Integrated Marketing and Voice-of-the-Customer
By Daniel Dejan
Not too long ago, the only choices for marketing strategy were television, radio, out-of-door, and print in its many forms (collateral, direct mail, magazine and newspaper advertising, catalog). A few alternatives, which fell under the heading of other, were not recognized yet as conventional marketing communication, but rather as beta technology for the digital revolution. Making the right strategic media decisions required lots of market research and often employed focus groups (if you could afford them) to determine which media to utilize, to what extent, and which messages would resonate with target markets. Measurements and return-on-investment formulas became the ground rule, and green flag, for all future endeavors.
Today the process is more challenging with multiple media choices and numerous touch points that can be added to traditional channels. An up-to-date and dynamic website has become a must, as it can be coordinated with a direct mail and/or a print ad campaign to not only drive traffic and the target market to the website but also to engage them in a dialogue. Social networking such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, and Twitter is de rigueur, but demands continuous monitoring, engagement, and soft-push branding with a call-to-action by the host website for the audiences to make the purchase—the marketer’s ultimate objective and reward.
How can e-mail be effectively used in a sales and/or marketing campaign? How will tablets and eReaders impact marketing communications? And how will they be used in assertive marketing campaigns? Will a blog increase brand awareness? What about the use of podcasting, mobile media marketing, telemarketing, viral marketing, product placement, pre-movie and DVD ads, YouTube videos, and more? Which marketing tools will help your company achieve the ultimate goal of winning the battle for top-of-mind recognition and brand loyalty among your target customer base?
Confusing and challenging, isn’t it? There is an elegant and efficacious solution: ASK!
Ask your target market how they would solve the conundrum. According to a Peppers and Rogers white paper, Relationship Marketing 3.0, their 2009 survey indicated that tapping into and implementing the voice-of-the-customer is singularly the most profound process to consummate both relevancy and timing—two of the most imperative and vital attributes to any current campaign. Using print, primarily in the form of direct mail, in tandem with social networks to invite and engage customers in the forging of a sales and marketing campaign can guarantee the success of most branding, brand loyalty and customer relations management efforts.
Ask the customer:
• How do you like to be communicated to?
• Which media outlets do you prefer to be contacted through?
• How can companies cut through the clutter?
• What would capture your attention?
• How often would you like to be contacted?
• Which media are you most likely to use to communicate with friends, family and colleagues?
Your customers will let you know exactly what they want from your company; whether your sales and marketing efforts are penetrating and successful, how they feel about your latest product(s) or service(s), and if it does indeed fulfill a need or satisfy a want they have. After all, isn’t it the prospective customer we are trying to engage and convert into an actual customer?
By fulfilling the sales and marketing promise, we can establish, maintain and grow a loyal customer base that helps us in the quest towards brand loyalty and growth in sales. The customer may not always be right, but they hold valuable insights into what motivates them to make a purchase and become loyal. Integrating the voice-of-the-customer may be one of the most important elements of the success formula.
Just ask.
A renowned graphic arts educator, author and consultant, Daniel Dejan is the North American ETC print and creative manager for Sappi Fine Paper/North America.