The First of Five Truths for Tomorrow’s Marketer Digital channels, social media and mobile communications have fundamentally changed the way consumers interact with brands. Today’s customers orchestrate their own experiences, no longer following pre-determined, linear routes from exposure to conversion to advocate. They utilize a variety of on- and off-line channels to start, stop, rejoin and jump engagement levels, carving out highly individualized paths to purchase – and then ideally, continuing on to help build a community around your brand. As a result… The conventional marketing funnel is now irrelevant and traditional campaigns are extinct. These days, marketing success depends on customers seeing, engaging with – and sharing – your content within their trusted social networks. No one is waiting to be wooed by elaborate campaigns. For proof, take a look at the results from Understanding Global Millennials, An SDL Customer Experience Research Report. We know that today’s 20-somethings are either your current or future customers, and the data we collected shows that: Millennials embrace brands on social media Five out of six Millennials in our study said they connect with companies on social media networks. Millennials use social networks and other customizable online news feeds for content discovery When asked “How do you typically discover new and interesting things online?” respondents indicated they prefer social networks for content discovery, followed by online and customizable newsfeeds. More traditional means, like email and search engines, ranked last. When they engage with brands, Millennials want something in return . . . like the inside track to special offers. When we asked survey participants why they connect with companies via social media, the most popular responses were “to get discounts” (58%) and “to get free perks” (51%). Millennials appreciate innovative marketing initiatives 51% of the Millennials we polled said they like it when a company reaches out with a holiday/birthday card or some other kind of brand building that isn’t focused on selling a product. So what does this mean for tomorrow’s marketers and how do you get started today? Begin by focusing on the personalized experiences your customers want –not campaigns. Make it a priority to build customer experiences that are ongoing, consistent, meaningful and mutuallyrewarding. A few brands are already moving in this direction—and they’ll be the first to reap the rewards. In fact, based on models created from Forrester’s 2014 Customer Experience Index, “improving customer experience can increase annual revenue by more than $1 billion for large wireless service providers, airlines, and hotels — and by tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for firms in other industries.” (The Customer Experience Index, 2014, Forrester Research, Inc., January 2014). According to Forrester, we’re moving into a “post-campaign era,” where people despise and distrust pushstyle marketing methods that interrupt or intercept them — 49% of consumers don’t trust digital ads; 38% don’t trust emails; and 36% don’t trust information in branded apps (Beyond The Campaign: Deliver Real-Time Customer Value, Forrester Research, Inc. Forum For Marketing Leaders, 2014). How are today’s leading companies transforming the customer experience online? At SDL, we’ve seen many innovative examples, including how creating content “sharing” behavior in a brand’s customer base can amplify messaging and drive prospects into a purchase journey. In one instance, we determined that the vast majority of consumer conversations about a company’s brand were happening in online forums and blogs. Our analysis also revealed that 75% of new product users in this category purchased a specific brand based on a social recommendation. Backed by this information, the company was able to drive revenue by targeting specific segments via digital marketing to specific forums, blogs and publications. As this example demonstrates, marketers can gain competitive advantage by leveraging data to understand and participate in the natural buying cycles that customers create. In the future, mutuallyrewarding customer relationships like these will vastly outperform campaigns, and as a result, one-way, mass-market spam campaigns will be extinct. Tomorrow, marketers will use data-driven marketing to direct their efforts to deeper, more customized customer experiences fueled by interactions that are ongoing, cross-channel, timely and useful . . . and that’s why marketers need to start thinking differently today. Where do you stand on the path towards the future of marketing? Here are three key questions to ask your team: 1 Are we strategic about how we collect and use customer data? Of course you must always ask customers to opt-in and respect preferences regarding interaction platforms, frequency, etc. But if you are just collecting data and adding it to a database, sorry . . . you are on your way to extinction. You need to view your customer data strategically, as a key source of intelligence for hyper-segmentation and targeting. Done right, targeted marketing messages add value for your customers. Done wrong, they seem creepy. Use customer data deliberately so you can deliver messages that are consistent, considerate and relevant. Once you do, you’ll start building the kind of credibility that matures into brand advocacy. 2. Are we focused on fostering relationships or on tracking lead numbers in the funnel? Because your customers are constantly bombarded with marketing messages, as well as other interruptions, they now view brand interactions through a curated lens. That’s why email blasts from purchased lists, generic content and company focused information are likely to be ignored. Instead, redirect your efforts to initiatives that not only build awareness, but also cultivate referrals. Determine where your customers are, and then meet them there . . . with a long-term strategy top-of-mind. Meaningful relationships develop over time, and remember, growing a relationship with customers is not always about getting the sale. 3. Is our reporting done in real time? Your marketing operations must be agile so you can reinforce what’s working –and immediately reconfigure what isn’t. Now that technology can be programmed to manage the mundane, more and more consumers are focusing exclusively on what’s fresh, innovative and worthwhile. When you track data daily, you can provide the right information and the right offer at the right time. Don’t wait for an end-of-the-month post-mortem on your efforts. Review the data daily and adapt. An agile approach will help your messages stand out and will ensure your company is remarkable at every touch point. Becoming a part of your customer’s buying cycle won’t happen immediately. You’ll need to rely on change agents who understand that the customer experience is at the core of every interaction. These change agents can lead the shift. They know that even though campaigns are extinct . . . your marketing teams don’t have to follow suit. Make sure you are ready for tomorrow’s customer today.