Phones Have an Off Button; Why Real-Time Marketers Need to Use It

‘Real-time or always-on marketing’ seem to be two of the marketing catch-phrases du jour when it comes to the multi-screen world we now occupy. Certainly I am hearing it more and more when marketers attempt to fathom how their world on a personal level has become so much easier thanks to innovations like high-speed Internet access, digitised content, social media, and so much more (right down to the delightfully ergonomic devices we now carry around with us every waking moment); whilst at the same time their work lives have become indelibly more complex. No more ‘splitting spend across TV, print, and OOH with some radio to run out the budget’; marketers today are faced with a baffling array of choices as to how they can best reach their target audience.

Now according to a report on real-time marketing just released by The Direct Marketing Association, some marketers are embracing this and changing their marketing behaviour accordingly. Apparently:

• 55 percent of marketers practice real-time marketing.
• Almost 50 percent of marketers are able to adjust campaigns based on insights delivered from social media monitoring.
• Although fewer than 25 percent can instantly segment customers based on behaviour.

So what does this mean for marketers who don’t have the social media wherewithal of Ford, the listening infrastructure of Dell, or the targeting capabilities of Amazon? Firstly, stop worrying. Far for me to say that the DMA data is flawed, but certainly the numbers seem incredibly high. It feels a lot like 2001 all over again, when many were claiming to have effectively implemented a CRM programme, whereas the reality was far different.

I am a huge believer in the power of the consumer and how the Internet in general, and social media and mobile in particular have given consumers a voice that savvy marketers would do well to pay heed to, but I also believe that ‘real-time’ and ‘always-on’ marketing doesn’t mean brands need to play a role in every moment of a consumer’s day. Rather, brands should seek to play an appropriate role at the right time, but most importantly to do it in a compelling and brand-relevant manner, particularly when attempting to connect through that most personal of consumer devices, the mobile phone. A couple of things to think of:

1. Be useful. Have a quick look at all the apps you have on your phone. How many have you used in the last 30 days? How many are the same as the ones you were using six months ago? My guess is that apart from certain social apps, news sources, email, and chat, most of you have been app-promiscuous, always looking for the new thing. Speaking of promiscuity, Axe has done a great job at getting consumers to engage with its brand through digital channels and the ‘Wake-up Call‘ service has been executed extremely well.First launched back in 2008, the fact that the idea still has legs today is indicative of the power of connecting with Axe’s target consumer just prior to the time in the day they are most likely to use the product.
2. Be timely. Imagine a bunch of friends, sitting in front of the TV about to watch the Champions League football. What are they drinking? Well, it is hardly likely to be tea or coffee. Heineken came up with a fantastic idea called Star Player that tapped into the enthusiasm for gamification of the world around us, but in doing so enabled consumers to connect with the experience, their friends, and most importantly the brand. And what better time for a beer brand to do it than just as friends sit down for 90 minutes of football and appropriate liquid refreshment.
3. Be engaging. Whilst I love the ‘Impulse Saver‘ idea from Westpac New Zealand, for a really simple idea, powerfully executed, it is hard to go past Mini Getaway. Turning the entire city of Stockholm into a real-world game where thousands of participants spent an average of five hours (yes, five hours!) per person having a deep, rich branded experience courtesy of Mini.
4. Be quiet. Lastly, ‘always-on’ doesn’t mean you never stop. If the previous examples tell you anything, it is that a campaign approach is still viable, even in this most dynamic medium. One can’t hope to be engaging to all people, nor that the same message tweaked will continue to be interesting. Taking the time to come up with unique and powerful ideas will ensure you will trump the brands that are always there but have nothing interesting to say.

So keep your eyes open, take advantage of the opportunity to engage with and listen to your target consumers in a way that wasn’t thinkable 20 years ago, but don’t forget everything you have learned. A campaign approach still has merit, providing your ideas are big enough to be campaignable.