Marketing technology is constantly changing. With multiple channels, evolving platforms, and a new set of “best practices” popping up left and right, it’s easy to feel one step behind. Avoiding this feeling is simple:
Focus on the consumer – on the real people – not the devices or channels and you’ll remain on target.
This approach, known as people-based marketing, is essentially future proof. In some circles, it’s referred to as “cross device marketing” or “device-based marketing,” but we think that’s a mistake. Both terms shift the focus away from the consumer. Devices themselves are too fickle. Consumers preferences will continue to shift rapidly and maintaining a consumer focus ensures you’ll never miss the mark.
People-Based Experiences
Think about the meaningful moments and enhanced experiences. We’ve been talking about the consumer experience for quite a while because marketing is no longer about capturing the sale and moving on. Modern marketing is 1:1 marketing. It’s about catering to The Modern Consumer – focusing on the individual – by offering an experience that extends beyond the product or service you’re selling to demonstrate that you understand the consumer and their needs.
If you focus on devices, it’s almost impossible to keep up. Everyone’s favorite demographic, Millennials, are even more prone to screen switching with 71 percent on social media while also watching video content and 70 percent watching content during commercial breaks.
All of this consumption has one thing in common: People. Understanding these behaviors can help you understand what consumers want, allowing you to deliver exactly that across devices. This helps lead to a better experience that feels natural rather than invasive and to successfully establish a people-based marketing strategy, a focused data strategy is a necessity.
Move Away From Fragmentation
Just as devices aren’t the best focal point, neither are media channels and channel specific metrics. The consumer him/herself is what ties together a successful people-based marketing strategy, but fragmenting media and metrics blurs this focus.
Fragmenting media prevents communication, leading to inconsistent messaging and promotions across channels, and can lead to wasted – or misdirected – marketing spend. Similarly, keeping metrics in silos prevents you from seeing the bigger picture (that is, the consumer view). In short, fragmentation creates rigidity, but people-based marketing requires flexibility and agility. When focusing on the consumer, the ability to change and adapt is more natural.
In an economy marked by constant change, it only makes sense to focus on the source of that change rather than the changes themselves. People-based marketing allows you to do exactly that while demonstrating to your customers that you respect their needs and understand their wants. At the end of the day, this leads to stronger relationships for your brand which is, in the end, the ultimate goal.
