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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
Pick up the newspaper: Our country and the world are in a state of anxiety about the economy, especially in light of a potential recession. What does that mean to us as marketers? Just how does the recession affect direct response advertising? Recessions are different from other economic downturns and need to be approached differently, but there are ways to weather the storm.
History teaches us that recessions reward the aggressive advertiser and penalize the timid one. Indeed, firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising.
By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256 percent over those that didn’t keep up their advertising. Why? One reason is that a recessionary market can provide an opportunity for businesses to build a greater share of market through aggressive advertising. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves about the short-term benefits of advertising: It creates sales immediately; it generates added business from current customers; and it brings in new leads and prospects. In short, as one marketer pointed out, “When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise.”
One trait of a true recession lies with shifts in consumer patterns. We can no longer expect even our core base of customers to behave in ways familiar to us and comfortable to them. Preparing for changes in consumer behavior will allow us to jumpstart new messaging, platforms and technologies—when this makes strategic sense—to capture the attention of both loyal and new customers. One false assumption is that it’s safe to reduce the advertising budget if the competition is reducing theirs. Research shows that companies maintaining or increasing advertising during periods of economic slow-down will boost market share. (more…)
First they give us a vegan with Alicia Silverstone swimming naked in a pool in support of animal rights. Now they’ve gone on the attack against Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for wearing fur. Dubbing them the “Trollsen Twins,” and more specifically, “Hairy-Kate and Trashley,” PETA has seriously stepped up its provocative awareness tactics. But, is this effective?
We know that celebrities can help sell products, such as Guthy-Renker’s Proactiv. But do we really care whether or not they wear fur or support animal rights? Are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as instrumental in halting the production of fur garments as those who actually make the business and distribution deals in the fur industry? The billboards featuring the Olsen twins that read, “Fur is worn by beautiful animals and ugly people” debuted yesterday in L.A., and will also run in magazines. In addition, PETA has launched a microsite with videos and interactive games, as well as a MySpace page for its “Trollsen Twins” campaign.
Has PETA gone too far? Or will this multichannel marketing effort prove effective?
-Pat Cauley, eMedia editor, Electronic Retailer Magazine
Yes, the way we young folks consume our media has changed. On a recent Sunday evening with friends, I watched in awe as my MacBook became the center of attention in the room. “Press mute on the TV,” Steve said commandingly. It was only a matter of seconds before he had the YouTube homepage on the screen. He played songs and videos that he liked. He even played a sports-themed video on the site as we all ignored the actual live sporting event that played in the background on my television. Right as it seemed we were done with YouTube and ready to go back to the TV, next thing you know, my friend Melissa asked Steve if he was on Facebook or MySpace. Like everyone else in the room, he was a member of both.
Along with ignoring the sporting event, we were also ignoring the advertisements you paid such a dear price from your media budget. Are you happy with your return on investment? If my friends and I are anything like the norm, then media loyalty and viewing habits are rapidly shifting. Are you prepared to engage the Gen Y consumer on our turf?
-Pat Cauley, eMedia editor, Electronic Retailer Magazine
Attention Sports Fans: Click here to see the ESPN Century video we couldn’t keep our eyes off of
Home furnishings giant IKEA clearly has a grip on its segment of retail. IKEA, originating in Sweden, has grown into an international fixture over the years. However, cultures around the world are very different, and therefore, the marketing and advertising that makes sense to consumers in different countries can vary greatly. Knowing that most Europeans are typically harder to offend than most Americans when it comes to sexuality, would this kind of advertising work in United States? Would this be harmful to the IKEA brand? Electronic Retailer reached out to Dan Akalou, IKEA’s general manager, to get his input on this thought-provoking issue.
“This commercial, which aired in Scandinavia, reflects both the impact of divorce on home life (the tag-line reads ‘A better divorce for everyone’), as well as the versatility of the IKEA range of home furnishings solutions. It’s unlikely that we would run advertising like this in the United States. That said, the sentiment of versatile products that allow adults to have an adult home even when they are parents, is consistent across national borders. IKEA is known for doing edgy commercials in many of its markets. Breakthrough communication creates awareness quicker and at a lower cost than the usual informative approach to advertising.” —Dan Akalou, IKEA general manager.
Do you think this ad would work in the U.S.?
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