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 Nearly thirty years ago when I started in the advertising business by selling advertising on billboard signs across the country, George Holtane, a quick-witted, savvy creative guy provided me with some great wisdom. It's really not the size of the billboard adjacent to the interstate that really matters, said George... it's the challenge of crafting a message that is viewed by its audience for just seven seconds that REALLY matters. I remember sitting alongside George in those days as he attempted to create messaging for an audience speeding by at 70 mph along Los Angeles Freeways. A difficult task to be sure.
We can all get caught up in the power of the interactive medium to reach a the growing online communities of customers and buyers on the new media landscape. No doubt that there are a myriad of innovative delivery platforms that when optimized and working together can provide you as a marketer great customer acquisition, retention, up-sell and win-back opportunities. The tool kit is filled with everything that you need to insure success in each area of customer engagement.
With just one exception…Messaging.
George's message some 30 years ago resonates even stronger today. While we have a great suite of tools and platforms to engage our customers in this shifting media landscape.... The greatest challenge in realizing the potential in our market seems to be the ability to craft a relevant, goal-orientated and consistent dialog with the customer. The advertising agencies of our most recent past built their messaging strategies around media that was broadcast founded. Television, Radio, Billboards, Print... etc... all media where the one-size-fits-all method of creative "worked well". What seemed to have been working in those years... will most certainly not get the job done today. Frankly... ad Agencies developed campaigns and media flights... out of the need to be more economical and profitable in deploying the millions of dollars of media with their preferred broadcast partners.
Interactive media platforms have changed messaging forever. If you are looking for the dinosaurs in our market to embrace the new messaging platforms... you may be waiting a very long time. Today's passion for focusing on the leveraging of customer/prospect/channel data into real-time profiles and personas demands a new perspective on creative and messaging.
Content and messaging needs to be dynamic and relevant to an audience of one in order to be highly effective. Throw out all of those boiler plates. You need to work with a messaging squad that values true metrics in determining the effectiveness of the ongoing dialogue. Does the message reach the target audience...? Does the audience truly consume the content...? What of the call to action...? Does the effected consumer take the desired action...? If not...? Why not...? Does the messaging team monitor the wide variety of messaging components... always looking for ways to drive more meaningful connections with customers...?
At Zeta Interactive, We have assembled many of the brightest messaging stars in this new medium. We believe that consumers are demanding meaningful connections with their vendor partners in order to remain loyal and profitable. We also believe that constructing these real-time connections with customers regardless of the channel in a consistent way is imperative.
If you aren't happy with the performance metrics of your business... you might be having a problem with communication. You are not alone. Failure to communicate in an engaging and effective way is the number one reason that marketers lose their perspective in terms of acquiring and retaining customers. Before you go out and spend a lot of cash chasing solutions that really don't address your problem... give us a call.
We can and want to help you solve these issues. |
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