Alberta Business Marketing

In a recent new business pitch, I was asked the dreaded question. The ONE question that every agency person has been up against. The crystal ball. The fortune teller. The winning numbers on a lottery ticket. THAT type of question. Here goes…I was asked:

What is the future of digital marketing?

Not exactly the easiest question to answer. But with a deadline looming, here were some of my thoughts:

1. Explosion of smartphone penetration and increasing importance of mobile integration

Can you spell ‘OBVIOUSLY’? Felt I would be remiss not to mention this. Smartphone penetration in North America is often reported as high as 40%. This number is expected to climb significantly over the next few years. Understanding how to motivate consumers via this device and encourage interaction and brand advocacy will become more important than ever before.

2. In-bound vs out-bound marketing

The marketing/communication landscape continues to change - daily. In this business, the only constant IS change. One thing we can be sure of though is the evolution from out-bound marketing (where brands pushed out their message) to the increasingly omnipresent in-bound marketing. In-bound marketing includes:

• Interactive and two-way communication
• Customers seeking out brands via a multitude of channels and experiences
• Need for marketers to provide value exchange

The shift has happened. And the pressure to provide value and utility will only increase.

Check out this related infographic which I used as a source.

3. Heightened sensitivity around consumer privacy

With the explosion of social networks and related marketing applications that delve into consumer settings and preferences, we as a society are more cautious than ever before about protecting our privacy.

While consumers are hungry for laws that protect their information and private data, marketers are concerned with over zealous regulations that threaten to derail marketing and communication freedom (CASL anyone?). Striving for balance will be a key issue for marketers across North America.

One only needs to look to recent claims and action taken against Facebook to understand the depth and complexity of the issue. Giving consumers clear access to control their privacy while allowing marketers to build permission based programs will become a bigger challenge over the next few years.

4. “Phygital” marketing

Let me be clear on one thing. I detest the word ‘phygital’. But this isn’t about me. So let’s move on…. Phygital Marketing is often described as “ideas that extend brand engagement with consumers through the interplay of experiences in both the physical and digital spaces – in the Phygital space.”.

With increasing budgets in the digital space (from media to production to innovation in technology), blending our physical world with the online environment is now the cost of entry. Consumers no longer decipher between online sites and physical store locations. The brand persona – and brand experience – is one. Agencies will need to understand how to connect and deliver engaging and useful interactions.

5. Monetizing social engagement

It is no surprise that brands are clamoring to get on social networks such as Facebook (if they haven’t already arrived). Those who joined the party some time ago are constantly struggling with how to engage their fanbase while monetizing their ROMI. Herein lies the challenge….how to determine return on investment and furthermore, how to leverage the social sphere into a revenue generating channel. As social inevitably continues to evolve, we predict that the value will be less about ‘status’ and size of network and more about crowd sourced solutions and daily interaction.

Social media in the B2C space is not only about helping brands connect with consumers but also influencing awareness, interest and desire. Some brands have been able to directly monetize their social media efforts and are well on their way to turning this dynamic channel into another example of ‘phygital’ well done.

Robin Whalen

Tags: Digital
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I admit, I’m like a dog with a bone when it comes to this topic. I’m in Advertising. Have been for the last 15 years. And over that time, I’ve heard everyone from the President’s of the various agencies I’ve worked in to the mail room guy – talk about the business we are in.

So let’s be clear.

Those of us in Advertising are in the business of IDEAS.

Ideas are our ‘product’. We research, we absorb, we analyze, we brainstorm, we concept and we eventually weave together an idea that will sell whatever our client is in the market of selling. Our ideas are our intellectual property and our passion. They are why we come into work in the morning and how we pay our mortgage. The actual production of these ideas is the easy part. Coming up with the ownable, unique, competitive, emotive and brand building communication solution is a task of Herculean proportions.

So I ask you – why in the world do we give it away for free?

I’ve never yet heard a client say “I’m going to buy that idea even though I hate it, provided you make it look really pretty on a website!” or “hmmm, I’ve seen that idea a thousand times before but as long as you dress it up in a pretty yellow starburst – we’re good to go!”. Clients want to work with agencies with big ideas. Clients buy big ideas. And big ideas put roofs over our heads. Don’t get me wrong. Flawless execution is also a mandatory. But NEVER at the expense of creativity. So again, why would we give it away for free?

I get that we are in a competitive environment and agencies fight for survival on a daily basis. I also get that clients want to sometimes see what you can come up with before handing you their trust (and their marketing budgets). But past work for other clients can demonstrate smarts and creativity. You would never dream of walking into a department store and saying to a clerk “I’m going to take that couch home for free. If I like it, I’ll come back and buy the armchair. If I don’t like it, sorry, I’ll just go shop at another store.” Sadly, I think agencies do this too often.

Perhaps if those of us in the business of ideas put a value to our product – our thinking & our creativity – we can slowly create a movement. A movement where we place a (reasonable) price tag on the process of ideation and demonstrate in the process that we place serious stock in what we do. In return, I believe that Clients would respect us for it and the outcome would be ideas that everyone is proud of.

Rant over :)

Robin Whalen

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The age-old question of what keeps a marketer up at night rears its ugly head again.

Let’s face it. Direct Marketing has evolved. With the explosion of social networks, large-scale penetration of smart phones and increased investment overall in various different digital channels – the tools in a DM handbag have changed.

Response rates are lowering.
Privacy concerns are skyrocketing.
Email deliverability is decreasing.

What’s a Direct Marketer to do?

These are just a few of the issues that personally keep me wondering, researching and eternally trying to solve. Same goes for my colleagues in the Canadian Marketing Association’s Direct Marketing Council.

Our mandate is to report on trends and best practices across all one-to-one response generating channels including direct mail, print, online, email, DRTV and mobile. We look at the marketplace challenges and gather best in class solutions as well as keep our finger on the pulse of future opportunities.

In order to continue to provide education and leadership in the ever-changing world of Direct Response Marketing, we’d love your feedback.

What issues and trends do you think faces the modern Direct Marketer?
How can we help YOU address these challenges?

Let us know. We aim to please!

Robin Whalen

Tags: Direct Marketing
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I recently stumbled across a fantastic article on iMedia Connection titled the “10 fears that keep digital marketers up at night.”

The truth is – I haven’t slept as soundly as I’d like for the past while. I always chalked it up to professional stress; worried about my clients, worried that my campaigns won’t work, worry that I won’t build business for the brands I’m hired to build business for. Don’t get me wrong – I think I’m pretty good at what I do. It’s just that I’m a typical ‘Type A” person. I sweat the details, I obsess over everything, and I don’t sleep until something is 110% perfect. Plus another 10%.

Then this article. It made me realize that I’m not alone. I stay up at night because I’m thinking about the types of things that my colleagues in the digital space all fret over, day in and day out.

So what plagues us Digital Marketers according to iMedia?

The next best thing….
Will you realize it when you see it? Will you capitalize on it? Or will you merely follow the leader?

Chasing the shiny object….
Are we recommending new technology for our clients because it’s the cool thing? Are we jumping on trends or are new market offerings here to stay? I think about this all the time when it comes to FourSquare and Facebook Places.

Not thinking six moves ahead…
There is always another agency out there looking to cut up your site, show your clients why their digital strategy will get them more fans, more followers, more money….You have to CONSTANTLY be on your toes.

Early warning radar…
As soon as you label yourself ‘digital’, you are expected to understand all the technology, all the new trends, be in the middle of what consumers are saying and playing online. This requires experienced professionals that are truly savvy. That practice what they preach. That read and self-educate. All. Of. The. Time.

The list goes on….and I agree with every single point the article addresses. So much so it was a little frightening. Like someone was reading my mind.

Bottom line. This is an exciting, ever-changing, dynamic industry to work in. But digital lives in shark infested waters. I should know – I’m a digital marketer.

Stay on your toes. Read. Watch. Observe. Play. And then stop to take a quick nap.

Robin Whalen

Tags: Digital
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I'm the type of person that always scans marketing reviews, blogs and literature for news on the next best industry book to read. Over the years I did as I was told and read Wikinomics, The Long Tail, Meatball Sundae, and countless others. Then about a few months back, one of the Information Architect's at my office suggested I pick up a book called Don't Make Me Think. She mentioned that it's the type of read that benefits anyone in the digital space while explaining a seemingly myterious skill set in laymen's terms. She also hinted that I'd find the author's wit and style appealing. So off I went to amazon.com...

Fast forward 2 hours later; I finished the book, enjoyed my time reading it and raced to jot down an informal 'book review' as a guide to anyone wanting to know more about site usability. Whether you are responsible for paying for a site, QA'ing (quality assurance testing) a site or contributing in any way to site content - this book is a goldmine.

The author, Steve Krug, is funny, intuitive and informed. Check out the review and let me know what you think of the book!

Robin Whalen

Tags: Digital
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