The exclusive discussions on CMO.com last week touched on social networking and the innovative approaches organisations have to adopt to remain relevant in their marketing efforts toward consumers. Social media continues to be one of the most important channels for marketers as was revealed by several of our contributors last week. The presence of many other channels and how consumers use them means that marketers must be more intentional about developing marketing consistency across all channels. The importance of these new digital channels is still not universally accepted. That must change. Your brands competitive survival depends on it.
Iain Devine, Commercial Director at Salmon, discussed the recent innovation companies like Pinterest, Instagram, and Google have adopted in adding instant purchase buttons. This makes it easy for consumers to buy products directly from the websites or apps they are using. For Google, this means consumers can buy right from the search results page. While this is an excellent opportunity for increasing customer conversion, Devine also recognizes the potential decrease in customer engagement with the brand. Marketers must adapt to these technological changes.
Even before the Rugby World Cup, the New Zealand All Blacks were already dominating other teams in their social media presence in the days leading up to the RWC. In fact, the Adobe Digital Index named the All Blacks “Most Social Rugby Union,” having most social mentions, positive sentiment among fans, following, and ranking. Additionally, Heineken UK was the highest ranking sponsor in social media presence, engaging 29% of its 12,600 Twitter followers. The Australian and England teams also did well in social presence. The Rugby World Cup launched an official mobile app earlier this year to increase the event’s social media presence.
Last week’s CMO.com interview with Telefónica’s Marketing Director María Sánchez del Corral touched on the company’s goal of being innovative with their social media strategies, highlighting some of their more effective campaigns. Their approach to social media is tailored to each market in which Telefónica does business. However, it remains a vital component of the company’s connection with its customer base. Sánchez del Corral also discussed that she’d like to see marketing become more of a driving force within organisations, always putting the customer at the center of an organisation’s marketing efforts.
The latest Adobe Digital Index report on the performance of digital marketing channels highlights the increase in the number of channels that consumers engage with. This increased number of channels means that European marketers are tracking ROI on an average of 10 channels, which is two more than marketers in the US. The increased complexity produced by monitoring more channels gives rise to the need for marketers to create a more consistent experience across channels for customers and avoid the potential confusion that having more channels could cause. Mobile use among customers has increased consumer traffic through search, social, and email channels, making those channels prime targets for reaching and connecting with customers.
Katz Kiely, the founder of Codis, closed out last week’s discussions by discussing the challenge many organisations face in adopting new technology. Change is not readily accepted in the existing corporate culture. However, organisations that are more digitally mature tend to be more innovative and forward thinking. This means that digital transformation is vital to an organisation’s marketing reach. Kiely shares some insightful thoughts on how to best approach employees on the need for new tech adoption, highlighting that communication is the key. People are more responsive to change when they are in what is called the “reward state.” Communicating the importance of digital transformation when people are in the reward state means the difference between having employee frustration and having everyone in an organisation on the same page.
We invite you to read and further engage with our exclusive content on CMO.com and benefit from the help and ‘how-to’ guidance from leading marketers and industry influencers.
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