Where is Marketing Going ... and Growing ... in 2015? [PowerViews LIVE Highlights]

Posted by Dan McDade

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on Mar 19, 2015 12:55:43 PM

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On March 3, 2015, Direct Marketing Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Ginger Conlon, joined me on PowerViews LIVE to talk about “Where Marketing is Going … and Growing … in 2015.” A sales, marketing and customer experience expert, Ginger shares her perspective on current and future marketing trends. Take this opportunity to find out how you can direct your marketing and sales organization’s course for 2015. Here’s a glimpse of what she had to say:

1) Television: Television continues to be the biggest spend for marketers due to the fact that you can reach the masses AND get very targeted with your ad buys. In 2015, however, it is projected to grow slower than display advertising and search. Ginger also touches on the concept of programmatic ad buying, which is a platform that makes it easier to manage television inventory and end-to-end programmatic television campaigns.

2) Newspapers and Magazines: We all know that newspapers and magazines are in a tailspin, but is that entirely accurate? Rather than the obliteration of all things print, Ginger explains that as publishing companies have become more targeted and extended to multiple channels (such as digital), the resulting revenue shift has changed the business model accordingly.

3) Email: There’s a notable resurgence in email marketing. Winterberry group predicts a 9% growth in 2015—most of which can be attributed to the way technology has allowed for the personalization of email communication. For example, consider how mobile has opened the way for marketers to capitalize on context. Some messages are able to change according to where the viewer is located. If a person moves from a sunny area to one that's raining, the message can be altered to reflect the new surroundings. While email is still very much the work horse, Ginger says that young people don't seem to utilize it to the extent that “older people” do. That's not to say they've abandoned it entirely. When in need, they use it.

4) Direct Mail: Direct mail remains the biggest in spend budget of all digital and direct. Winterberry reports that for the first time in many years, direct mail spending will actually increase, not from cost increasing, but based on more direct mail being sent out. Because direct mail is not one of the more popular marketing trends, companies that use it find it can actually be quite effective. The key, however, is to make sure it’s integrated into the digital experience to maintain its relevance.

5) Mobile and Social Targeting: Most people are using their phones to shop, but not necessarily purchasing on them. Part of the reason for this may have to do with the type of purchase that’s being made. If they’re purchasing a movie ticket, then sure, the phone works; however, that’s usually not the case with bigger or higher end purchases. 45% of consumers use telephones to research before buying, but when they buy online they go home to their desktop or laptop computer more frequently than buying on the telephone. Ginger believes it is critical to spend on the mobile experience so that conversations continue either on a bigger device or even in-store.

6) Beacons: Beacons are a way for marketers to engage loyal customers in creative ways and reward them for location-based actions. But whether or not the customer takes action, it’s important for marketers take advantage of the data collected on customer behavior. Rather than just pushing promotions in the moment, marketers can “connect the dots” and determine what next steps to take. Keep in mind that when it comes to beacons, there’s a fine line between cool and creepy.

7) Content Marketing: The old cliché rings true: There’s a lot of content out there, just not necessarily good content. Marketing is no longer sequential. It changes based on the individual, so the old model of throwing leads over the fence to sales simply doesn’t work anymore. Prospects may move back and forth from marketing to sales multiple times throughout the buying process. The key to successful content marketing is to understand your customer personas and where they are in the buying cycle in order to provide the right content to the right people at the right time.

8) Technology: According to Scott Brinker, who tracks the mar-tech landscape, there are currently 1,876 companies and open source projects represented in 43 categories of marketing technology. The rise of marketing technologies means marketing and technology will function as a partnership. Marketers must think like technologists and vice versa. Until recently, marketing has been all about communications, but the future will focus on the experience—understanding technology and how it can help the customer experience.

Watch the full interview here on PowerViews LIVE:


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Topics: Marketing Strategy, PowerViews


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