Branded Response
SM
The Key to Success in Today’s Accountable World of Marketing
Executive
Summary This report presents the argument for
managing the typically distinct marketing disciplines of branding and direct response marketing as a seamless activity identified as “Branded Response.� It lays out the factors affecting the rise of this approach – the increases in accountability, complexity, and integration within marketing. It also identifies 15 distinct skill sets marketers need in order to master Branded Response and offers specific techniques to manage this new discipline.
1
Introducing Branded Response FOR YEARS, branding and direct marketing
Not only did these fields inhabit different parts of
were two distinct disciplines. Brand
the marketing world, practitioners felt they had
advertising, with its emphasis on reach and
little to learn from each other. Brand builders were
frequency, operated through mass media and
interested in creating awareness, differentiation
aimed to differentiate a product or service.
and recognition to drive consideration. Direct
Direct marketing primarily went through
marketers wanted an immediate, measurable
the mail, offered a measurable return on
response to occur and many were willing to
investment (ROI) and delivered specific
achieve their goals at the long-term expense of
increases in sales or leads, largely through
brand value. Techniques that worked for branding
promotional techniques.
often failed in response marketing and vice versa. Today, the roles of brand and response are being blurred by technology, measurability and consumer-driven marketing. These and other factors have given rise to a new type of marketing — one that combines the long-term relationship-building aspects of branding with the short-term response-driven principles of direct — a process we call Branded Response.
Where Does the Industry Stand Today? ACCORDING TO the 2007 DMA report,
“The Integration of Brand and Direct,” expert marketers are already in tune with the need to integrate marketing efforts. A majority of those who characterized themselves as “experts” report they already use some combination of response marketing and brand awareness advertising to reach their marketing goals. Interestingly, the percents were nearly identical for both branding experts (72%) and DM experts (73%).
The
Line is Blurring
In that same study respondents
Furthermore, most believe that many of today’s
stated that on average 64% of their
response practices are not detrimental to a brand.
marketing budgets are allocated to response
In fact, targeting (64%), personalization (70%) and
marketing and 36% to mass marketing.
guarantees (61%) could actually be beneficial to a
These numbers were not significantly
company’s brand.
different when compared between B2B and B2C marketers. We hasten to note that these are self-reported perceptions based on individual interpretations of combined programs. Where does a full-page print ad introducing a new line of branded printers with a URL and 800# call-to-action fall? Or a TV spot with a convivial Gecko offering online deals on auto insurance? We believe the perceptions will continue to blur.
Clearly, the buzz is out there.
Theof Rise Branded
Response
In the last 10 years marketing has
become more accountable, complex, and integrated. The result is the need for a new form of marketing, one that uses the emotional and differentiating aspects of branding, and combines them with the results-oriented principles of direct response. Let’s review some of the primary factors that have caused more change in the advertising industry in the last ten years, than in the last 100.
Accountability: The C-suite is demanding more accountability for all advertising expenditures with ROI being a business focus that is here to stay. The digital nature of the Internet and online marketing has increased the awareness and usage of metrics. Transparency in the marketing department is demonstrated by the advent of the Marketing Dashboard/Marketing Scorecard – defined as a collection of data-dependent measures that track and grade marketing efforts. Those “grading” the marketing team’s efforts are now in a position to set hard goals and hold individuals and departments accountable to those goals. And while traditional brand metrics such as awareness and perception are still valuable tools, marketing is now being held accountable for drivers that directly impact business. This reliance on metrics is forcing marketers to understand and master the practice of measured response.
Marketers’ increasing use of the internet, which combines branding and detailed accountability, is one driver of the Branded Response discipline. Year
2001
2006
2011(proj.)
US Internet Advertising
$6.7Bn
$16.9Bn
$42.0Bn
Share of All US Advertising
4%
6%
13%
Source: eMarketer from IAB/PwC and Universal McCann statistics
Complexity: From myriad traditional, digital and mobile media, the typical consumer is exposed to countless messages per day. Like never before, consumers can exercise increased control over how and when they consume media and are exposed to your message. At the same time, there are more opportunities to extend marketing beyond traditional media. More than just being aware of the increasing range of media/messaging choices, you need to understand how prospects interact with your message according to which media delivers it. Branded Response marketers need to understand each media’s potential to build brand and generate measured response. Technology’s impact on marketing is growing rapidly as is evidenced by mobile, blogs, SEM, SEO, social, viral, and other marketing tactics. And while these technologies may dictate tactical approaches, the brand experience to the consumer must be consistent. Clearly, the need to understand how to use brand and response principles has never been stronger.
Daily Exposure to Commercial Messages 3000
1977
Today, it is not unusual to have a marketing program start with a print and online campaign that meets reach, impression and awareness goals, but also uses a robust offer strategy to entice visitors to a content-laden microsite where contact information is captured. While such programs might require the expertise of brand, web and direct response marketers, it is seen as seamless to the consumer. For B2C marketers, the CMO position in particular was once a bastion of brand stewardship and the position was only tangentially, if at all, held directly responsible for sales. More likely, brand perception, awareness and consideration were the primary measures. But to measure the above mentioned program requires both campaign metrics and conversion metrics. For B2B marketers who were typically more focused on lead generation than brand, the increase in the consumer’s ability to find information, reviews, and competitive materials has forced the need for a more consistent approach to messaging and branding. Today, brand and direct marketing converge to create an integrated approach to selling products and services in different channels/media. This convergence recognizes the customer’s power to buy directly while being influenced by the emotional or branding aspects of the message.
Consumers are exposed to more and different commercial messages as TV, print, billboards and radio have been supplemented by web, email, mobile, and ubiquitous place-based messaging.
474 Source: AAAA
Integration: Even for those interested in branding only, the response generated from brand campaigns — through contact information or email addresses — merges the marketing disciplines of brand and direct response.
2007
Skills Brand Marketers
Need
If you are a brand pro, you likely
have positioning and graphic/copy standards mastered and you probably place a high value on brand voice and visual communication consistency. Current strengths that will serve you well in managing Branded Response include: n
An understanding of positioning
n
n understanding of consumer research A and insight development
n
A mass media orientation and expertise
n
xperience extending the brand to a E variety of media
n
n
strategy for consistent graphics and A messaging across channels and media commitment to the big idea and A lateral thinking
New disciplines you’ll likely need to evolve towards Branded Response: n A better understanding of the purchase process
from start to finish so you can plan for each stage of the response process n An understanding of purchasers/influencers and
the role of each in the purchase process n Establishing success criteria for campaigns and
programs (quantifiable lead &/or sales goals) n How to decide what data to collect, how it
will be used for decision purposes and how to establish a data collection system n Thinking through an offer matrix and appropriate
calls to action n Database building, reporting and analytics
and, importantly, how you’ll use the data you collect n Building test and learn scenarios n Extending communications and messaging to
highly targeted media n Marketing optimization and automation
techniques
According to the DMA’s “The Integration of Brand and Direct,” people who consider themselves experts at branding tend to rank the importance of communicating logo (6.38 out of a possible 9) and brand name (5.84 also out of 9) higher than response marketing oriented people.
Skills Response Marketers
Need
OUR EXPERIENCE WITH DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING PROS would lead us to believe
Based on what you market and to whom, what you’ll likely need is:
that you have the metrics side of the marketing equation well in hand.
n Development of a cohesive branding document.
Current disciplines that will serve you well in the Branded Response landscape include: n
nderstanding the purchase process from U start to finish and a plan for each stage of the response process
n
stablishing success criteria for campaigns E and programs (quantifiable lead &/or sales goals)
n
Database building, reporting and analytics
n
Testing offers and plotted calls to action
n
Targeted media buying and testing
n
Messaging segmentation by target
n
Creative testing
This document should include any or all of the visual and messaging aspects that define a brand: • Core values • Brand promise • Graphic standards • Emotional and personality aspects of your brand • What your brand stands for and why people should want it n An understanding of emotional triggers to consumer behavior n The discipline of patiently and consistently
building brand value and image n Objective research to help you understand the
emotional qualities of your brand relationship with consumers n Assistance developing integrated response
programs with consistent messaging across media and channels n An assessment of current brand assets and
how to integrate them into Branded Response campaigns
Making
Branded Response Happen
It’s Clear that today, and for the
Wayfinder Response Marketing is a disciplined
foreseeable future, marketing success
response-marketing group, founded by brand-savvy
demands the combined skills of brand
creative and marketing professionals who left top
builders and response management
creative-focused agencies in the 1990’s.
practitioners. Along with this knowledge set, it will be essential to maintain pace with the technology now driving marketing change.
It was evident then that the tools and strategies of accountable, results-driven direct marketing were going to become increasingly important as the market moved towards more technologyenabled interaction. Wayfinder’s business is helping marketers use traditional and modern direct marketing tactics to create immediate, measurable results within a longterm strategy of building brand. Using specific tools developed to make Branded Response marketing better and easier, including the Brand Roadmap™, Response Driven Marketing Sequence™, and integrated marketing automation software, Wayfinder Response can help you demonstrate and improve the ROI of your marketing budget, while continuing to build your brand.
Enough
Talk It’s time to do something. To find out how Branded Response can work for your business, call Jon Dale at 1-415-277-6963. Or visit wayfinderresponse.com.
WAYFINDER RESPONSE MARKETING, 950 BATTERY STREET, SUITE 401, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 wayfinderresponse.com © 2008 Wayfinder Response Marketing. All rights reserved.
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