Roeding definitely contributed some interesting, valuable bits during his keynote entitled The Mobile Revolution. For example, I wrote last week about his idea that a cross-channel marketing strategy does not exist without mobile as the glue . I completely agree with that statement, and am glad Roeding was gutsy enough to say it to a room full of retailers with differing interpretations of the term “cross-channel.” I also generally agree with his statement that a mobile device is the most social device a consumer will ever purchase. Another good point.

However, the idea of a “mobile revolution” – as in the title of the keynote – is a misnomer. I think the term is not just hackneyed and watered down, but downright misleading. A “revolution” infers doing away with one thing and replacing it with another. By definition it is a “thorough replacement” or an “overthrow” or “repudiation.” For example, a government revolution will completely wipe out an existing form of government and replace it with something new. Mobile, at least in a marketing context, is not in a revolutionary state – it is in an evolutionary state. Mobile’s evolution is one of the reasons it is considered so exciting.

The audience at the event was also scattered along the entire spectrum of marketing sophistication. I spoke to marketers who worked for retailers still resistant to an online presence at all. With such a motley grouping of marketing talent with widely variant levels of digital marketing adoption, extra context is valuable to relate to the entire audience. Roeding did a wonderful job of communicating projects that are valuable to those on the farthest reaches of the bleeding edge of mobile marketing – not coincidentally the target audience of shopkick’s marketing – but for many marketers in that keynote mobile is still new, scary, and confusing. The ease of beginning mobile marketing – allowing for toe-dipping – was nowhere to be found.

Now, I completely realize the title of the conference was not the “Retail Traditional Marketing Conference.” And Roeding contributed many valuable takeaways. But, a larger than expected faction of marketers were likely a bit put off by the keynote, and may have rolled their eyes when some of shopkick’s current projects were revealed and the address was injected with a bit of a sales pitch.

To keep marketing adoption of the mobile channel moving forward at a steady and reasonable pace, the bleeding edge and migrant traditional marketing audiences can be dually addressed. For every one really cool, cutting edge and fascinating mobile project that is mind blowing there are thousands of tactical, practical concepts that go without an introduction because they are not “sexy” enough to be featured in the industry news or conference agenda.

The event’s content was amazing. I know I learned a great deal from Roeding and every speaker. I also realize that the cutting edge stuff often gets the notoriety, and rightly so. But I also hope migrating traditional marketers – who exist in droves – get the information they deserve to advance mobile , and every other form of marketing.

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!

Rayport continued by providing five steps toward engagement. The steps were interesting, but the real intrigue for me was in identifying the organizing principles behind them. To Rayport, the retail consumer demands an information based experience. The reason that business and social media blend at all is because consumers are constantly seeking out new, different information to guide their purchase decisions.

If the consumer is in complete control it is vitally important marketers do not waste their time. If consumers demand information, and do not feel beholden to geographic restrictions, then mobile marketing must be a part of any marketing mix. That means coupons and offers, in-stock alerts, loyalty programs, etc. must all be offered to integrate the digital world into the brick-and-mortar experience – and mobile is the easiest, most cost-efficient to achieving that goal.

One last interesting point from Rayport was his assertion that “CRM” is an outdated principle, and that the new principle is “CMR” – customer managed relationships. It makes sense. If the consumer is in control, retailers and their marketing partners must do what is necessary to allow the consumer to effectively manage their relationship with their brand.

Patrick Connolly spoke at length this morning about the importance of what he called a “focused digital strategy” and how that contributes to the success of Williams-Sonoma, and has contributed to completely rewriting the definition of “multi-channel” retailer. Williams-Sonoma, in the last several years, has completely transformed itself from a company where the vast majority of its sales originated from the catalog channel with only a slim representation from the eCommerce channel. Now 30 percent of the company’s revenue comes from eCommerce alone. Interestingly, Connolly highlighted that only a slight shift in spend – growing the marketing budget from five percent in digital channels to 20 percent in digital channels – fueled the transition.

This remarkable transformation was guided by Connolly on some core principles that permeated every decision.

Principle number one is the importance of marketing precision, and Connolly spoke about how the digital channels are exclusive in their ability to target content and measure results. This sounds like a simple principle, but the application of it internally within the company is a bit more challenging. For example, the company completely changed its internal alignment from direct marketers and brand marketers to align based around product where each product’s brand manager’s heritage is in direct response marketing.

For Connolly, he made eCommerce and the Internet the company’s number one focus. That means the reversal of emphasis on the catalog channel – which is where 90 percent of the company’s resources were focused – to the Web channel. For Connolly, his desire to really understand what was driving the business was essential, and digital marketing communications with direct marketing thinking informing the strategy, was exactly what he needed. In short, direct digital marketing.

The other important principle for Connolly was that the professionals in charge of the marketing understand database marketing and the importance of the role the database plays in marketing success. Putting database and direct marketing professionals in key positions changed the marketing culture from an aesthetic culture to a data culture. Not only does Williams-Sonoma now actually understand who buys and what is being bought, they better understand how to effectively communicate with their customers to improve their revenue, but also deepen customer engagement.

Connolly claimed a “maniacal focus” on Web analytics and content testing and optimization. This is extremely important, but likely not without some internal political collateral damage as the company transformed. Connolly claimed that Williams-Sonoma was immune to inter-channel politics. I have some doubts about that. Corporate culture shift will always have its champions and its enemies. What is important to remember is that the focus should remain on the customer, since they are in control. Connolly proves out the notion that direct digital marketing principles are essential for becoming successful in lifting sales and engaging consumers.

Retail and eCommerce principles are in practice not only in the e-retail industry but in many industries. While the NRF and Shop.org serve the retail industry, smart marketers from many different industries glean knowledge from these conferences and apply it within their own industry to improve engagement and sales. The principles of eCommerce and direct digital marketing are in many ways industry-neutral. For example, I know of many marketers in key positions in the restaurant and hospitality industries that use retail and eCommerce principles as the foundation of their strategies. Folks, these are some of the best and brightest marketing minds in retail and attendees will learn techniques and strategies that get results in any industry.

The event promises great keynotes and breakout sessions across the agenda. Here are a few on day one I think are worthwhile.

The first keynote is from the CMO of Williams-Sonoma, Patrick J. Connolly, who is a direct marketing expert. What is interesting about Connolly, though his heritage is in direct marketing, he acknowledges the future of marketing for him belongs in the direct digital marketing channels of email, mobile, and – the most direct channel of all – the website.

The second keynote is another “can’t miss” for marketing professionals in any industry. The topic seems buzzword-y and simple – Five New Principles for Retail Consumer Engagement. Research indicates that most industries struggle with engagement and can always grow sales in the near and long term.

The third keynote – still on the first day – is entitled The Mobile Revolution and delivered by Shopkick’s co-founder Cyriac Roeding. This is an important keynote because too many misconceptions exist about what mobile marketing is, and what it is not. And, most of the misconceptions are driven by those with the least amount of working knowledge of how to deliver real business value from the mobile device .

The afternoon breakout sessions on day one will be interesting too, though I will be skipping the ubiquitous social media breakout. You can find me in The Cross Channel Marketing Mix session that claims the term “multi-channel” is dead and that “cross channel” is the new, preferred term. I remain unconvinced on this one, and will report my considered findings back here after the session.

As usual with any event Knotice chooses to attend, I will be blogging from the event. I am particularly excited about this event because of the compelling keynote topics, a few interesting breakout sessions, and the Racie Awards dinner on Wednesday. Rarely is there a collection of great such retail, marketing, and advertising talent in one spot. Stay tuned to the Lunch Pail for plenty of posts recounting the best and brightest takeaways from what promises to be a great few days of learning.

Marketers with decades of experience are extremely valuable. In fact, these types of marketers are usually brilliant, understand the consumer very well, and often carry a great deal of influence. They are a necessary influence to any type of marketer at any age or stage in a career. But sometimes these types of marketers can be particularly susceptible to stagnant thinking and outdated ideation. The danger to improving marketing is self-evident. A great deal of influence, but outdated thinking, is a danger to advancing marketing and critical business thinking. A combination of traditional and new influences is absolutely crucial to success. In short, a professional influence audit makes sense for everyone.

The fresh perspective and a new way of thinking is an important element of the influence equation, too, because it helps soften the transition to a new marketing world where accountability and measurement are prominent – and mandatory. Traditional marketers with a great deal of experience in traditional communications channels and mass marketing can, at times, find the idea of direct and immediate accountability a bit frightening. And, who can blame them? But, the mindset of the market has changed and is still changing. Budgets are shrinking while performance demands are expanding. A fresh perspective is vital to ease the transition.

Part of my recent influence audit added two more important perspectives to my learning arsenal. The first is former USA Today technology columnist turned author Kevin Maney, whose recent book, Trade-Off, teaches the value of seeing products through the prism of a trade-off between convenience and fidelity. The cross-section of products Maney gives perspective on spans every type of marketing. Another recent influence is David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR. He brings together myriad new ways of approaching traditional challenges, and methods for tackling the ever-changing environment of online content distribution and consumption. For me, this is part of the fresh perspective I need to push my limits.

Who influences your marketing thinking? Do you have a combination of positive influences from both ends of the career continuum? Do you perform a professional influence audit?

So, it is no surprise that in a recent marketing survey respondents identified the need to quantify mobile marketing’s return on investment as the most critical element of their perspective on mobile.

If you are struggling to build a quantitative case for mobile marketing, rest assured it can be done.

The basic tenets direct marketers are accustomed to are all present in mobile marketing. Segmentation? Check. Personalization? Check. Relevant content? Check. Measurability? Check.

Like any marketing effort, mobile is flexible enough to achieve a number of simultaneous goals or hone in on a specific campaign objective and execute it flawlessly. For example, SMS campaigns are ideal for reach and are easily measured. The Web on a mobile device has less reach (though more than an app does) and a poor user experience, but it is excellent for its measurability – it works much like Web analytics currently work, just translated for a mobile device. The reach and experience drawbacks will improve over time. So, what the Web on a mobile device lacks in user experience right now it makes up for in marketing measurement… the direct marketer’s comfort zone.

A quantitative case for mobile marketing can be made no matter what type of campaign objective is first on the list. If you have not yet read regular Lunch Pail contributor Bryce Marshall’s Making Sense of Mobile Marketing white paper, that is a great place to start for building a quantitative argument and mobile marketing strategy. Understand what mobile marketing consists of, what the demographics of usage are, and then understand specific campaigns, how results vary, and how success is measured.

What types of barriers to mobile marketing exist within your company?

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.

In short, “Direct” is in. DM News writer Nathan Golia penned an interesting piece earlier this month detailing how the expertise required to succeed in the CMO position is changing from awareness and brand expectations that were the cornerstone of marketing for decades to a more direct and accountable approach.

Golia points to three recent CMO hires as primary examples. Rodale, Tropicana Entertainment, and AMC – all hired in the last four months – place the most emphasis on direct marketing and database marketing in a candidate’s work history. That is not to say that branding and awareness are no longer important in the role of a CMO, it just upends historical emphasis on immeasurable aspects of marketing.

Golia’s article also quotes CMO Council Executive Director Donovan Neale-May, who notes, “a huge move toward database-targeted, behaviorally driven, analytically based digital campaigns.”

CMOs are already tasked with the responsibility of showing real, bottom-line ROI for marketing efforts. Historically organizations placed emphasis on successful awareness and branding elements, but demanded similar accountability. However, those efforts simply do not reveal the quantifiable proof of success that direct digital marketing delivers so effortlessly.

This seemingly mundane bit of back page hiring news is easy to skip over, but Golia uncovered a growing trend that forecasts the pending shift at the top of the marketing world – direct is in, and a digital foundation makes marketing more accountable and more effective.

It is a refreshing nugget to discover, given The Lunch Pail’s focus on all things direct digital marketing. The changing climate of the CMO hiring process helps reinforce the value of a direct digital marketing approach. The focus of marketing efforts should first be on the data, then on the various channels through which communications are sent and measured.

Now that CMOs are able to better identify ROI opportunities and create stories around them – and now have both the expertise and the time to show their success to the various stakeholders – the next problem that needs solved is the battle between connections and integration.

Like our own Bryce Marshall wrote in his acclaimed white paper, “Making Sense of Mobile Marketing,” the “mobile channel” offers a variety of different executions and communications opportunities. The spectrum of mobile marketing is beginning to come into better focus with the greatest reach and penetration opportunities in SMS programs and the best user experience residing in apps. But, another important aspect of mobile marketing is the increasing use of the mobile Web by consumers.

So, general excitement exists about mobile, but what is so great about the mobile Web? More than any other mobile marketing function, the mobile Web allows brands to make real transactions, anywhere, anytime. Mobile Commerce Daily writer Giselle Tsirulnik recently penned a wonderful breakdown of the marketing value of a mobile website for marketers looking to make a successful leap onto the mobile Web. While the mobile Web does not yet offer a great user experience – thanks mostly to mediocre (at best) mobile Web browsers – consumers who are engaged enough with a brand to overcome browsing pitfalls are ready to spend money.

The mobile Web puzzle has two primary pieces. First, a brand must offer enough value for consumers to get past the inherent inconvenience of browsing the mobile Web. In short, the content must be valuable. A mobile website can allow for comparison shopping, easily accessed offers, and the ability to check order status. If the information is valuable enough, the inconvenience will be neutralized.

Second, convenience is the name of the game to compensate for poor mobile browsers. Make shopping on the mobile device easy and understand what products are designed to sell well on the mobile Web. For example, an impulse buy makes sense whereas a big ticket item – given the browsing limitations – does not afford the customer enough information to pull the trigger on their phone.