The previous articles from Vol.25: How to Effectively Integrate Media/Communication Channels (Part 1) through Vol.27: How to Effectively Integrate Media/Communication Channels (Part 3), integrating online and offline media and communication channels for synergy based on AIDA model has been discussed.
Topic of this article is hot to deliver consistent core message by effectively integrating online and offline media/communication channels. In doing so, the author would like to discuss advertising and other content (article etc.) separately because they are rather different. This is probably because the objective of advertising and other contents is different.
Before answering to the question “what are KFS (Key Factors for Success) in delivering consistent core message by advertising of online and offline media?”, let us recap on the objective of advertising.
1. What is the objective of advertising? (recap)
Regardless of types of media, objective of advertising is drawing attention and interest of consumers most of whom have not interest in the products and services, and navigate them to the driving point of the persuasion scenario briefly explained in the previous article Vol.13: How is Landing Page Optimization Related to Persuation Scenario? Advertising is either 15 or 30 second visual and/or sound, or a still picture with catch copy.
2. What is important in advertising of all online and offline media?
There are a few important points in advertising regardless of all online and offline media. The first point is branding or identity (consisting of core message, concept, style, image etc.). This is the same for what the author said “other contents” earlier, a topic that a book can be written and this will not be discussed in this article. The second point is (first) impression/impact, and this is what it makes different from “other contents”.
The challenge is delivering the core message based on the brand strategy integrating all online and offline media, while creating each advertisement leveraging the characteristics of each media. This is the focus of this article.
3. How can the core message be consistently and effectively delivered by advertisement, leveraging online and offline media?
The author would like to briefly discuss by each media. The underlying concept is “one-source multi-use”.
1) TV
Excellent image building and scenario requirements of successful TV advertising (mass advertising), which is usually 15 or 30 second movie (visual and audio, rich media) TVCF. Being a rich media, creative visual, sound effect/BGM, narration and terop are composites of TVCF. In many cases, TVCF and other mass advertising of printed materials are developed simultaneously. However, TVCF tends to lead/influence advertising creation of other media. It is true that it is easier, logical and effective to develop visuals used in printed and online advertisement from TVCF, which is probably the reason.
What advertising by TVCF is different and challenging from printed and many online advertising (e.g. link banners, search engine result pages, rich media ad) is probably scenario planning/development of 15 or 30 seconds and producing the product of TVCF. 15 and/or 30 seconds are very short nevertheless excellent scenario needs to be planned and developed within that timeframe for effective TVCF together with the detailed planning of each composite. This can be more challenging than those of TV content.
One thing that TVCF could be different from other advertising is that the core message does not necessarily have to be understood at the beginning. In fact, as a strategy of “element of surprises” to maximize impact so that attention and interest of the audience will be drawn, the products and services advertised not clear until the end of the 15 or 30 second TVCF in a few cases. This can be a TVCF strategy, which is not the case for others.
Other well used strategies to maximize impact or news hook to create “buzz” include use of celebrities and famous people in advertising, and use of luxurious setting. These strategies can be used only if sufficient budget is available. These strategies are usually adopted for BtoC product TVCF.
2) Newspapers and Magazines
Eye-catching and creative visual, well planned layout/design and catch copy are requirements of successful printed media mass advertising of newspapers and magazines. In many cases, essence (elements) of the total TVCF are “converted” to 2 dimensional printed advertising consisting of visual and text. This is the “visualized” output of core message and brand image.
Both vertical version and horizontal version are usually created because these printed advertising can be both versions, depending on the space of the advertising.
What makes newspaper and magazine different is effect of colour. This is because of the difference in quality of paper. In general, paper quality of magazines is far better than those of newspapers. This is one reason why advertising of products that colour and texture is vital in branding and core message delivery (e.g. make ups, jewelries), newspaper advertising is rarely used. Other possible reason is the target audience of newspapers is likely to be too wide for such products and advertising by magazine read by target customer is more used.
3) Radio
Well planned scenario, rhythmical narration easy to understand simple words and phrases and sound effect (BGM) are requirements of successful radio advertising. Being the only media delivered exclusively by audio, this is quite different from others, and the success largely attributes to the narrator, i.e. the quality of the voice and the narration skills.
4) Posters and Billboards
Similarly to adverting of newspapers and magazines, eye-catching and creative visual, well planned layout/design and catch copy are requirements of successful printed media mass advertising of posters and billboards. One thing that makes advertising of posters and billboards different from advertising of newspapers and magazines is that it needs to be more visual and catch copy oriented, and cannot rely on detailed texts, because these are usually seen from a distance.
5) DMs and Flyers
Eye-catching copy with trigger words and phrases, well planned layout and attractive visual are requirements of successful DMs and Flyers. This means that creative visual developed for newspaper and magazine advertising cannot be used as it is in DMs and flyers. For this reason, simplified version visual(s) needs to be created in many cases, and complement by texts. Simplified version visual(s) are often used in catalogues.
6) Online/Internet
This consists of variety of advertising and requirements for success depend on which kind of online advertising. What can be said is that rules or requirements for successful online advertising are different from that of traditional media mentioned above. This deserves much discussion and will be the topic of the next article.
References:-
Edelman, David C (2010), Four ways to get more value from digital marketing
https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Digital_Marketing/Four_ways_to_get_more_value_from_digital_marketing_2556
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Vol.27: How to Effectively Integrate Media/Communication Channels (Part 3)
The previous article Vol.26: How to Effectively Integrate Media/Communication Channels (Part 2) focused on driving consumers to main part of your business, which is usually spatial channel, i.e. Attention and Interest of AIDA model.
This article focuses on integrating online and offline in the main part of your business, which is usually spatial channel of the chart below, which is Desire and Action of AIDA model.
In theory a case in which online or offline exclusive is possible, but in reality such are of minority and integrated use of online and offline media and communication channels is usually more effective today. Having said that, all 3 possible patterns, including offline exclusive and online exclusive patterns, are discussed.
1. How consumers/buyers used to go through the buying process before the emergence of the Internet? (Pattern 1: offline, bricks/mortar and bricks/mortar)
Before the emergence of the Internet i.e. in offline only world, consumers/buyers driven to the main part of the buying process by offline media and communication channels used to go through the process offline to finally take action = buy.
For example, they would go to offline store, see demonstration, get more detailed information by face-to-face communication with staff, try and compare products and services etc. and finally decide to buy. They might have visited and experienced some parts of such processed in other offline spatial channel such as tradeshows, seminars and events. Other possible examples include mail order in which consumers/buyers go through such process by printed materials (catalogues, forms etc) and phone, and direct sales by sales staff which is face-to-face offline communication channel.
Today when many people use the Internet everyday in obtaining information and comparing to make decision although the degree of the Internet use depends on person and other factors, this pattern is probably rare in reality.
2. How consumers/buyers can go through the buying process using the Internet 100%? (Pattern 2: online, click and click)
This pattern, although it might be minority, is possible, such as online shopping and enjoying online trading of foreign exchange. In many of such cases of, online consumers/buyers are driven to the buying process by online media such as the methodologies mentioned in the previous article Vol.11: How to Successfully Drive Web Users to Web Contents.
The online consumer/buyer would go through the buying process similarly to pattern 1 online, but experiencing similar processed by visiting web pages/contents, free from time and location restraint. They would first access reference landing pages, which is Desire part of AIDA model, the topic of the previous article Vol.15: How to Effectively Optimize Reference Landing Page. When they have decided to “buy”, which is Action of AIDA model, they would then be navigated to transactional landing pages to finally to complete “call to action” step, the topic of the previous article Vol.16: How to Effectively Optimize Transactional Landing Page.
Such online consumers/buyers might have visited and experienced some parts of such process in other online spatial channel such as tradeshows, seminars and events web contents available online. Such web contents, if posted after they have been taken place (e.g. as archive), enable consumers/buyers to re-visit and help then to recap.
3. How consumers/buyers can leverage integrated online and offline media/communication channels in going through the buying process? (Pattern 3: online and offline, clicks and mortar)
This pattern, the mixture of the other 2 patterns, is the ideal and is probably most common today. There are so many versions in this pattern and it is impossible to list up all. Some of the main versions are as below.
1) Online (reference information) > Offline (store)
This is the basic and the simplest version. Customers/buyers would obtain information, compare etc. online such as product information pages and then go to the nearby offline store to see and try actual products and services, ask questions to staff, and when convinced that this is the product/service they have been looking for, make decision to buy.
2) Offline (store) > Online (reference information) > Offline (store etc.)
This is also a possible version. For example, customers/buyers might have seen and became interested in a product/service when he/she visited an offline store but want to compare with other products/services provided by other companies and went home and accessed related websites for comparison. Then when he/she knows which product/service provided by which company is his choice, he/she would go back to the offline store again, and go through the process mentioned in 1).
3) Offline (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > Online (reference information) > Offline (store)
This is another possible version, which might be the most popular among version that consumers/buyers visit spatial channel besides store. For example, customers/buyers attend offline tradeshow, event, seminar or forum and having obtained primary information of products/services, get interested in them and decide to buy and do so then. But such is not always the case, and they may well get more information online for comparison and then finally decide to buy and visit the nearby offline store to do so.
4) Online (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > Offline (store)
This is another possible version, the basic version when customers/buyers are first navigated to spatial channel excluding store. For example, customers/buyers attend online tradeshow, event, seminar or forum instead of those of offline for reasons such as time and location restriction, and when the get interested in products/services, visit nearby offline store, and go through the process mentioned in 1).
5) Online (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > Online (reference information) > Offline (store)
This is another possible version based on 4). For example, customers/buyers attend online tradeshow, event, seminar or forum get interested in products/services and follow the link to web contents of detailed information of products/service, and then visit the nearby offline store, to go through the process mentioned in 1).
6) Offline (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > online (store)
This may seem unlikely but this is also possible. For example, customers/buyers attend offline tradeshow, event, seminar or forum and having obtained primary information of products/services, get interested in them and decide to buy. But such spatial channels are not designed for “selling” in many cases and in such a case they may well do so by utilizing e-commerce function of website (online store). This version may be suitable for services and software products.
7) Offline (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > online (reference information) > online (store)
This version is based on 6). Customers/buyers may well access such web contents as product/service information (reference landing pages) then after finally decided to buy, access transactional landing pages and complete the buying process.
4. What comes after?
After successful completion of “call to action”, follow-up needs to be done. This used to be done offline (e.g. telephone, customer service staff), but today in many cases, online follow-up such as e-mail and social media is widely used, at least as primary follow-up, then customer service staff may contact by phone or visit if necessary.
The next article will be about tailoring consistent message to meet characteristics of different media/communication channel.
This article focuses on integrating online and offline in the main part of your business, which is usually spatial channel of the chart below, which is Desire and Action of AIDA model.
In theory a case in which online or offline exclusive is possible, but in reality such are of minority and integrated use of online and offline media and communication channels is usually more effective today. Having said that, all 3 possible patterns, including offline exclusive and online exclusive patterns, are discussed.
1. How consumers/buyers used to go through the buying process before the emergence of the Internet? (Pattern 1: offline, bricks/mortar and bricks/mortar)
Before the emergence of the Internet i.e. in offline only world, consumers/buyers driven to the main part of the buying process by offline media and communication channels used to go through the process offline to finally take action = buy.
For example, they would go to offline store, see demonstration, get more detailed information by face-to-face communication with staff, try and compare products and services etc. and finally decide to buy. They might have visited and experienced some parts of such processed in other offline spatial channel such as tradeshows, seminars and events. Other possible examples include mail order in which consumers/buyers go through such process by printed materials (catalogues, forms etc) and phone, and direct sales by sales staff which is face-to-face offline communication channel.
Today when many people use the Internet everyday in obtaining information and comparing to make decision although the degree of the Internet use depends on person and other factors, this pattern is probably rare in reality.
2. How consumers/buyers can go through the buying process using the Internet 100%? (Pattern 2: online, click and click)
This pattern, although it might be minority, is possible, such as online shopping and enjoying online trading of foreign exchange. In many of such cases of, online consumers/buyers are driven to the buying process by online media such as the methodologies mentioned in the previous article Vol.11: How to Successfully Drive Web Users to Web Contents.
The online consumer/buyer would go through the buying process similarly to pattern 1 online, but experiencing similar processed by visiting web pages/contents, free from time and location restraint. They would first access reference landing pages, which is Desire part of AIDA model, the topic of the previous article Vol.15: How to Effectively Optimize Reference Landing Page. When they have decided to “buy”, which is Action of AIDA model, they would then be navigated to transactional landing pages to finally to complete “call to action” step, the topic of the previous article Vol.16: How to Effectively Optimize Transactional Landing Page.
Such online consumers/buyers might have visited and experienced some parts of such process in other online spatial channel such as tradeshows, seminars and events web contents available online. Such web contents, if posted after they have been taken place (e.g. as archive), enable consumers/buyers to re-visit and help then to recap.
3. How consumers/buyers can leverage integrated online and offline media/communication channels in going through the buying process? (Pattern 3: online and offline, clicks and mortar)
This pattern, the mixture of the other 2 patterns, is the ideal and is probably most common today. There are so many versions in this pattern and it is impossible to list up all. Some of the main versions are as below.
1) Online (reference information) > Offline (store)
This is the basic and the simplest version. Customers/buyers would obtain information, compare etc. online such as product information pages and then go to the nearby offline store to see and try actual products and services, ask questions to staff, and when convinced that this is the product/service they have been looking for, make decision to buy.
2) Offline (store) > Online (reference information) > Offline (store etc.)
This is also a possible version. For example, customers/buyers might have seen and became interested in a product/service when he/she visited an offline store but want to compare with other products/services provided by other companies and went home and accessed related websites for comparison. Then when he/she knows which product/service provided by which company is his choice, he/she would go back to the offline store again, and go through the process mentioned in 1).
3) Offline (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > Online (reference information) > Offline (store)
This is another possible version, which might be the most popular among version that consumers/buyers visit spatial channel besides store. For example, customers/buyers attend offline tradeshow, event, seminar or forum and having obtained primary information of products/services, get interested in them and decide to buy and do so then. But such is not always the case, and they may well get more information online for comparison and then finally decide to buy and visit the nearby offline store to do so.
4) Online (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > Offline (store)
This is another possible version, the basic version when customers/buyers are first navigated to spatial channel excluding store. For example, customers/buyers attend online tradeshow, event, seminar or forum instead of those of offline for reasons such as time and location restriction, and when the get interested in products/services, visit nearby offline store, and go through the process mentioned in 1).
5) Online (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > Online (reference information) > Offline (store)
This is another possible version based on 4). For example, customers/buyers attend online tradeshow, event, seminar or forum get interested in products/services and follow the link to web contents of detailed information of products/service, and then visit the nearby offline store, to go through the process mentioned in 1).
6) Offline (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > online (store)
This may seem unlikely but this is also possible. For example, customers/buyers attend offline tradeshow, event, seminar or forum and having obtained primary information of products/services, get interested in them and decide to buy. But such spatial channels are not designed for “selling” in many cases and in such a case they may well do so by utilizing e-commerce function of website (online store). This version may be suitable for services and software products.
7) Offline (tradeshow, event, seminar, forum) > online (reference information) > online (store)
This version is based on 6). Customers/buyers may well access such web contents as product/service information (reference landing pages) then after finally decided to buy, access transactional landing pages and complete the buying process.
4. What comes after?
After successful completion of “call to action”, follow-up needs to be done. This used to be done offline (e.g. telephone, customer service staff), but today in many cases, online follow-up such as e-mail and social media is widely used, at least as primary follow-up, then customer service staff may contact by phone or visit if necessary.
The next article will be about tailoring consistent message to meet characteristics of different media/communication channel.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Vol.26 – How to Effectively Integrate Media/Communication Channels (Part 2)
In the previous article Vol.25: How to Effectively Integrate Media/Communication Channels (Part 1), how media and communication channels can be effectively mixed and integrated for online and offline synergy was discussed. The pattern 3 (online and offline, clicks and mortar), which is the chart below, integrates online and offline media and communication channels, creates more value from digital marketing, and even can create interesting business models.
This article focuses on driving consumers to main part of your business, which is usually spatial channel, i.e. Attention and Interest of AIDA model.
1. How are consumers/buyers drawn attention and interest and driven to online and offline spatial channel?
With the emergence of the Internet, the options to drive offline and online consumers/buyers to the company’s spatial channel to navigate them down the buying process are available.
2. How consumers/buyers can be attracted and driven to online and offline spatial channel(s)?
This article focuses on driving consumers to main part of your business, which is usually spatial channel, i.e. Attention and Interest of AIDA model.
1. How are consumers/buyers drawn attention and interest and driven to online and offline spatial channel?
With the emergence of the Internet, the options to drive offline and online consumers/buyers to the company’s spatial channel to navigate them down the buying process are available.
2. How consumers/buyers can be attracted and driven to online and offline spatial channel(s)?
Below are possible ways in which marketers, PR & communication professionals and business owners can attract attention/interest to drive consumers to their online and offline spatial channel.
The previous article Vol.11: How to Successfully Drive Web Users to Web Contents also introduces possible methodologies in driving online customer/buyers to online spatial channels (website).
1) Driving consumers by online and offline adverting.
Although traditional media contents are becoming available online as well, traditional advertising here is categorized as offline advertising, and all online advertising regardless of format/vehicle are categorized as online advertising.
(1) Traditional offline mass media: TV, magazine, newspaper, radio (mass advertising)
TV commercial is still an effective mass media to reach and get attention of wide a range of audience. This is visual and audio centric presentation of 15 or 30 seconds so its main objectives are attracting attention of the audience and the very least inspire keywords for consumers to search online.
Magazine and Newspaper advertisements are also effective to reach and get attention of mass audience, in more targeted segment than TV commercial. Visual and catch copy are the key. The main objective are attracting attention of the audience and inspire them to get more information by accessing the URL in the advertising page and/or by visiting directly to spatial channel (trade show, event, seminar, store etc.)
Radio is also still effective as a mass advertising media. This is audio only and its main objectives are same as TV commercial of attracting attention of the audience and the very least inspire keywords for consumers to search online.
(2) Online advertising (mass and/or targeted advertising)
With increase in importance and budget in many companies of online advertising, so is the increase in variety (evolution) of online advertising. In addition to traditional banner advertising and text link advertising came search engine advertising, and now online advertising is linked/integrated with constituents of social media ecosystem mentioned in Vol.5: What Social Media Ecosystem Does Web 2.0 Realize? such as virtual world, gaming, microbrogging (e.g. Twitter) and SNS (e.g. Facebook).
2) Driving consumers by other offline media/communication channel
Here again, some other media and communication channels can be online and offline (e.g. DM) and they have been categorized by online and offline to make discussion simpler.
(1) Billboards and posters (mass targeting advertising)
Billboards and posters are still effective in attracting attention and interest of offline consumers. Due to its geological location, this is mass media targeted by geological factors as well other segments similarly to traditional mass media already mentioned. Being statistic, the primary objectives are same as newspaper and magazine advertising, attracting attention of the audience and inspire them to get more information by accessing the URL in the advertising page and/or by visiting directly to spatial channel (trade show, event, seminar, store etc.)
(2) DMs and flyers (mass targeting advertising)
DMs and flyers are still effective in attracting attention and interest of offline consumers. Flyers usually have geological location restriction so they are basically same as billboards and posters; mass media targeted by geological factors as well other segments. Flyers can include more detailed information and therefore the primary objectives are attracting attention and interest of the audience and inspire them to visit store and or other spatial channel, usually offline. DMs are basically the same as flyers, just that they are usually sent by post so in theory they have less geological location restriction and therefore reach mass audience of targeted segments (segmented by factors other than geological location).
3) Driving consumers by other online channel (mass and/or targeted)
Objectives of these are driving online customers first to reference landing page of the company website. The reference landing page might be online special channel or other page, and if it is the latter, online customers need to be navigated to the online special channel web pages.
(1) SEO (targeted)
SEO is one of the most effective ways of driving online customers/buyer.
There are paid search and organic search, and the choice depends on factors such as budget and timeline. In general, paid search is more suitable if sufficient is available and prominent result needs to be delivered immediately; therefore it might be better for season limited campaigns and events. Organic search is generally used (should be performed) at all times, as SEO from both algorithm (key words/phrases, tags etc.) and content (headline, relevance and targeting, frequency of updates etc.) perspective.
(2) E-newsletter and online DM (targeted and/or mass)
E-newsletter and online DM can still be effective and their future lies in integrating with social media, although some people do say with social media these would eventually be diminished. With effective use of DB, these can be mass or targeted, and ultimate targeting is one-to-one (marketing).
(3) Others: e.g. affiliate programme, links (targeted and/or mass)
There are other methods to drive online customers to online spatial channel, such as affiliate programmes and links. A whole book can be written about affiliate programme so the author would like to refrain from going into detail but she would like to emphasize that if planned and implemented strategically based on quantitative and qualitative analysis and other marketing techniques, this can be extremely effective, delivering prominent ROI. There are many types of links and the KFS are relevance, location and link text/icon.
4) Driving consumers by PR activities (mass & targeted broadcasting)
PR activities usually start with news release composition and distribution. Its primary objective might be to drive customers to offline and online special channel of press conference, tradeshow, events, seminars, store etc. because in many cases only some are directly driven to such channels.
This is because in reality, primary objective of PR remains attracting attention of journalists and bloggers (and not directly reaching customer/buyers) so that they would write news and blog articles and/or mention their products/services and company.
News and blog articles can be combined with advertising factors. When news article is combined with advertising it will become advertorial, and when article is combined with advertising (e.g. pay-per-click advertising) it can become an affiliate programme.
What needs to be considered and aimed for include making news and blog articles (and advertising) go “broadcasted” and “viral” by the general public and participate in their conversation. This works the best online, leveraging the following, and therefore the approaches needs to be changed from traditional PR and marketing. (The author would like to focus on viral marketing in one of her upcoming article).
(1) News site: e.g. Digg (mass and/or targeted)
Besides monitoring and aiming increase exposure in traditional news media (as done by “clipping”), PR professionals need to do the same for online coverage of traditional news media and news sites. News site is effective because with sufficient information and reliable reviews by experts, online consumers are attracted and interested in the content and be driven to the website.
(2) MicroBlogging: e.g. Twitter (mass and/or targeted)
Microbrogging is extremely effective today to spread the information and get the news go “viral”, as proven by how President Obama leveraged to win the presidential election last year.
(3) SNS: e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn (targeted and/or mass)
SNS is also effective today to get the news go “viral”. With different philosophy and concept of networking (making friends and connection, how information can be delivered in the online community etc.), MicroBlogging might be getter to make news “viral” to wider audience from PR perspective, as pointed out by Greco (2010) in her article “Why We Have Such a Crush on Twitter (and Not On Facebook)”. It seems that SNS is more suitable to make “viral” in more “focused” and “deep” manner
Further discussion of the pattern 3 (online and offline, clicks and mortar) will be continued in the next article.
References:-
Edelman, David C (2010), Four ways to get more value from digital marketing
https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Digital_Marketing/Four_ways_to_get_more_value_from_digital_marketing_2556
Greco, Jess (2010), Why We Have Such a Crush on Twitter (and Not On Facebook)
http://prbreakfastclub.com/2010/03/30/why-crush-twitter/
The previous article Vol.11: How to Successfully Drive Web Users to Web Contents also introduces possible methodologies in driving online customer/buyers to online spatial channels (website).
1) Driving consumers by online and offline adverting.
Although traditional media contents are becoming available online as well, traditional advertising here is categorized as offline advertising, and all online advertising regardless of format/vehicle are categorized as online advertising.
(1) Traditional offline mass media: TV, magazine, newspaper, radio (mass advertising)
TV commercial is still an effective mass media to reach and get attention of wide a range of audience. This is visual and audio centric presentation of 15 or 30 seconds so its main objectives are attracting attention of the audience and the very least inspire keywords for consumers to search online.
Magazine and Newspaper advertisements are also effective to reach and get attention of mass audience, in more targeted segment than TV commercial. Visual and catch copy are the key. The main objective are attracting attention of the audience and inspire them to get more information by accessing the URL in the advertising page and/or by visiting directly to spatial channel (trade show, event, seminar, store etc.)
Radio is also still effective as a mass advertising media. This is audio only and its main objectives are same as TV commercial of attracting attention of the audience and the very least inspire keywords for consumers to search online.
(2) Online advertising (mass and/or targeted advertising)
With increase in importance and budget in many companies of online advertising, so is the increase in variety (evolution) of online advertising. In addition to traditional banner advertising and text link advertising came search engine advertising, and now online advertising is linked/integrated with constituents of social media ecosystem mentioned in Vol.5: What Social Media Ecosystem Does Web 2.0 Realize? such as virtual world, gaming, microbrogging (e.g. Twitter) and SNS (e.g. Facebook).
2) Driving consumers by other offline media/communication channel
Here again, some other media and communication channels can be online and offline (e.g. DM) and they have been categorized by online and offline to make discussion simpler.
(1) Billboards and posters (mass targeting advertising)
Billboards and posters are still effective in attracting attention and interest of offline consumers. Due to its geological location, this is mass media targeted by geological factors as well other segments similarly to traditional mass media already mentioned. Being statistic, the primary objectives are same as newspaper and magazine advertising, attracting attention of the audience and inspire them to get more information by accessing the URL in the advertising page and/or by visiting directly to spatial channel (trade show, event, seminar, store etc.)
(2) DMs and flyers (mass targeting advertising)
DMs and flyers are still effective in attracting attention and interest of offline consumers. Flyers usually have geological location restriction so they are basically same as billboards and posters; mass media targeted by geological factors as well other segments. Flyers can include more detailed information and therefore the primary objectives are attracting attention and interest of the audience and inspire them to visit store and or other spatial channel, usually offline. DMs are basically the same as flyers, just that they are usually sent by post so in theory they have less geological location restriction and therefore reach mass audience of targeted segments (segmented by factors other than geological location).
3) Driving consumers by other online channel (mass and/or targeted)
Objectives of these are driving online customers first to reference landing page of the company website. The reference landing page might be online special channel or other page, and if it is the latter, online customers need to be navigated to the online special channel web pages.
(1) SEO (targeted)
SEO is one of the most effective ways of driving online customers/buyer.
There are paid search and organic search, and the choice depends on factors such as budget and timeline. In general, paid search is more suitable if sufficient is available and prominent result needs to be delivered immediately; therefore it might be better for season limited campaigns and events. Organic search is generally used (should be performed) at all times, as SEO from both algorithm (key words/phrases, tags etc.) and content (headline, relevance and targeting, frequency of updates etc.) perspective.
(2) E-newsletter and online DM (targeted and/or mass)
E-newsletter and online DM can still be effective and their future lies in integrating with social media, although some people do say with social media these would eventually be diminished. With effective use of DB, these can be mass or targeted, and ultimate targeting is one-to-one (marketing).
(3) Others: e.g. affiliate programme, links (targeted and/or mass)
There are other methods to drive online customers to online spatial channel, such as affiliate programmes and links. A whole book can be written about affiliate programme so the author would like to refrain from going into detail but she would like to emphasize that if planned and implemented strategically based on quantitative and qualitative analysis and other marketing techniques, this can be extremely effective, delivering prominent ROI. There are many types of links and the KFS are relevance, location and link text/icon.
4) Driving consumers by PR activities (mass & targeted broadcasting)
PR activities usually start with news release composition and distribution. Its primary objective might be to drive customers to offline and online special channel of press conference, tradeshow, events, seminars, store etc. because in many cases only some are directly driven to such channels.
This is because in reality, primary objective of PR remains attracting attention of journalists and bloggers (and not directly reaching customer/buyers) so that they would write news and blog articles and/or mention their products/services and company.
News and blog articles can be combined with advertising factors. When news article is combined with advertising it will become advertorial, and when article is combined with advertising (e.g. pay-per-click advertising) it can become an affiliate programme.
What needs to be considered and aimed for include making news and blog articles (and advertising) go “broadcasted” and “viral” by the general public and participate in their conversation. This works the best online, leveraging the following, and therefore the approaches needs to be changed from traditional PR and marketing. (The author would like to focus on viral marketing in one of her upcoming article).
(1) News site: e.g. Digg (mass and/or targeted)
Besides monitoring and aiming increase exposure in traditional news media (as done by “clipping”), PR professionals need to do the same for online coverage of traditional news media and news sites. News site is effective because with sufficient information and reliable reviews by experts, online consumers are attracted and interested in the content and be driven to the website.
(2) MicroBlogging: e.g. Twitter (mass and/or targeted)
Microbrogging is extremely effective today to spread the information and get the news go “viral”, as proven by how President Obama leveraged to win the presidential election last year.
(3) SNS: e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn (targeted and/or mass)
SNS is also effective today to get the news go “viral”. With different philosophy and concept of networking (making friends and connection, how information can be delivered in the online community etc.), MicroBlogging might be getter to make news “viral” to wider audience from PR perspective, as pointed out by Greco (2010) in her article “Why We Have Such a Crush on Twitter (and Not On Facebook)”. It seems that SNS is more suitable to make “viral” in more “focused” and “deep” manner
Further discussion of the pattern 3 (online and offline, clicks and mortar) will be continued in the next article.
References:-
Edelman, David C (2010), Four ways to get more value from digital marketing
https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Digital_Marketing/Four_ways_to_get_more_value_from_digital_marketing_2556
Greco, Jess (2010), Why We Have Such a Crush on Twitter (and Not On Facebook)
http://prbreakfastclub.com/2010/03/30/why-crush-twitter/
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