MARKETING INSIGHTS: Optimizing the Marketing Cross-Platform Process
by Bob Chernet
Just imagine how much time, effort and money goes into strategically, developing and deploying an outbound message to a customer, client or associate. No matter if it’s an eMail campaign, print ad, direct mail piece or television spot the collective brain cells and bank account required to bring the campaign to a successful client engagement is enormous.
Yet, all to often a critical component to the process is left out, forgotten or considered inconsequential. This missing link, the fluid cross-platform process, can mean the difference between success and failure of a marketing program.
Today, there are basically two actions most marketing programs seek to achieve. The first is to have the customer make an immediate purchase. They can do that by either going directly to the store, or by calling a company representative and calling-in an order (the variation on this might be calling the rep and beginning the process of estimation, negotiation and P.O., but you get the point).
The second action is to move the customer to a Web site where they either seek more information, or immediately engage. In most cases, visitors look for more data to support their interest before committing to a purchase decision.
The enormous disconnect comes most frequently in the second instance when the message does not align with the call-to-action. That is, this highly-crafted marketing driver simply lands you on the home page of a company with little or no similarity between the offer and a way to investigate or fulfill it.
You’ve probably seen an ad, a banner or an eBlast that you are really interested in. You click on the ad and are taken to a Web page that 1.) doesn’t immediately repeat the offer somewhere prominent on the page, 2.) has no graphic continuity with the marketing driver, 3.) is cluttered with messaging unrelated to the reason you clicked the banner in the first place. In frustration, most people click away and leave the site, which is unfortunate. All that time and effort has been wasted.
In my opinion, one of the highest priority items in the online marketing transaction process (aside from the message itself) is the seamless transition from driver, to Web site (hence, cross-platform). It’s critically important to preserve the intent, message and environment all along the marketing path. Especially when you’re asking the user to jump from one media source to the other. In a perfect world, make the offer and don’t allow distraction anywhere along the journey until they reach the successful conclusion.
The operative concept here is message and environment continuity.
Think of the landing page for your drivers. Does it clearly map-in to the message, look and feel of the campaign? Often times, it does not. (Frequently, a driver will take a user to a home page, or a product page within the site with not obvious reference to the campaign’s offer, nor any easy way to find it).
I hear the groaning already. “You’re telling me I have to create, in effect, a micro-site that is built around my outbound!” Yes. Precisely. You got the user to click to (or visit) your site; now it’s time to reinforce the journey, preserve the emotional bond you have initiated, assure them of your qualifications, and go for the close. If the process is seamless, your chances of success are much greater.
Consider one of my favorite recent examples, Prudential. Like many other personal wealth management companies, they offer products that specifically target people considering retirement; a very emotional “sell” since it involves money, well-being, happiness, hopes and desires.
In a recent magazine I noticed two huge ads for similar retirement products. One pictured a middle-aged man sitting in a small fishing boat with a headline that blandly talked about retirement and had a link to their corporate web site. The other ad, for Prudential, was surrounded by a sea of red (THAT studk out!) had a banner headline that shouted “The Retirement Red Zone” with short sub-headlines and sidebar stories on “risks,” “impacts” and “concerns.” Wow, got my attention.
To learn more, they encouraged me go to their microsite (it was NOT their Prudential home page!). www.retirementredzone.com not only preserves the message, campaign theme (red) and overall look-and-feel, but has three calls-to-action right at the top (learn more, download, and try…) that came directly from the drivers.
Why does this approach optimize the marketing transaction process? Precisely because Prudential has aligned the message, appeal, graphic design and CTA’s between all their outbound marketing, and the place where business gets done: the Web site.
Their messaging (the Red Zone concept) alone sets them apart from their competitors. Driving them to a separate web site (the micro-site) that continues that messaging while offering a variety of emotional connections between the user’s state of mind and Prudential’s solutions is the master stroke. There is an immediate connection between ALL of Prudential’s retirement-related marcom, and the engagement portal. The message is strong, it resonates, and it’s consistent. The user comes from a driver, is put into a different environment (the Web site) and immediately knows where they are.
Do you provide the same seamless transition? Do you make the journey simple, and the message compelling? Do you keep the user oriented in regards to your message?
While it may require additional time and budget, creating a landing page (or micro-site) that connects and resonates with your marketing program can be well worth the effort, and lead to better conversion rates.
Agree? Disagree? Have a success story? Have a question? Share it with me at: bob_chernet@viewmark.com
View a complete list of Bob’s Marketing Insights articles.
© 2008 Bob Chernet
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