The purpose behind google’s re-positioning of this product is to make it more personal, accessible and more mobile for organisations.

There were a number of key factors that came out of the conference:-

• This year alone it is estimated that 1.2 billion smartphones will be in worldwide use
• Mobile video will increase exponentially
• Mobile e-commerce is set to go even more ballistic
• Mobile responsive websites are key to customer engagement
• Encrypted BYOD which I’ve talked about will be ever more prevalent in the workplace

During the day I was impressed by the various presentations and videos, an american powerhouse company delivering great content.

However, there was one thing that resonated with me during the day and that was the use of the word ‘digital’. A digital business, a digital culture, a digital brand.

According to Google, digital and mobile are key to the future success of any business.

Google put forward the scenario that companies and brands should be thinking in terms of being a ‘digital’ organisation or business.

A digital business involves creating digital content using a communications strategy across all channels to excite the consumer along his/her journey to purchasing.

Organisations no longer sell goods, or services or products they are delivering meaningful digital content, subliminal messages to awaken the customer across a variety of channels as a way of planting the seed for purchase or opening the customers eyes to a problem they didn’t know they had.

I see a communications strategy looking something like this and should comprise of the following five components. This makes it easier to decide which and how many touch points you will use to deliver your content.

1. a creative strategy – the ideas bit
2. a media strategy – what media – print, social, video, TV, adverts (channels and platforms)
3. content strategy – what are you going to talk about, what are you trying to tell/sell your audience
4. a digital strategy – how do you deliver it and where
5. a mobile strategy – having mobile responsive websites, being able to view content across multiple devices

None of the above will be successful if used in isolation and simply calling it a “communications strategy” is too big a deal to work with.

Successful digital companies embrace new trends and innovation comes out of the need to meet and go beyond customer expectations.

These companies are successful because they no longer perceive themselves as a maker or provider of X but have repositioned themselves as a digital company.

An organisation able to deliver their brand, content and marketing message digitally.

In google’s words Digital brand = Digital culture = Digital success I would add at the end of that =  multi-channel/media communications.

These companies are optimising digital platforms for marketing success.

Marketing in our digital world has changed. Advertisements in the major newspapers, leaflet drops in local and national newspapers, adverts on billboards and commercials on TV were how your brand and message was delivered in the past.

Whilst the above retains it’s place in the stratosphere getting noticed by your audience is increasingly more difficult.

How do you position yourself to be in the right place at the right time in front of the right people?

In my last post  I talked about how hybrid mail along with content marketing can be used in conjunction with digital marketing to deliver your marketing efforts.

Using a multi-channel strategy combining digital services with print to communicate the same message but delivered in different ways is an effective way of staying in front of your audience.

An organization that is responsive to customer needs and provides easy access to a variety of channels can differentiate itself in an otherwise crowded field.

Organisations that do create a seamless experience and integrate different forms of technology into its marketing effort can gain customer loyalty.

We’ve become an increasingly mobile workforce, 68% of adults in the UK access the internet on the go (Office of National Statistics) the statistics would appear to stack up. Looking at DPMs analytics clearly shows that more people visit us via some form of mobile device.

In our 24/7 connected world business owners are accessing information around the clock from multiple devices and locations.

Multi-channel communications are about delivering relevant and timely information to your customers in an engaging way giving them the opportunity to interact with you and your brand. It is impossible to predict which channel will be used when so making your content available on all channels is a must.

Being able to co-ordinate a print and digital campaign simultaneously is a great way of targeting your audience with personalised communications.

In my next post 5 tips for digital multi-channel marketing success.

The post Why multi-channel marketing matters in a digital world? appeared first on Digital Print Management.

The final death bell for print would not have been an unrealistic thought.

Jump forward five years and print remains a respected medium used to deliver powerful marketing messages connecting the consumer in a world that has too many social media distractions.

Consumers want choice and each has a different need that is unique and personalised this has created a unique niche for a very different kind of print management company that is able to drive communications in both print and digital format. It also makes print outsourcing an important consideration for businesses to consider when planning a digital and print marketing campaign.

Being able to work with an outsourcing partner that can manage and integrate the various channels of communication makes it a very effective way of maximising business efficiencies and savings.

Brochures, magazines, books and direct mail communications can stand out from the crowd when good content and great design is paramount.

Print has one major advantage over its digital adversary – longevity and undivided attention from it’s audience. 

When a piece of direct mail, postcard, catalogue is in the hands of the consumer they are more engaged than when online. The web and other electronic methods of communication serve up distractions with competing adverts and ‘noise’.

We live in an age of choice and consumers want to be communicated to the way they want.

They may be happy to receive an e-newsletter but might want printed statements and it is down to the marketers to deliver the right combination of personalised communications that suits each of their targeted audiences needs.

By making print stand out more with great content and design, adding colour providing excellent finishing thus creating a long lasting product only cements print’s relationship with the consumer by providing an engaging and a lasting connection.

How often do you receive a great piece of direct mail?

Maybe you were attracted by the message or it was an interesting information piece that you want to keep and then pin to your reminder board or to the fridge. Print has achieved its goal by creating a lasting impact.

Managing print and integrating it with a cross media marketing communications mix requires a lot of thought and effort and is a complicated process.

It requires a dedicated print management company with expertise in printing, design, database management, postal and fulfilment processes.

For many companies that level of print management skill and expertise is beyond most marketing departments and is not a core competency making outsourcing an ideal solution for improved print management internally.

Outsourcing the cross media marketing mix involves consolidating print management and print procurement with one company capable of delivering printed products with online electronic solutions in addition to being able to provide the vital consulting services needed to ensure that any cross media marketing campaign gives the best return on investment.

It’s a balance between co-ordinating print with communication across all channels.

Marketers gain a competitive advantage working with a print management partner by transforming the way they design, create, produce, distribute and integrate their customer communications.

Marketers benefit from outsourcing print management in the following ways:-

• Optimising customer communications across digital and print channels
• Maximise the skills and expertise of a print management partner with access to many suppliers
• Brand identity is aligned by centralising all printed and digital marketing communications
• Combining print spend across multiple clients maximises cost savings
• Access to first class print production, pre-press, design and fulfilment optimising each campaign to the full
• Greater speed and flexibility to market for revenue generating campaigns and critical customer communications
• Compliance by working with a print management company who has already vetted and ensured their suppliers are able to deliver the marketers campaigns on time and in budget
• Data quality management by improving bad data and removing duplicated information ensuring that personalisation is cost effective

Organisations who outsource their marketing communications gain by acquiring expertise, a dedicated print management team capable of managing the variables within a cross media marketing campaign without the marketer having to source this knowledge themselves.

The business of customer communications is ever changing.

With more channels to market to get your message heard requires an organisation to be agile in managing customer preferences across all channels.

Social media is continuing to develop it’s role in customer communication and real time mobile marketing and ‘local marketing’ are still being realised making it increasingly difficult for a company to manage these processes in-house.

Companies stand to gain benefits by working with a provider who have solutions that include print, digital and document management that can deliver personalised marketing.

Marketers can integrate their marketing campaigns like never before and provide bespoke personalised communications to match the customers wants resulting in stronger brands and increased customer loyalty.

Collaboration with a ‘print-neutral’ print management partner who can place communications jobs where their customers will get the greatest benefits ensures that the marketer gains expertise, consultation, access to a variety of multi-channel distribution networks, brand consistency and major cost benefits.

 

 

The post Print management and cross media marketing appeared first on Digital Print Management.