Global Insights Magazine Issue 13 - Edited by Preferendum 2013
STRATEGY OF CHANGE
Inside this issue
5 necessary steps to rethink your marketing strategy
3 4 8 14 Mobility & Change for Synchronization Responsive Design Marketing
Blogs: the heart of digital strategy
The inevitable inbound marketing revolution
It’s time to follow the winds of change Today, companies are experiencing a challenging change between traditional marketing that most have mastered and digital online marketing, which requires a whole new approach and way of thinking. With the rise of inbound marketing, which is still relatively unknown on the old continent, a new field is opening for brands who need to rethink their marketing from ground zero. One thing for sure is that it’s in the winds of change, and nobody can ignore it. A close look at the shift towards online marketing proves the change.
Classified advertising spending per media :
+29.0%
4 +7.0%
3,5
+5.0%
-5.2%
+0.4%
Mobile : € 43 million
+0.6%
Cinema : € 105 million
Drop mailing : € 633 million
Directories : € 946 million
Internet (display) : € 646 million
1
Internet (search) : € 1.141 billion
1,5
Print : € 1.171 billion
2
Direct Mail : € 1.352 billion
2,5
+4.5% TV : € 3.337 billion
3
Press : € 3.209 billion
+4.8%
-1.7%
-8.2%
While the balance is still towards offline, publicity and marketing investments are clearly shifting towards online marketing with search marketing expected to be in the top 3 at the end of 2013.
2
Staying in sync with your audience One of the basic rules of marketing is to be in sync with consumers. Since their consuming attitude has evolved with the use of the internet, a company’s marketing must also evolve. A brand needs to stay tuned in to its audience and their buying behavior in order not to be left behind. In other words, the brand needs to live in the same world and use the media as its customers use in order to engage them. The challenge for companies is to master the ever-changing opportunities that the internet provides to target audiences in new ways. Companies that have integrated online marketing strategies into their mix have a significant advantage over their competition.
The arrival of web marketing With the shift from direct marketing to e-mail
among those, how many are doing it the right
marketing, which is far more flexible and less
way by sending the lead to a targeted landing
expensive, companies were given the opportu-
page designed to increase customer engage-
nity to communicate more frequently and effec-
ment and conversion rates ?
tively with their target audiences. Legislation has regulated its functionalities, but
Online advertising has become far too intru-
in spite of anti-spam blockers and decreasing
sive for customers, who are turning their backs
click-thru rates, email still remains one of the
to it, and even blocking it. The effectiveness of
most efficient and well-targeted means of com-
any online campaign relies heavily on its rele-
municating with an audience, especially when
vancy and execution, but also effective targeting.
customers have opted-in to the list or newsletter.
Consumers today are savvy about marketing
Why else would major companies like Dell, Ama-
techniques.
zon, PriceMinister etc. invest millions in e-mail-
brand-speak from valuable information. That is
ing if the results were not remarkable? This does
why value added content and inbound marketing
not mean that print marketing and direct mail are
are so much more efficient. Consumers are much
dead, on the contrary, both marketing channels
more mature than they used to be. And they have
have their own specific advantages.
a tendency to ignore brands that do not use the
They
immediately
differentiate
same codes and practices that they do. They But how many companies are currently run-
want real information about products to make
ning effective, long-term email campaigns? And
informed buying decisions.
The time for change has come Let us see in the following pages where enterprise marketing is heading and how the winds of change force us to adapt our marketing strategies.
3
1
st
change
One oncoming change is the devices on which people browse online
Mobiles (tablets and smartphones) are a challenging new display format to which marketers must adapt. Once again, nothing will ever be like before. The growing use of cell phones to view web content has spiralled with the development of smartphones. 1.08 out of 5 Â billion cell phones are smart-
Of course, smartphones are used to make phone calls, but there are so many different ways a smartphone is used.
phones (a Go-Gulf.com study
1 . Texting
of 2012) and another research
Writing is the first use of a smartphone. The study made by GO-Gulf.com in 2012 reveals that 92% of smartphone users use them to send SMS messages. 95% of all cell phone users use them to send SMS messages. 76% of smartphone users use them also to read their emails.
firm named HIS iSuppli forcasts that more than half of mobile phones sold in 2013 will be smartphones.
Smartphones
will continue their progression in the years to come.
So, when is the last time you ran an SMS campaign? Have you already launched one?
The overall use of smartphones, which allows us to possess a telephone and a computer with its many applications and functionalities in one single object, provokes a change in the way we use a cell phone.
4
2. Play games Angry Birds, FarmVille, The Sims... Social gaming has definetely invaded Facebook. Social gaming and social networking go well together. Mobile is definitely a market of the future as 64% of mobile users used their Smartphone to play (also according to the 2012 study run by Go-Gulf.com).
3. Keep in touch with friends A message, an link, a picture‌ Many things are shared and liked through mobile devices. 47% of people access social media with their smartphone (liGo 2013). Facebook announced in 2012 that 102 million mobile users accessed Facebook with their Smartphone !
4. Music 48% of mobile users listen to music on their smartphone.
5. Buying Make a purchase from anywhere with a connected mobile device is the m-commerce promise. Smartphones and tablets are becoming a major opportunity for brands. Desktops are no longer the only way to buy online.
Always in touch‌ From the Internet to the Mobilnet More and more people prefer to connect to the internet through mobile devices (Smartphones, Tablets‌). And, mobile devices are replacing all traditional media channels (press, radio, television, PC) thanks to their connection to the internet and their omnipresence. The fact is that with just one mobile device a mobile user has access to all traditional media sources: article reading, news, tv on a tablet. We are entering the era of nomadic navigation.
More tablets than PCs are now sold in the world More tablets mean more mobile users and thus, more mobile activity. With this new tool, the user creates, shares and comments on social media at any time from anywhere.
New opportunities for companies Mobile devices give the opportunity for advertisers to create targeted campaigns that invite the end user to react immediately. Mobile allows advertisers to create a more personal relationship with their audience to present themselves under a new light. They offer a possibility to capture, but also to create loyal clients with specific
The Mobile advertising world market already represents e7 billion
applications, services, and helpful tools. Custom-built mobile apps are a strategic way to differentiate company's products and services and keep the brand always at the customer's fingertips.
Dupont de Nemours equips its salesforce An app called "INtuitive" created for DuPont's salesforce acts as a database of knowledge on Dupont Cropscience.
AMACONNECT A mobile App designed to help regulate an agricultural machine in the middle of the field. AMAZONE brings services to their product's users.
5
2
6
nd
change
Responsive design turns out to be a must have for brands around the world !
Consequence No. 1 about mobility Consulting the internet without a computer is the first consequence of mobile devices according to Mobile Web World Watch 2012, a study undertaken by Accenture in Europe, Latin America and South Africa. 69% of questionned people use a mobile device to connect to the internet. Smartphones are the mobile devices most used to consult the web (for 61%), followed by netbooks (37%) and tablets (22%).
This brings us to one conclusion: your website, Blog, e-commerce need to be mobile friendly. Tactile friendliness, download speed, resolution (screen size)‌ These are just a few of the numerous elements to be considered when designing a site that works on a variety of web browsing devices. Apart from the necessary cost to build several different sites for each type of device, this approach causes numerous problems and can be dangerous to your SEO efforts. You can easily get penalized by the search engines for duplicate content issues.
Thankfully, webdesigners have developed a solution called Responsive Web Design to solve the problem that lets a single website adapt to each type of mobile device. By using the technical advantage of CSS3, responsive design automatically adapts the content of a website to the device, mobile or not. The quality of information that your website contains is preserved and mobile users, especially smartphone users do not have to zoom and move around your pages, which tends to get quickly annoying. Your web content adapts to each device for the end user's comfort. Last but not least, the other advantage of Responsive Design is that there is only 1 url per page on your website, and your SEO efforts remain the same. Duplicate content issues are no longer a problem.
The responsive website of Quarry Communication, our Canadian partner.
In the times of change from Internet use to Mobile use, having a responsive website is the solution to remain competitive on all devices. A responsive website responds best to user experience on all types of channels and devices. Popular CMS tools such as Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, Prestashop and Magento allow web designers to create templates that make use of responsive design.
7
3
rd
change
Win the Content War with an “SEO Friendly” Blog
Content marketing is the new focus for brands to gain visibility and customer engagement on the web (see Global Insights Magazine - issue 10 – edited by Base One).
8
Key facts • 40% of American companies have turned their blog into the center of their marketing strategy. • 72% of marketers think branded content is more effective than advertising in a magazine, 69% say it is superior to Direct Mail and PR. (Custom Content Council 2011)
• 64%
of B2B content marketers say their biggest challenge is producing enough content (Content marketing
Institute 2012)
• Each month, 329 million people read blogs (Blogging.org 2012) • Blogs give sites 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links. (Content+ 2013) • Companies that blog 15+times per month get 5 times more traffic than companies that don’t blog. • Companies with an active blog report 97% more leads. • Content from reputable sources is most shared (UCLA 2012) • 90% of consumers find custom content useful and 78% believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them.
A simple principle A blog drives qualified traffic and its content helps potential customers in their purchase decisions.
Produce and publish content that’s “ SEO Friendly ” To be efficient, a blog has to be SEO optimized just like a website does. Its content must not only be unique, pertinent and in phase with customers, it also must be optimized for search engines to boost your rankings.
Don’t forget to share your content. Once you’ve published content to your blog, be sure to share it through different social profiles in order to develop brand awareness and start creating communities of followers that will share your compelling content on their social profiles. It will also give social signals to search engines which will also improve your rankings. Gaming, promotions and applications may then also be a part of your social media strategy.
Why place a blog in the center of your digital marketing strategy? 1. Optimised blog articles reinforce your brand’s rankings in the search engines 2. B log articles are a good way to attract fans in social networks because they provide interesting information to share. 3. E very article published has its own permanent url, whereas CPC ads disappear at the end of the budget.
different ways (articles, videos, infographics, slideshows, e-books, white papers, docs, pdf…). 5. Blogs encourage engagement in the comment section. 6. Blog articles attract organic links, a must in SEO especially since Google Penguin. 7. Blog articles create more traffic to your website and landing pages.
4. B log articles are great for publishing in many
9
4
th
change
Nobody can ignore social networks any longer
How did Twitter change the relationship between a Brand and its Consumers ? Twitter is gaining more and more visibility in audiovisual and media channels, and is the main challenger for Facebook. Whether it is used to comment on TV programs, follow news trends or connect with their favorite artists, people turn to Twitter to do the job. 400 million Tweets are produced per day. The main change that Twitter provides remains in the way people exchange information or complain about a company or a brand.
10
Consumers used to call, send a letter or email a company when they were not satisfied with a product or any other issue. And, it often took time before they managed to get an answer or have the product they bought fixed or changed. But today, 140 characters on Twitter are much more powerful. Have you ever tried a tweet when you couldn’t get satisfaction from the company? I have. And it worked really well. I purchased three products on Amazon and two of them were not going to be delivered on time as promised. I logged in to my account (only 10 minutes after making the order, the cancel time is 30 minutes) and asked for the products to be removed. I got a “sorry but we can no longer cancel the products you ordered” answer. I thought I would never purchase anything on Amazon again ! Then a lightbulb popped up in my head : “Why not Tweet about it ? ”. And I did: I sent a Tweet (in French) saying “Impossible to cancel an order on Amazon before the 30 minutes delay, soon an article on the subject.” with a hashtag #amazon. And it worked. Amazon sent me an email 5 minutes after saying they had cancelled the 2 products from my purchase.
More than 1.5 billion of the 2.3 billion people on the internet are on social networks... Just as many as the number of car owners in the world. And new social networks are popping up every day, each with its own specific uses. Let’s look at just one example: Twitter.
It means that Amazon has an effective social media survey. That is the power of social media. Brands, whether they like it or not, have to make a survey of their social reputation and be reactive. Some corporations in banking, tourism and online shopping have managed to seize the opportunity to effectively use Twitter to respond to their customers by giving a solution in less than 5 minutes to an hour. Claims that would have been left without an answer for days, weeks and even months in some cases through traditional methods. Twitter has become a way to prove a brand’s engagement towards its customers and therefore reinforce their relationship with them.
Some interesting Twitter-user facts • Brand follower interest on Twitter rises 17% during the weekend. • A tweet less than 100 characters is 17% more likely to be read. • 92% of tweets include a link, and link to an image attracts twice as much interest. • A tweet including a hashtag (e.g, #brandname) will be found and read twice as often. • A tweet including 1 or 2 hashtags will be 21% more read than a tweet with more than 2. Source : A study made by Linchpin SEO from an analysis of Buddy Media (March 2013)
11
5
th
change
PR 2.0: The new field for journalists
For decades, press releases were the primary way companies transmitted their key messages to target audiences through traditional media: newspapers, television, radio, specialized magazines‌ Journalists were the key gatekeepers for brands. Press releases used to be their principal source of information. But, for several years now, traditional media have been confronted with the Internet: losing sales and advertising budgets, the reduction of editors and writing staff, and loss of readership to free online information sources. As of today, there are 16  million unique visitors and 600 million page views on information sites.
The landscape of press relations is no longer the same. The press relation service of the company is no longer the unique source of information and journalists are no longer the solo influencers of a targeted audience. Bloggers have become major influencers online.
12
2.0 has created 4 major changes in the universe of press relations 1 – Communication has become a conversation Press releases are no longer sufficient to convince audiences of the qualities of a product by transmitting a positive message to consumers. Journalists, bloggers and the public alike are seeking a new dialogue of exchange around the product, company or brand.
2 – Press relations professionals need to develop a 2.0 expertise Needless to say the PR professional does not need to be a technician or a computer expert, as there are many tools ready to use, but the PR professional must, on the contrary, know the different online channels of communication and learn how to exploit their full potential. Facebook is not used in the same way as Twitter or LinkedIn.
3 – Traditional journalism has given way to citizen journalism Journalists are adapting to this new field! Lots already use social media to diffuse information. Information needs to adapt to the new social media codes (140 characters to tweet on twitter for example).
4 – Social media amplifies influence Today, 43% of a company’s reputation is created by external factors. Therefore it has become a necessity to converse on social networks where there is no control over information. Social media channels are a direct way to speak with the public, repair errors and restore truth in case of false rumors… “ Sometimes it takes just 5 minutes to annihilate 20 years of solid reputation. ” - Warren Buffet To gain a competitive advantage on social media, it takes time and patience to establish a tone of open communication that will benefit the company over the long-term. You must create a humble conversation and inform people through dialogue and not constant horn tooting. Although it is necessary to maintain traditional PR (offline), it has equally become necessary to do digital online PR using social media channels. Social channels online have become very powerful brand awareness tools! PR needs to develop a structured coherent message that is diffusible through social media which, in turn, will diffuse information in a pyramidal manner. Information needs frequency on social media to build a voice that people will recognize. Social media is another way of doing press relations, more modern and efficient and, if done the correct way, will create relationships with your audience and opinion leaders by diffusing pertinent, interesting and valuable information.
13
The inevitable inbound marketing revolution All the different changes discussed above have seen the rise of a new discipline named “ Inbound Marketing ” as opposed to “outbound Marketing”. A new marketing approach initiated in the USA related to Permission Marketing as opposed to “Interruptive Marketing”, a term popularized by Seth Godin. What is to be taken into account is that the company is situated at a crossroad in its communication and marketing approach. In the Inbound Marketing world, it is the consumer that heads towards the brand, and it makes a BIG difference. In traditional marketing, businesses use an outbound message diffused mainly on TV, Press, Radio, Commercial Panels… The consumer pays attention or not while having little to no means of interaction with the brand. Schematically speaking, it is considered as unidirectional marketing or business to consumer marketing. Also named “Mass Marketing” or “Intrusive Marketing” where the consumer is “sans cesse” solicited and interrupted.
14
Web 2.0 is what triggered the change of consumer behavior through blogs, search, social networks and forums. Now businesses need to know how to “ get found ” by the consumer before the competition if possible. Every day, thousands of websites are launched across the world, which makes it more and more challenging for brands to stay above the noise. Adopting the right online strategy through search marketing, content marketing and social marketing have become crucial.
Content marketing is the key… Storytelling is the way! The basics of inbound marketing are creating quality informative content that will be found online and shared. Content is optimized to rank and be found online rather than being pushed towards the consumers through outbound marketing techniques. Inbound marketing communication is centered towards the receiver, meaning the consumer’s needs. This new approach is qualified as :
• Bidirectional or 2.0 (business and consumers communicate with each other). • Vertical : Consumers communicate amongst themselves • Viral : Word of mouth done at optical fiber light speed • Informative • Based on influence and engagement • Accessible to all businesses large or small
“ Inbound marketing is any kind of marketing that reaches customers when they are looking for something to buy ” Today Inbound and Outbound Marketing are opposed to each other like below and above the line used to be 20 years ago. (Does any type of screen connected to the internet still exist today that is known as above or below the fold?). Now they are both brought together in Outbound marketing.
Docu m Shar enrt ing
(Find Your Audience Organically on the Web)
al g ci kin So mar ok Bo
D Re irec fer t Lin ring ks
of Wo M rd ou th
s
1. Attract traffic 2. Convert visitors to leads 3. Convert leads to sales 4. Turn customers into repeat higher margin customers 5. Analyze for continuous improvement.
INBOUND MARKETING!
m Foru
The objective of Inbound Marketing is to facilitate access to the brand through these 5 steps:
Re s W ear Pa hit ch pe e rs
Social Networks
Online Video
their brands loose exposure.
ail
Co m Ma men rke tin t g
need to live in modern times or see
Em
ics aph ogr Inf
Times are changing and businesses
s+ g og gin l B og Bl
SEO
s New ia d e M PR
Type -In Traffi c
ites
Q+A S
g
tin
as
dc Po
Inspired by MOZ "Do this stuff instead, it really works"
15
Five things to take into account in your strategy of change Like never before, the great marketing winds of change have begun to blow towards Search and Social Marketing Integration techniques.
.1. Think Mobile
Adsmith / China Advertigo / Romania Aloft Group / USA
.2. Adopt Respon Web De sive sign
Ansel & Möllers / Germany Audacity / USA Base One / UK BBC / Belgium Bernstein / Germany BMLab / Russia C&COM Advertising / Czech Republic Café Design / Hungary D. A. G. Communication / Italy Epoka / Poland Igriega / Spain Kirnuaskis 2.0 / Finland
Bo .3. ma ost yo wit rke ur Fri h an ting end SE ly B O log
Maitri Advertising Works / India Mandate / Singapore Media Consulting / Portugal Netural / Austria
.4. Invest in Social Media
Oz Branding / Israel
Preferendum / France Quarry / Canada Rainfall / Romania Recommended / Finland Recommended / Sweden S’P’S Marketing / Austria SanderWerbung / Germany Schindler Parent / Germany TANGRAM / Liechtenstein TANGRAM / Switzerland
.5. our ge y ital r a l En to dig PR .0 and r 2 ou y w n folloputatio e-re
Truly Deeply / Australia Van Heertum Design / Netherlands
E3 Network
E3 network
Preferendum
The E3 Agency Network is a closely integrated
Strategy of change and development of inbound marketing
coalition of independent brand strategy and
As a close network of independant agencies,
Magazine was published by
marketing communications firms from around the
E3 network can plan and manage marketing
Preferendum. For more information,
world. With access to this wide pool of talent,
change inside companies, create digital
please contact:
E3 agencies give clients a real chance to make an
tools and develop an inbound strategy more
www.preferendum.fr
impact nationally and internationally.
efficiently than any single national partner.
16, rue de Turbigo - 75002 Paris
Find out how the E3 perspective can help you.
contentmarketing@e3network.com
Tel +33 1 55 34 77 50
This issue of the E3 Global Insights
www.e3network.com
lmano@preferendum.fr or
Administration: veerle@e3network.com
macarrer@preferendum.fr