Our Blog

What Every Marketing Director Needs To Know

February 01, 2012

“Marketing takes days to learn. Unfortunately it takes a lifetime to master”
- Philip Kotler, the professor of international marketing at the Kellogg school of Management.

Today’s consumers are informed more than ever with quick access to research virtually anything online. So, traditional marketing principles are no longer enough. Survival of fittest is the mantra and every marketing director needs fresh ideas that go way beyond the traditional boundaries of marketing. The scope of this article is not enough to cover all the “new and improved” marketing mix; rather it discusses a few areas where modern marketing directors should devise innovative ways of addressing issues in their roles.

As a firm assisting marketing directors daily in their execution of strategy, it is very important for us to focus way beyond their fixed set of buyers. This is the principle of value chain marketing which, when employed, can strengthen a marketing directors reach to target audiences. In general, it means identifying, understanding and influencing the ‘customer’s customers’.

In today’s realm of cutbacks and slimmer resources, marketing directors need to highlight their obstacles and look beyond their in-house available resources for expansion and growth. With boutique-style marketing agencies emerging across the nation, directors can now lean heavily on contracted resources to fulfill their vision, strategy and effortless execution.

Because many marketing directors are finding themselves under-staffed, today, a marketing director needs to use the tools available externally to help identify potential audience and customers. Thankfully there are many marketing consultancy services available today which can help the marketing director review and strengthen strategies and develop a solid as well as realistic marketing plan. With lack of media planning staff members, a marketing director often feels frustrated and unsure of the format of advertising, which will be applicable for the business. With a marketing consultancy firm’s help, the director is bound to feel empowered and will no longer struggle to generate and maintain his customer base. Consultants can also get help in budget development, project management and strategic planning.

Another great reason for a marketing director to use an outside resource is to help with an internal branding strategy, as most are too close to the company’s core and their view may be distorted. It is up to the marketing director to put passion into the brand and ensure that there is a strong emotional connection between the employees and the brand. This means that every employee becomes the brand ambassador for the product/service and there is a strong link between the company and the market. This shows that, along with external communication, strong internal branding is a worthwhile exercise; internal marketing strategy is necessary and employees need to be engaged in the marketing strategy for better results.

Direct Mail – Is It Making A Comeback?

February 01, 2012

New studies show that response rates following direct mail are steadily growing. Although a few years back, direct mail marketers shifted their focus from mail to email campaigns, knowledgeable marketers have now reinventing effective use of direct mail and allocating significant budgets to go back to an age old marketing favorite. Great results and a great deal of attention have followed, while response rates are doubling and even tripling. Judging from these observations, it is generally safe enough to say that direct mail is indeed making a comeback.

Direct mail volumes are significantly increasing again after a few slow years and important marketing and selling opportunities have emerged as a result. Direct mail is different, creative and engaging, which makes it stand out in a stack of mail. Consumers are getting bombarded with thousands of marketing messages per day through email, radio, TV and online and it has become an environment of “noise” for most ignoring them and becoming immune.

With technology, direct mail has evolved to new levels. In recent years the addition of QR Codes, Personal URL’s and dynamic printing capabilities has allowed direct mail to advance. You can now track, more than ever, your prospects and get them engaged from the moment they receive their mail.

Also with new technology, such as www.icimo.com (a strategic partner of The Marketing Machine), profiling and targeting your ideal customer is easier than ever. With data analysis, tactics and strategic planning, direct mail gets “kicked up a notch” to really ensure a return on investment.  Advanced criteria are used to go beyond age and income, and focus even further, on purchasing activity, charitable giving records, personal interests and general lifestyle.

While emails are deleted or disregarded with an easy click, everyone at the end of the day checks their mailbox where messages cannot be ignored. With proper strategy and execution, the ROI on direct mail can be invaluable.