customers To what degree brands are becoming more proficient at integrating content and commerce to increase the value of customer touchpoints, experiences and relationships How are your multicultural marketing strategies? September 23, 2015 by Drew McLellan Leave a Comment Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on linkedinShare on stumbleuponMore Sharing Services 10 multicultural marketing strategiesCMOs acknowledge that they need to have strong multicultural marketing strategies but despite rapid population growth and strong support for initiatives within marketing circles, CEO and board support falls far short, failing to assist marketer’s ability to prioritize and fully fund their efforts. According to Geoscape, the leader in business intelligence across the multicultural market, groups including Asian-Americans, African-Americans and Hispanics will grow to nearly 130 million by the year 2020. Furthermore, the non-Hispanic white population will become the minority, dropping below 50% of the population by 2042. A new poll from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and Geoscape—entitled “Activating the New American Mainstream”—reveals that half of the 150 North America-based senior marketing executives surveyed feel there is some level of support for multicultural engagement strategies from the senior levels of the organization. Here’s what I thought was one of the most telling factoids in the report — While 67% admit that the CMO has a high level of buy-in and support for multicultural efforts, 55% admit that the CEO does not share that opinion, failing to fully support initiatives. This lack of top-level support translates into a de-prioritization of multicultural engagement programs as more than half (51%) of marketers admit that there are simply too many competing priorities. In fact, when asked to rate commitment levels, only 20% of marketers felt that multicultural strategies were mandatory and unanimously embraced across the organization, and just over one in four believed that the multicultural market was mission critical for the organization. Specific to investments into multicultural programs, marketers indicate that: 20% invest in excess of 15% of overall marketing budgets to engaging with multicultural markets; 28 percent spend less than 5%. 53% of marketers believe their investment into the multicultural market will increase going forward; 15% believe this increase will be significant; only 2% anticipate a decrease in investment. For those marketers who have deployed multicultural marketing strategies, the operational approach is one that fails to separate initiatives into significant segments. Only 16% of marketers are separating marketing initiatives for specific ethnic groups, a practice which would allow for a deeper level of engagement thanks to relevant communications based on cultural behavioral patterns and insights. “Multicultural marketing strategies must move away from the niche campaign mindset and become an engrained part of any personalized customer experience strategy,” noted Liz Miller, Senior Vice President of Marketing with the CMO Council. “This is no longer a scenario of replacing images or localizing content into a different language. This is about truly understanding the nuances of the customer, including any culturally distinct behaviors and buying patterns that can and must alter the way our brands reach and engage.” Without doubt, the multicultural market in the United States is an increasingly powerful consumer. According to Geoscape research, Hispanics currently represent 18 percent of American households but were responsible for nearly half of the growth in consumer spending from 2013 to 2014. Between Asian-American and Hispanic markets, the groups accounted for two-thirds of the total economic spending growth. “By understanding cultural nuances and marketing in a proactive and data-driven manner, marketers are positioned to grow ROI…however, none of this happens overnight,” added César M. Melgoza, Founder and CEO of Geoscape. “Targeting consumers without understanding their unique cultural behaviors and preferences risks growth optimization among the consumer groups that quarterly and annual budgets and success can hinge.” Key findings from the 10-question online poll of 150 senior marketing executives are included in a 12-page complimentary white paper, now available for download from the CMO Council. Some 36% of respondents hail from B2B organizations, 29% are from strictly B2C organization, and 36% are from hybrid organizations. 43% hail from organizations with revenues in excess of $1 billion USD. The fourth quarter sprint has begun October 6, 2015 by Drew McLellan Leave a Comment Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on linkedinShare on stumbleuponMore Sharing Services 6 The final sprint has begunIt’s do or die time. We have 3 months until the year is over and the scorecard is tallied. How are you doing on your marketing and sales goals for 2015? You can’t afford to let up on the gas as we approach the fourth quarter. It’s now or never in terms of your year end results. Here are some ideas on how you can get yourself ready for the final push of 2015. Review your marketing goals: Was there something that you were gung ho on earlier this year? Did you want to start an e-newsletter? Pick the one thing you felt would really contribute and take one step towards getting it done. Your goal is to have it ready to launch by the Tuesday after Labor Day. Not sure what to do? What audience are you under communicating with? How can you amplify something you’re already doing? Survey your customers: Now’s a great time to search for that needle in the haystack. If you make the effort to ask for their opinion, your current and past customers will tell you how you can get even better. If you really want to dig deeper – let a third party do the surveying. Be brave enough to ask questions like: If they could wave a magic wand, what would they change about your business? What would they be willing to pay a premium for you to offer? Set a short-term goal: Look over the year’s performance so far. What would be a good stretch goal for you to shoot for to accomplish before the end of December 2015? Rather than splitting your focus, narrow in on the one goal and resolve to knock it down before the end of the year. What’s the one thing you could accomplish that would really set you up for 2016? Is there a goal tied to your best customers? Why not make sure they want to stay? Stop doing something: Odds are you are doing at least one thing because it’s something you’ve always done, you think you must do it but have never tested that assumption or it’s such a habit you hardly know you’re doing it. One of the ways you can find more bandwidth to do some of the things listed above is by taking something off your To Do list. Wondering what doesn’t need to be done? Do all of your efforts include some sort of measurable metric? If so, check the numbers. If not – add one. Is there something you procrastinate doing every time? Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something. In a blink you’ll be prepping for the holidays and wishing you’d done X, Y or Z. Or…you can prep for the holidays, celebrating that you accomplished X, Y or Z. What’s it going to be?