The Lunch Pail

One of the more interesting takeaways from the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference was the emphasis on how the legacy of traditional direct marketing principles meshes seamlessly digital channels. Obviously, this is the very essence of direct digital marketing, which identifies the primary direct digital channels as email, mobile, and the website.

Connolly closed his keynote with a run at inspiration, trying to convince marketers in the room to begin tearing down political barriers to direct digital marketing and reorganize around brands where the leadership carries direct marketing experience ready to apply through digital channels. While he certainly is a seasoned and respected advocate for marketing change, time will tell if his success can be copied by other marketing organizations.

For marketers that left the conference inspired for a culture change, shopkick co-founder Cyriac Roeding’s keynote added a bit more fuel to the fire Connolly started.

Shopkick’s focus is on mobile marketing, but in speaking with some of the bricks-and-mortar retailers in the room, Roeding challenged the way they thought about the term “cross-channel.” I mentioned in Monday’s post that I entered the conference skeptical about the term “cross-channel” in part because of the relative success and full description already offered by the more widely adopted “multi-channel.” Roeding did not answer all of my skepticism, but he did make a point that I hope was sticky with the listening audience:

”If there is no mobile marketing in your cross-channel integration strategy, then you have no strategy.”

The point Roeding is making is that mobile perfectly bridges and blends the digital experience with the in-store experience. While so much concentration from a vocal faction of mobile marketing companies is placed on mCommerce – actually buying a product with a mobile device – the real mobile advantage for many retailers is better blending the value of the online experience with the in-store experience.

Retailers are in the perfect economic spot right now to not just add or improve a mobile presence, but to truly concentrate on finding the right partnerships to create a valuable and efficient direct digital marketing strategy.

I will have a few more posts next week that recap some of the great content from the 2010 Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference. Stay tuned!