There are plenty of opportunities today to establish long-term consumer relationships.
The rebirth of the consumer relationship with brands is one of the many changes that have occurred this year because of the COVID pandemic. And while marketers are learning to live with smaller budgets and leaner staffs, there is still an opportunity to invent new strategies and tactics behind consumer engagement.
“We are at an exciting inflection point that creates a lot of opportunities for companies today to use data to shape their vision,” said Lenovo Director of Global eCommerce Strategy and Operations Derek Gominger at MarTech conference. “[Companies can] connect with customers in a better way that creates opportunities for all of us to grow our businesses and get closer to our customers.”
Watch the entire presentation here.
Using content to connect
Personalization continues to be the center of content strategy to connect with consumers, and it should be used to provide product information or solutions to consumer problems, or to help establish a brand or user community. These content types should be used to create loyalty among engaged consumers. “Connect authentically and elegantly,” said Gominger. “Sometimes brands get caught up in being something they are not.”
Having direct digital engagement with brands is what separates Generation Z and millennials from other demographics, as more than half shop exclusively online and only use their smartphone.
Dealing with data
Despite the need for personalization, because of increasing privacy regulations like GDPR in the European Union and CCPA in the state of California, it is becoming harder to collect personal information from consumers while remaining compliant.
“People are tired of companies using and misusing data,” said SoloSegment CEO Stephen Zakur at MarTech. “These are your customers and prospects mad at how companies manage data.”
Even though a lack of data exists, Zakur does not recommend that marketers double down on what could be considered as annoying consumer outreach like unsolicited emails or phone calls. Instead, he recommends curating content that addresses immediate consumer needs, monitoring their responses in real-time, then activating a content strategy for those consumers that cannot be tracked by data.
“The folks hiding in the darkness (without personal information) are going to be an increasing problem, whether you are a B2B or B2C company,” said Zakur.
This story first appeared on MarTech Today.
About The Author
Rodric J. Bradford is the Editor of MarTech Today and has worked in the marketing technology industry as both a journalist and corporate project manager. Prior to joining MarTech Today Bradford served as Convention and Technology Beat Reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Business Press publication and worked as Technology Reporter for Global Gaming Business, the world’s largest casino publication. In the corporate world Bradford has served as Technology Project Manager for CNA, Cigna, General Dynamics and Philip Morris. Bradford is an alumnus of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
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