I recently wrote about the differences between marketing integration and marketing connection… that is, trying to cobble together disparate databases and communications software platforms in hopes of being more relevant when serving content to customers and prospects. I call this situation the Integration versus Connection Battle. Integration is time-consuming, expensive, and ultimately does not scale well. From the perspective of the marketer, the focus should be on connecting the channel experiences - Web, email, and mobile - which, by extension, enable a connection between brand and consumer.In this ongoing battle, a recent survey measuring cross-channel effectiveness of 26 retailers across three very different channels highlighted some key areas for growth in retail marketing. The channels the survey concentrated on are the more traditional channels of marketing that a clicks-and-mortar operation concentrates on – online, in-store, and call center. What is interesting about the survey is that it is designed specifically to measure the level of consistency between those channels of pricing and promotion.
According to the survey, 58 percent of retailers offer different price points through different channels on the same products. Only 38 percent of marketers promote a product and price point the same across every channel. In essence, most retailers encourage infighting and channel competition within their organization. The inability to see a product the same way through different channels underscores the other underlying issue – these retailers also fail to see the same customer the same way through different channels. The fractured communications costs real dollars to the bottom line, and retailers must find ways to improve.
Consumers demand consistency and relevance in all interactions with a brand. What’s more, failure to maintain consistency leads directly to lost business. The call center may give an offer that is different than the online channel that is different than the price in store. A customer sees the inconsistency and will seek out the most convenient option… whether that convenience is based on price or delivery. No matter what the customer’s choice is, the tradeoffs they are forced to make result directly in lost revenue.
Message consistency and relevance across multiple channels are not just buzzwords and terms that marketers like to throw around at conferences and never act on. They are real, valuable elements of any marketing strategy that direct digital marketing is inherently designed leverage. Find out more.
