THE CHALLENGE: New findings from Voice of Customer research we just completed indicate that customers want brands to get better at using an integrated multichannel mix that engages them to share their preferences regarding offers, alerts, frequency of contact and media preferences.
Integrate Your Media
According to a study from the Direct Marketing Association, 93% of marketers using multiple channels indicated they have attempted to integrate their messaging, but only 27.4% of these said their efforts are ‘effective’...”
Marketers need to deploy an integrated multichannel mix…at key points in the customer’s lifecycle with the company. Assume that both "old" and "new" media play a role in your customer's personalized multichannel mix. Elements of a preference-driven mix include web, social, email, direct mail, print, broadcast, narrowcast, and all possible person to person touch points, including face to face and phone interactions.
Per an excellent Epsilon study, The Formula for Success: Preference and Trust, referenced here, "Consumers use and trust certain communications channels more than others. This means that marketers need to understand which channels resonate most at various points in the consumer purchase cycle and incorporate a cross-channel strategy that leverages data and technology to communicate on a one-to-one basis....”
This multichannel mix must be deployed at key points in the customer’s lifecycle with your company and per the consumer's individual preferences.
Four Takeaways for Marketers:
» Trust Your Customers To Tell You:
Gather Voice of Customer (VoC) research-based insights regarding how your customers define a truly personalized multichannel relationship, and which communications are most relevant at key points in their relationship lifecycle with you.
Gather Voice of Customer (VoC) research-based insights regarding how your customers define a truly personalized multichannel relationship, and which communications are most relevant at key points in their relationship lifecycle with you.
» Understand the behaviors that equal "engagement":
Use VoC insights to understand what range of actions from your side drive engagement from the consumer's side, such as recognition, personalized rewards, the opportunity to share their point of view, the chance to enter a contest, etc.
Use VoC insights to understand what range of actions from your side drive engagement from the consumer's side, such as recognition, personalized rewards, the opportunity to share their point of view, the chance to enter a contest, etc.
» Be media agnostic:
Offer both "old" and "new" media options your customers can select to satisfy their media preferences.
Offer both "old" and "new" media options your customers can select to satisfy their media preferences.
» Measure it:
Track the results carefully over time, and revise your strategies based on empirical data.
Track the results carefully over time, and revise your strategies based on empirical data.
