Published in the November 2008 issue of Nutrition Industry Executive
Well, it appears as if this marvel called the Internet is here to stay. And so far it has proven itself to be a viable, adaptable and valuable component of most successful marketing campaigns. Aside from being a unique selling resource, it also serves as a branding tool, an information tool, an entertainment tool and even a PR tool. The Internet has single-handedly collapsed the traditional hierarchy between the sender and the receiver of the marketing message. It has changed the way business does business and the way your customers interact with your business. The Internet may well be the closest the world has ever come to true democracy. And your customers can become active members in shaping your message, your brand and, in some cases, your product or service.
One way to make sense of this new phenomenon is to think of your marketing mix as a buffet meal. Some customers prefer to pick a variety of items from the buffet, while others may only be interested in meat and potatoes, resulting in much narrower exposure to your media channels. The challenge is to keep the traditional meat and potatoes marketing components strong, while continuing to add in the new menu items. Perhaps a little Social Networking Salad for building customer relationships. A helping of RSS Feed Stuffing for dynamic content. A heaping spoonful of Rich Media Casserole to entertain or educate. And how about some Pod cast Pie for dessert? The greatest part of a buffet is that customers are offered an array of options. Customers can now dish up information however they want, both offline and online — surf a web site, call and talk to a real person, visit a kiosk or click on a mobile phone. This trend of synergizing online and offline media is called “convergence marketing,” and it is the future of marketing strategy.
Building a strong, loyal community around your brand can enhance your relationship with your customers. In the physical world, people have their groups and clubs. The same is true for the virtual world. There your customers can carry on a “tri-alogue” with your brand and other customers like themselves. Adding targeted and interactive forms of communication like blogs and webinars helps create a unique dynamic between your company, your products and your customers. It basically levels the playing field.
The democratic empowerment that the web provides can be a mixed blessing. It can create some unique challenges for your company’s PR strategy. Where a company’s message could once be safely guarded and controlled, now anyone can hop on the web and give their two cents, whether factual or not. Debunking false information or managing your brand is now just as important in the virtual world as it is in the real world. A convergence PR strategy, combining online and offline strategies, is essential. Format all of your PR materials (articles, press releases, white papers) for both the analog and digital worlds, and augment your media target lists to include blogs and other virtual news and information providers.
Although brand building is very important in market differentiation and fostering customer relationships, integrated marketing isn’t all about holding hands and singing in unison. It always comes down to the bottom line. From a B2B perspective, e-procurement has streamlined supply chain management and the purchasing process. This allows your customer a wider choice of products, an opportunity to “custom fit” a product to their individual needs, or it may empower them to initiate their own price. And it allows your company to cut overhead costs, create a more cost-competitive environment while reaching a larger audience that you might not otherwise reach.
Aside from the cold, hard sell there’s the intangible—your brand. What kind of associations do consumers have with your company? Every interaction that your customer has with any form of media constitutes a brand experience. But there are some components of the marketing mix that can do more heavy lifting than others. For example, a print ad may not need to say everything about the product. It may be more effective to keep the message simple, provocative and compelling. Pique your audience’s interest and incite them to get more information from your Web site, listen to a pod cast, read a blog, etc. Get them to opt-in to a mobile phone texting database and then use that texting channel to invite them to check out a new product or to send them a special offer. The key is making all of the parts work as a whole from both a messaging and branding point-of-view.
While the Internet has changed the way you and your customers interact, there are some marketing mainstays that should not be thrown out. Context, content, relevance, clarity, consistency and placement still remain important considerations.
- Context—Information needs to “hit them where they live.” Make sure the medium is best suited to the message that you’re trying to communicate.
- Content—Give your customer enough information to make an educated purchasing decision.
- Relevance—The content needs to be something they care about.
- Clarity—Do your customers walk away with a clear message when they encounter various forms of media?
- Consistency—A critical attribute for any marketing campaign. Some media can bear the fluctuating weight of less or more information, but the core selling message should be consistent across all media.
When new media channels converge with the old, customer relationships also evolve and ultimately impact the way you market to your customers. Who knows what the next new dish on the marketing mix buffet will be. But whatever it is, it’s bound to change – and, ideally, enhance – the relationship between company and customer. Whether it’s print, broadcast, collateral materials, signage or the web, it’s all about using each piece of media for its communication strengths. With an integrated, consistent message across all channels it can help foster a strong relationship with your customer and, ultimately, better sell your product or service.
SALT LAKE CITY — Integrated Marketing Group, a marketing agency servicing a national and international clientele, announced today that its co-founder and partner, Jeff Hilton, will be presenting “New Dosage Forms: A Critical Marketing Tool,” at the Natural Products Expo East in Boston next month. Hilton will discuss the ways innovative delivery systems are driving new marketing approaches within the food, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical marketplace from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, October 16 in Room 251 at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. 
