"Gone are the days of repetitive, one-way communications urging your target market to buy your product or service. This means your trusted print campaign may not be getting the best ROI. Today's brand strategies have to include methods to engage with your consumers by capturing their hearts, minds and conversations throughout the purchase and relationship cycle, while remaining brand-centric™ at every touch point."
Read the full note on the non-traditional ways of engaging with customers by Desiree Gullan.
Showing posts with label below the line. Show all posts
Showing posts with label below the line. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
My A to Z list of tools contd. (DEFGH)
D. 
This tool allows one to analyse changes which have occurred across the category over a period of time - actually way back to the start of the internet revolution.
E.
This tool allows you to triangulate traffic graphs from Alexa, Compete, and Quantcast of any website you're browsing. Very handy.F. 
This is a open source link analysis tool ideal for SEO
This is a open source link analysis tool ideal for SEO
G.
This is a free and easy analytics tool that allows one to track a website more easily and effectively.H.
comScore's Brand Metrix measures the impact of online advertising on a brand’s level of awareness and the attitudes and perceptions towards a brand. Also check out it's other tools.
Read more about digital tools on my A to Z list ; Click here
My A to Z list of tools contd. (NOPQR)
N.
With this tool you can compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, and time frames. Helps you gets better SEO results.
O.
Net Promoter is both a loyalty metric and a discipline for using customer feedback to fuel profitable growth in your business.
P.
Piwik is a downloadable, open source web analytics software program. It provides you with detailed reports on your website visitors: the search engines and keywords they used, the language they speak, your popular pages… and so much more.
Q.
PostRank measures audience engagement and provides integrated tools to enable you to customize your RSS subscriptions.
R.
Quantcast provides publishers, marketers and agencies unmatched capabilities to measure, organize, discover and transact based on directly-measured traffic and inferred audience data.
With this tool you can compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, and time frames. Helps you gets better SEO results.
O.
Net Promoter is both a loyalty metric and a discipline for using customer feedback to fuel profitable growth in your business.
P.
Piwik is a downloadable, open source web analytics software program. It provides you with detailed reports on your website visitors: the search engines and keywords they used, the language they speak, your popular pages… and so much more.Q.
PostRank measures audience engagement and provides integrated tools to enable you to customize your RSS subscriptions.
R.
Quantcast provides publishers, marketers and agencies unmatched capabilities to measure, organize, discover and transact based on directly-measured traffic and inferred audience data.
Read more about my digital tools on my A to Z list of digital tools ; click here
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The last mile just got longer!
The one-way, one-message-for-all, top-down brand communication format is on the way out and we need to find a more interesting way of igniting conversations between corporations and consumers.
Storytelling for brands is not just about the images and words. It is about everything you do that touches your prospects and customers. Narrating the brand story through activation is a process of engaging the prospect in an experience about the brand – at consumer touchpoint(s) and with their permission – to positively influence their brand preference and ensure a change in behaviour towards that brand for a lifetime.
The brand experience is fundamental and critical for a couple of reasons. Here are 5 of them;
1. Consumers no longer believe commercial messages. End of story. Read More HERE
2. A consumer’s source of information, research, evaluation and influence are not led by an organisation or brand. Read More HERE
3. The central idea of the campaign has become more important than the media used. The campaign idea needs to create the ripples which should take a life of their own. Read More HERE
4. Brand activation brings with it a large extent of measurability. Read More HERE
5. The customer’s experience with the brand throughout its lifetime will drive the future. Marketers increasingly need to look at extending their roles throughout the lifecycle of the product to ensure future purchases. Read More HERE
3. The central idea of the campaign has become more important than the media used. The campaign idea needs to create the ripples which should take a life of their own. Read More HERE
4. Brand activation brings with it a large extent of measurability. Read More HERE
5. The customer’s experience with the brand throughout its lifetime will drive the future. Marketers increasingly need to look at extending their roles throughout the lifecycle of the product to ensure future purchases. Read More HERE
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Shatter the classic servicing dilemma.
Over the years and through hundreds of client meetings we have observed the various issues which are of great criticality for the client, and his / her key expectations from the agency and have tried plotting them together to unearth an interesting trend – there are only 3 expectations which a client has from his agency. (esp his marketing services agency)
Of a lot of expectations which a client might discuss (which he believes he has from his agency) when giving a brief, they all boil down to the three most critical once:
1. Need to make the concept / idea “Bigger” and “Better” than what has been done in the past.
2. Need to do the same at “lower” or “effective” costs.
3. Need to have the proposal/ideas/concept/solution at the “earliest”.
Think it thru’ – Is there ever a 4th major issue ?
This is where the dilemma begins; (A state of things in which obstacles present themselves from every side, and is difficult to determine what course to pursue, a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position.)
However, like the corners of a triangle which cannot meet, this dilemma cannot be resolved by regular procedures.
Tell the client he does not have the privilege of 3 options but of 2 - any two, in order for him to resolve the dilemma and for the agency to give him a solution which meets the objectives.
He can choose:
Option 1: Better & Faster but not Cheaper
If the solution has to be great and it needs to be turned around in a short time, it will need a lot of energy and hence it cannot be cheap to provide that service. This solution would be expensive.
Option 2: Better & Cheaper but not Faster
If the clients wants a solution which is great but has major budget problems and also want it to be cheap, then a solution could be presented but the same would take time to conceptualize.
Option 3: Faster & Cheaper but not Better
If the client is in a hurry to implement a solution and wants it cheap then the solution cannot be great.
Use the simple triangle, to help resolve the issue for yourselves, the client and the agency. When you are able to BUST this dilemma and clarify the position to the client you will have the ease of communicating the requirements internally and present to the client the solution which he or she is really looking for.
Of a lot of expectations which a client might discuss (which he believes he has from his agency) when giving a brief, they all boil down to the three most critical once:
1. Need to make the concept / idea “Bigger” and “Better” than what has been done in the past.
2. Need to do the same at “lower” or “effective” costs.
3. Need to have the proposal/ideas/concept/solution at the “earliest”.
Think it thru’ – Is there ever a 4th major issue ?
This is where the dilemma begins; (A state of things in which obstacles present themselves from every side, and is difficult to determine what course to pursue, a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position.)
However, like the corners of a triangle which cannot meet, this dilemma cannot be resolved by regular procedures.
Tell the client he does not have the privilege of 3 options but of 2 - any two, in order for him to resolve the dilemma and for the agency to give him a solution which meets the objectives.
He can choose:
Option 1: Better & Faster but not Cheaper
If the solution has to be great and it needs to be turned around in a short time, it will need a lot of energy and hence it cannot be cheap to provide that service. This solution would be expensive.
Option 2: Better & Cheaper but not Faster
If the clients wants a solution which is great but has major budget problems and also want it to be cheap, then a solution could be presented but the same would take time to conceptualize.
Option 3: Faster & Cheaper but not Better
If the client is in a hurry to implement a solution and wants it cheap then the solution cannot be great.
Use the simple triangle, to help resolve the issue for yourselves, the client and the agency. When you are able to BUST this dilemma and clarify the position to the client you will have the ease of communicating the requirements internally and present to the client the solution which he or she is really looking for.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
RIP ~ ATL (well almost)
We have been discussing & reading about research which indicates drop in the ATL spends while there is corresponding increase in the BTL (including online) spends by one industry vertical after another. However, the recent research article based on the survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK – the "Marketing Trends Survey," conducted by Ipsos MORI, kind of made me sit up and marvel at the speed at which the change is happening.
As per the survey only 15% of the marketing budget is planned to be invested into adverting, the balance is opportunities in the “btl and digital” domains: d
eep dive into the article here:
However, going a little back in time, the trend was eminent (the scale and speed are stunning) and inline with a different research undertaken by IDC in the US years back, which was focused on the major IT industry spenders, which very clearly indicated an intention to drop spends on both org. personnel and the $ spends on ATL (as much as 20%) while moving larger allocations to Direct. This was 3 years back.
Also very clear where the areas of focus for most marketing decision makers / spenders. They were obviously gunning for tools which had worked and showed the higher returns on
the
marketing dollars as against the traditional media. This was more so in verticals where the marketing spends were predominantly focused on a B2b or B2 “a well defined C” formats. Lead generation and digital were the areas to place bets on! (refer below) In a way what was projected as “possibilities” in 2003 are turning to realities in 2007.
However, I think the trend has never been questioned in the last decade or so (other than by a few die hard ATL fans). It is also very obvious from the investments being made by media holding companies: they are without doubt investing into marketing services and digital. That’s where the growths are.
The fact that BTL (read promo) outweighs ATL, was established in markets like the US as way back as 03. Well documented in the PMA and Promo study. Below is the image from the study presentation which had shaken all of us then, where-in it was 1st established that Promo spends are higher than ATL in the US.
While the facts and figures are beyond doubt, and the trend is moving eastwards, the reasons for the change in scenario is simple – better and defined ROI, period.
As per the survey only 15% of the marketing budget is planned to be invested into adverting, the balance is opportunities in the “btl and digital” domains: d
eep dive into the article here: However, going a little back in time, the trend was eminent (the scale and speed are stunning) and inline with a different research undertaken by IDC in the US years back, which was focused on the major IT industry spenders, which very clearly indicated an intention to drop spends on both org. personnel and the $ spends on ATL (as much as 20%) while moving larger allocations to Direct. This was 3 years back.
Also very clear where the areas of focus for most marketing decision makers / spenders. They were obviously gunning for tools which had worked and showed the higher returns on
the marketing dollars as against the traditional media. This was more so in verticals where the marketing spends were predominantly focused on a B2b or B2 “a well defined C” formats. Lead generation and digital were the areas to place bets on! (refer below) In a way what was projected as “possibilities” in 2003 are turning to realities in 2007.
However, I think the trend has never been questioned in the last decade or so (other than by a few die hard ATL fans). It is also very obvious from the investments being made by media holding companies: they are without doubt investing into marketing services and digital. That’s where the growths are.
The fact that BTL (read promo) outweighs ATL, was established in markets like the US as way back as 03. Well documented in the PMA and Promo study. Below is the image from the study presentation which had shaken all of us then, where-in it was 1st established that Promo spends are higher than ATL in the US.
While the facts and figures are beyond doubt, and the trend is moving eastwards, the reasons for the change in scenario is simple – better and defined ROI, period.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
BTL is the google way !!
Call it Below-the-line marketing, brand activation or promotional marketing ~ these are taking on the traditional advertising companies and winning. Promotions related spends are over the ATL spends for some time now (ref. http://promomagazine.com/ for the Promo Spends Survey). Also the BTL spends are going to grow faster in the time to come. However, this is old news – interesting to discuss why and what works.
Ability to relevantly filter the TG and “almost” individually target with customized brand communication to initiate desired action is where we are headed. And that’s what the BTL communication is all about - not brand building but brand usage. Focused from concept to implementation on return generated on the marketing dollars.
I believe Google is the largest BTL agency around (for that matter the largest marketing and communication agency around – definitely the fastest growing). Adwords – the big revenue churner – is but a classic example of filtered audience {filtered by way of what you are looking for and where are you looking for the service }, served relevant and customized messages {geographic and content-specific} to initiate action {click thru} and the model is entirely ROI driven. The spillage of message on irrelevant audience or geography is no longer a concern.
Adwords revenues for Google (and hence spends which have moved away from the traditional advertisement pie) and the fast adaptation to the model by advertisers at enterprise level as well as SMBs is an indication of things to come.
While the agency business model is not going to be dependent on the final “sale” the closer the model can come to the sale the more future ready the model is.
Ability to relevantly filter the TG and “almost” individually target with customized brand communication to initiate desired action is where we are headed. And that’s what the BTL communication is all about - not brand building but brand usage. Focused from concept to implementation on return generated on the marketing dollars.
I believe Google is the largest BTL agency around (for that matter the largest marketing and communication agency around – definitely the fastest growing). Adwords – the big revenue churner – is but a classic example of filtered audience {filtered by way of what you are looking for and where are you looking for the service }, served relevant and customized messages {geographic and content-specific} to initiate action {click thru} and the model is entirely ROI driven. The spillage of message on irrelevant audience or geography is no longer a concern.
Adwords revenues for Google (and hence spends which have moved away from the traditional advertisement pie) and the fast adaptation to the model by advertisers at enterprise level as well as SMBs is an indication of things to come.
While the agency business model is not going to be dependent on the final “sale” the closer the model can come to the sale the more future ready the model is.
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