Since marketing was first invented, an argument's been raging about whether it's an art or a science. Regardless of which side you're on, there's no argument that the rules of the game are shifting.
Disruption is changing every facet of modern business, and marketing is no exception. The rise of the internet and mobile devices is altering the way brands interact with customers and how those customers make purchasing decisions. At the same time vast volumes of data being collected are helping to shape campaigns and provide virtually instant feedback on what's working .. and what isn't.
Any marketer ignoring these mega-trends will be left behind as their more tech-savvy and nimble competitors shape the way messages are delivered and consumers served.
At a recent panel discussion - formed part of the recent Modern Marketing Tour Melbourne, Australia conducted by Oracle Marketing Cloud featured three leading Australian marketers who shared their views on the forces shaping their industry. All agreed the pace of change is showing no sign of slowing.
Karen Powell, Managing Director at integrated marketing agency McCorkell and Associates said she regards marketing as a mix of both art and science with one supporting the other. Across the industry, she sees things shifting from the 'mad men' era to the 'math men' era as organisations take advantage of new technologies to forge closer relationships with their audiences.
Fellow panel member John Prince, head of partnerships at entertainment publisher, TIX Group, was in broad agreement. "We were really finding our feet when we started, but we are now starting to overlay some of the database learnings we've gained over the past few years," he said.
He said market data has helped to shape things like optimum discount offers and ticket prices to ensure they appeal to the broadest possible market.
The panel also considered how the types of content being used by marketers is changing. Marijana Andonovski, head of business development and marketing at Diabetes Australia, Victoria, said this is something in a constant state of change.
"We have found there seems to be a great response when it comes to our e-newsletters," she said. "Depending on the target audience we have nine different newsletters that go out. But it's whether we are going too far and too often so we are doing research to better understand."
Karen agreed, saying many of her company's clients found themselves dealing with an overwhelming amount of potential content. Many had to decide what was relevant and how it was going to be best used to communicate with their market.
"We are finding good success with the use of rich media and video. We are also finding success in social commentary when we engage with the audience in the channel that they are already in," she said.
John said visual engaging content seems to work best. His company has a content team that work on discount offers to make them as appealing to customers as possible.
The panel also discussed the growing role of big data in marketing and the number of ways in which it can be put to work.
John said his company currently only captured email addresses and post codes. "We have to be careful you don't become too scientific because when you are marketing concert tickets, one person's definition of pop might be another person's rock. It can be a fine balance around how you use data."
Karen said data is very much at the core of everything for her organisation. "We think that CRM and marketing co-ordination needs to be the foundation of every engagement," she said.
The panel concluded that the forces currently at work make this a particularly exciting time for marketers as they open up a range of new opportunities. The most important step is for individuals to examine each and identify those that will add the most value in their particular situation.
However, you do not need to feel "daunted by data." Download the Modern Marketing Essentials Guide to Data Management which helps marketers define marketing and communication goals with a data audit, be more strategic with the information you’re collecting and accessing and whole lot more!
from Modern Marketing Blog | Oracle Marketing Cloud http://ift.tt/1RJaBbS
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment