Let’s get engaged!

We live in a world of plenty. Information and products are available anywhere, anytime at the click of a button. This abundance has brought about a key change in the marketplace: a smarter, more aware and discerning consumer set. With the number of choices available within each product/service category, the success of a business no longer depends solely on a superior feature set or whether the product is bigger and better. Brand distinction has now become a relationship building exercise and innovative marketing is the tool employed by businesses to cultivate and nurture these relationships.

The current marketplace is all about the consumer. The most successful campaigns come from studying your consumer set, getting to know them, personalising your message to suit their needs and finally reaching out to them via a medium that is most accessible and relevant to them. The power has undoubtedly shifted from the producer to the consumer, making consumer centric engagement the key to a successful marketing campaign and, ultimately, a successful business.

Themed “Consumers Are Mobile, Are You?,” this year’s Mobile Marketing Association Forum Singapore will provide a platform for international brands and agencies to address the crucial need to put consumers first when it comes to delivering value through their mobile integrated campaigns. As the consumer takes centre stage in the world of mobile marketing, successful mobile campaigns will depend on the marketers’ understanding of the relevance of consumer centric engagement and the value it delivers. Here’s a small peek into four essential steps to ensuring a successful consumer engagement strategy:

Insight

Like all relationships in life, a successful relationship with your consumers is dependent on how well you know them. It is important to educate yourself on where your consumers are from, what they do, what their habits are, what their likes and dislikes are and what some of their defining traits as consumers are. Target audience research and analysis is what makes your marketing campaign the finely tuned engagement tool you need it to be. The focus is no longer on whether your product is best in its category. It’s about focusing on consumer individuality to figure out how your product is the best fit for them. Listen to your consumer and observe their behaviour to successfully map out both your messaging as well as marketing mix.

Engagement

Two-way communication is key to nurturing any relationship. Brands can no longer just yell out from a billboard or a 30 second spot on TV to grab the consumer’s attention. In the world of consumer control, interactive marketing is what will get them interested. Integrating mobile and social media into the traditional marketing mix has allowed brands to converse with their audience. Marketing monologues have been converted to dialogues as marketers work on ways to befriend consumers by allowing for feedback and becoming involved with their decision making process.

Personalisation & Privacy

Personalisation offers both better consumer experience and better delivery of relevant information to consumers. Successful brands seed their way into their consumers’ lives and build trust to become an essential part of their lives.

Privacy is a topic that I’ve discussed at length in my previous articles. As marketers personalise messages, it is essential to remember that the consumer still has rights. A message may be relevant but that doesn’t guarantee the consumers’ desire to receive and act on it. Permission marketing is the way to counter the consumer mistrust currently plaguing some markets.

The Efficient Market Place

Purchase decisions are no longer as simple as going to a shop and asking for something that meets your current need. Consumers have a plethora of choices in each product category and can access information on the go to educate themselves about available options. All they require from their suppliers is a good deal on their shortlisted selections. The proliferation of choices, however, can also be quite overwhelming for the consumers. Marketing is not about awareness or share of voice any more. It’s about connecting with your consumers and helping make their purchase decisions an easier task. Employing a consumer centric approach is the key to an efficient business model.

To download the MMA Forum brochure, access the full agenda and find out about registration, go to http://www.mobilemarketingforum.com/singapore2011.