With the difficult economic climate, brands have had to become more innovative to engage with consumers. Marketing is evolving from mass communication to a market of one-to-one communication, with brands starting to realise the benefits of engaging with consumers on a personal level.
Long gone are the days of trawling through websites to find things of interest or sifting through endless numbers of emails to find something relevant. Nowadays, brands are using personalised marketing everywhere to talk to their customers, using email and social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Even TV advertising is set to become more personalised, with BSkyB poised to introduce customised and localised ads, based on viewers’ postcodes.
Marketers are now using this technology to target specific audiences upon whom they know their brand will make the most impact. For instance, tracking my online behaviour, Amazon makes recommendations based on my past purchases, following up with emails when I’ve been browsing to remind me to complete a purchase.
Facebook even advertises events and products next to my profile that match my interests and suggests that I share recommendations with friends. This bespoke user experience makes customers feel valued and special, with more marketers using this information to allow consumers access to the information that they want, when they want it.
So, how can brands ensure that they continue to build strong relationships with existing and potential customers using personalised marketing?
Relevance is one of the key elements of a successful personalised marketing campaign. It is pointless trying to appeal to an audience if most of what you send them bears no relevance to their interests, such as sending marketing emails on football to somebody who has no interest in sport. This does nothing to enhance the company’s relationship with the consumer and potentially provokes them into disengaging completely with a brand.
Brands need to understand that consumer preferences run deep, and also realise that not only should communications be personalised, but delivered in a way that will connect with consumers. Nobody likes to receive ten emails a day from the same company or sales deals that have a tenuous link to their interests. Companies need to be strategic in the way in which they communicate with consumers and use personalised marketing to add value to the brand.
With consumers demanding more and marketers trying to stand out in a competitive market, can brands use this effectively as a way of engaging with current and potential customers? With the rise of personalisation in marketing, I would say it is not only possible, it is essential.
Trish Harriss is business development director at DirectionGroup
