Every pundit is making predictions about next year's trends on which to capitalize. I've seen 2008 predictions about going green, going mobile, using out-of-home advertising, gaming, widgets and so forth.
You'll find I have a different view from most. While they focus on the tactical trends, I'm still focused on the strategic approach which should drive your tactics. Not the other way around.
So, it's back to basics in my view, and corporate marketers seem to agree. A recent study by the Marketing Executive Network Group found that 60 percent of participants said marketing basics was at the top of their list for 2008. How refreshing.
In 2008 – as in every other year - the successful marketers will be those who:
- Set clear, measurable marketing objectives that support business objectives
- Clearly define audiences by demographic, psychographic and geographic criteria
- Use audience criteria to develop impactful messages that speak to the customer benefit of a product or service
Once they have done the above, they can move beyond the pack by bringing their brands to life through experiences.
Let me explain. Events and other face-to-face contacts coupled with positive online interaction can help take the product or service to a new level. I believe in most categories people buy experiences and lifestyles, not products or services.
Additionally, they can accelerate their brands by making marketing part of their customer service offering. What does this mean? It means that the organizations which understand customer needs and aspirations and use this intelligence to develop an ongoing dialogue to tweak their service offering will be the market leaders. An example of this is HSBC's BankCab. The New York-based bank provides free rides to its customers. After a couple of free rides, I'll bet you go from customer to brand ambassador.
Now you are ready to think about how the tactics fit into the greater scheme of things.
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