Digital marketing has become an efficient tool for companies to communicate their brand's image. The challenge of the future however is to create an integrated omni-channel client experience.
"There is no way to avoid the digital era." declares Manuel Diaz, president of Emakina France, a digital marketing agency. "In fact, what we call digital marketing is simply marketing that fits the world of today. Our job is to understand the characteristics of today's markets and help businesses efficiently connect with their target audience. In this digital era, the best way to target clients is to be where they are. In other words, to be everywhere!"
A seamless marketing experience
Omni-channel marketing guarantees an efficient marketing campaign by allowing consumers to live the brand across all channels (in-store, mobile devices, computers, etc.). The goal is to create a positive experience for the client no matter whether they are buying a product online or offline. In a poll carried out by Emakina, 82% of respondents answered that they decided to buy a product based on their overall experience with a brand. Only 3% answered that an advertisement convinced them to buy a product. It's a contrast that highlights the changes brought about by this digital revolution and suggests that companies need to rethink how they reach clients. Today, ideas are transmitted through technology: "We preach an experience-based marketing that is built on a mobile first cloud approach." explains Manuel Diaz.
Smart data for a positive experience
Big Data is the key to mastering omni-channel communication and targeting clients accurately. "Data is the petrol of the 21st century. If brands don't develop their own reservoirs of data, they will lose client relationships to GAFA, the internet giants: Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple." adds Manuel Diaz. To successfully exploit data requires not only an adapted strategy but an appropriate company organization that encourages collaboration between marketing and IT, two departments that have not traditionally been known to exchange and work together.
Generation Y: The key to the future?
As the first generation to have widely integrated internet and digital technology in their lifestyle, millennials are leading the digital revolution and consider digital tools to be a fundamental part of their work environment. This digital transformation is not simply earning Facebook "Likes." It's first and foremost an internal revolution. Companies that are, for example, still limiting internet access, are lagging behind."A brand can't give clients an experience that they are not ready to share with their own employees." adds Manuel Diaz. In other words, what you see on the inside is what you get on the outside. This internal revolution is the first step towards successfully implementing a digital marketing strategy to win over consumers.
Want to know more about digital marketing?
Visit the GEM digital day website to sign up for the event in Grenoble or Paris on December 4th 2014.