With the strategic use of optichannel advertising, “You can really ship the suitable message to the suitable client on the proper time,” in response to Lily Harder, former senior director of Marketing Strategy at Comperemedia. Harder explored the significance of optichannel advertising throughout a current hour-long BRAND United webinar, “Dynamic Direct Marketing Solutions for a Multichannel World.”
Harder defined that many entrepreneurs are nonetheless working in a multi-channel or cross-channel stage, “the place they take a unified message and current it to prospects and prospects throughout quite a lot of channels.” But entrepreneurs want to maneuver previous this stage and begin implementing omni- or optichannel options.
“We actually need to maneuver past [the multi-channel or cross-channel stage] and suppose both omnichannel or optichannel,” Harder mentioned. “What I imply by omnichannel is the thought of unifying channels collectively, not essentially with the identical message, however the messages throughout the channels come collectively to create extra of a holistic expertise for the end-consumer. If you actually wish to suppose forward the place entrepreneurs ought to be focusing their sights … it is the thought of optichannel.”
Optichannel, as Harder explains, incorporates not solely the channels obtainable but additionally the expertise and information behind them. This means with the ability to tailor the message by way of the usage of information, by means of personalization or trigger-based advertising.
Overall Marketing Trends
All messaging, no matter channel, must work collectively in a cohesive, holistic means. Keeping that in thoughts, Harder revealed 4 key traits for what entrepreneurs can count on in 2021 and past, and easy methods to harness these traits in optichannel advertising campaigns.
Video Takes Center Stage – Video grew in reputation through the pandemic as folks stayed at dwelling and engaged with extra video and streaming content material. It will proceed to have an effect, and because it lends itself to plenty of alternatives, it could possibly be an essential a part of manufacturers’ optichannel campaigns.
Niche Audiences on the Rise – Brands have been focusing on area of interest audiences extra commonly. Not simply focusing on by demographics, akin to age or race, however pondering on a bigger scale, akin to geographic focusing on versus mass advertising. For instance, manufacturers might think about focusing on people primarily based on “fandoms” for a selected occasion or trigger, enjoying off of a commonality amongst them.
Connecting on a Local Level – Marketers want to join with folks extra on a neighborhood degree, one thing that surged through the pandemic.
Podcasts and Social Media Influencer Marketing Prove their Worth – “We’re nonetheless within the early days of podcasts and social media and manufacturers are nonetheless experimenting with them,” Harder says. But the information reveals that audiences of these channels are very receptive as a result of they’re extra area of interest audiences.
Print is Still Powerful
Harder closed out her portion of the session by describing why there continues to be a spot for printed media inside the optichannel combine.
“A whole lot of what’s main that is the advances in expertise,” she mentioned. “Just as a result of it is a conventional channel, does not imply it will probably’t reap the benefits of the technological advances which might be on the market.”
One of these advances is QR codes. Not solely has there been a rise in the usage of QR codes on printed supplies, but additionally development in the usage of them amongst shoppers, she defined.
“Consumers are extra receptive … however you need to give recipients a cause to click on on the QR code,” Harder mentioned. “There needs to be a significant cause to truly do it.”
To solidify this level, Harder shared some examples of unsolicited mail and digital experiences that efficiently built-in QR codes to amplify the end-user expertise.
Lily Harder shared some examples of QR codes used efficiently.
Strategies to Target Consumers
Following Harder’s exploration of direct advertising traits, Cyndi Greenglass, SVP, Strategic Solutions, OSG, mentioned the 5 rising post-COVID segments: affordability first, well being first, planet first, society first, and expertise first.
With the bottom understanding of what are essential segments transferring ahead, Greenglass went on to elucidate a few of the rising traits influenced by well-known “outdated truths” in advertising compared to their “new fact” counterparts. Two examples Greenglass offered had been figuring out your buyer section and the brand new competitors:
“Marketing Begins with Knowing Your Customer Segment” – It was believed that advertising started with figuring out your buyer, however now understanding easy methods to personalize their expertise has turn out to be crucial element.
“You Are Competing with the Last Best Experience Your Customer Had” – This new mind-set is in distinction to the outdated perception that “You are competing along with your opponents.” This rings true much more so after the previous year-and-a-half, which put the client expertise in focus through the pandemic. “If you [aren’t] listening to the client expertise, you’ll lose that buyer,” she mentioned.
Greenglass echoed Harder’s level that entrepreneurs have to undertake an optichannel method and goal shoppers the place they’re.
“We know that buyers have gotten extra digital-first, however they aren’t digital-only,” she mentioned. This means it is essential to contemplate the place a model is in its digital transformation and how prospects will come together with the model on their journey.
Finally, Greenglass explored the variations and benefits of each set off unsolicited mail and programmatic unsolicited mail. She gave examples of profitable advertising campaigns that utilized each types of focused mail and easy methods to implement it in future campaigns.
Cyndi Greenglass described the 5 rising post-COVID segments.
Format Matters
Wrapping up the session, Mike Gunderson, founding father of Gunderson Direct, defined the advantages of various types of direct advertising with real-life examples as an instance the factors. He mentioned that postcards are main the best way as a result of they’re efficient and cost-efficient. Although there was a resurgence of low-cost codecs, he urged entrepreneurs to not low cost the standard letter package deal.
One development he’s seeing within the conventional letter package deal although is that they are shorter.
“Less copy, work more durable,” he mentioned. “With higher focusing on and good messaging, we’re seeing a greater response” with out utilizing a protracted letter format.
Mike Gunderson reviewed a few of the partaking copy that can be utilized by entrepreneurs to point out empathy.
He additionally confused that it is essential to be empathetic after throughout and after the pandemic, however to maneuver to extra constructive messaging the place doable.
“It’s OK to say the previous,” he mentioned, “however do not dwell on it.”
“Dynamic Direct Marketing Solutions for a Multichannel World” is accessible now on BRANDUnited.com. Register immediately to take heed to the complete session on-demand.
This article initially appeared on Printing Impressions’ sister model BRAND United.
