The term “multichannel†is tossed around in direct response as a casual new buzzword that everyone claims to provide. However, there’s a difference between using multiple channels and truly having an integrated multichannel approach. The strength of a true multichannel approach is in the results that add up to more than just a sum of the various elements.
While you work with partners on different aspects of a campaign—creative, media, response/order take and fulfillment—you need to focus on the complete picture (and work with partners who allow you to do that!). Many marketers stick with what they know works and use traditional metrics to evaluate success. As media is expensive, it is understandable why that’s the case.
But, what happens when your customer sees that spot on TV and decides to purchase via mobile phone or web days after the airing? What about the customer who saw the ad, visited the site and did not buy? Or, what about the client who did not see the spot, but is a potential buyer because of his or her past history? Unless you have a plan to catch all of these opportunities you may not be using a big enough net—and you may not have the data you need to make decisions about how effective the media truly was. Take the multichannel integration test!
Consistency and Coordination
· Do you coordinate advertising events so all channels launch with the same message at the same time?
· Are changes to your DRTV offer or creative simultaneously reflected in online and mobile activities?
Analysis and Media ROI
· Do you view key metrics for all channels together to assess the full impact of your media, as well as the contribution from each channel?
· Do you know how buying patterns differ for customer purchasing via phone, online and mobile (upsell take rates, cross-sell success, etc.)?
· Can you identify how customers who purchase via the phone differ from those who purchase online or through mobile channels?
Revenue Opportunities
· Do you include a call-in option with online and mobile activities? (For example: We see lift of 10-30 percent in online conversion when we allow visitors the option to place orders by phone.)
· Do you tailor upsells to channel?
If you’re not answering YES to the above, you’re leaving sales on the table for someone else to pick up. So get a bigger net to capture ALL the sales generated by your advertising activities!
Mike Ferzacca is CEO of Advanced Interactive Sciences
It was supposed to be perfect. It was my birthday week and I had friends flying into D.C. so that we could go see Radiohead live at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia. The concert was Sunday, May 11 and I had Monday off. Nothing could go wrong…until Mother Nature stepped in. Cell phone rings. “Are you guys even still going?†Claudia asks cautiously as I maneuver my way around the grocery store picking up last-minute tailgating items. “Of course we’re still going,†I say, somewhat irritated at the mere suggestion of skipping out. Sure, I had heard rumors of some rain, but I was fully prepared with my hooded sweatshirt—it was May!
The home shopping networks we all know and love have sold numerous products over the years using detailed, well thought out demonstrations. However, with live television, mistakes are bound to happen. Robin Barr put together 
“Marketing takes a day to learn. Unfortunately it takes a lifetime to master.†~ Philip Kotler, U.S. marketing guru
Amazon says it is advertising when it compensates New York-based websites for posting links that refer customers to Amazon.com. New York says it’s soliciting business. The distinction means all the difference in the world for sales taxes, for Amazon, and possibly even print media, television and radio.
There’s no denying that the main objective for any e-commerce sales or retail marketing executive is to maximize the total value of visitor traffic on their site, simply put— turning web browsers into buyers and clicks into cash. Search is certainly leveling the playing field as well, so how do companies stand out from the crowd? And why are some sites still failing to deliver compelling and relevant content to their customer base?
Behavioral advertising, the anonymous or pseudonymous tracking of online activities for purposes of providing more targeted advertising and content, promises great potential for advertisers and publishers to build more relevant and trusting experiences for their users. But if you are thinking about using social or behavioral advertising because traditional display and email are yielding deplorably low response rates - don’t cross that fine line between creeping in and creeping out. Currently, consumers are unhappy with behavioral targeting practices, and now legislatures are getting involved. The New York State Assembly has plans to impose legal restrictions on the ways in which personal data is collected and used.
Well, it’s getting to my favorite time of year! No, I’m not talking about the NHL and NBA playoffs, although they’re a bonus. I’m talking about an annual tradition where the cherry blossoms accent our nation’s capital and ERA members congregate to discuss with lawmakers important issues that affect the very vitality of our industry.
Every morning I listen to the radio while I’m getting ready for work. Today was kind of interesting in that there were several sound bites from the president and would be presidents about various ideas to solve the “energy crisis.†While I have chosen a specific candidate for whom I am rooting, I have to say that my candidate’s response did not impress me. In fact, none of the proposed suggestions impressed me. Each seemed to be a half assed suggestion designed to get votes that would end up costing us more money in the long run and would not present a real solution to the problem.
Loading ...