Multichannel campaigns work

Consumer touch points

Modern consumers are multi-tasking, multi-media users; and the only way to really grab and hold their attention is to ensure that your brand is as adept at multi-channel surfing as they are.

Multi-channel marketing is not new news. Marketers have always used a variety of channels to communicate with consumers, choosing the right combination of media to reach their specific target markets. But in recent years, the number of available channels has exploded, complicating the choice of channels. In addition, the ability to elicit an almost immediate response from consumers has increased exponentially - a direct result of the fast-paced growth and consumer uptake of the digital environment.

The net result is a buyer's market. The proliferation of media channels has given consumers more choice in terms of how they receive information, and the initiation of e-commerce has given them more choice in terms of how they use that information - whether it be to gather more detail, shop around for competitive prices, or simply click to pay.

In a market in which the power rests with the consumer, it is essential that brands create as many consumer touch points as possible, ensuring not only that the brand is visible but also that it provides consumers with a choice in terms of how they will interact with the brand.

Multi-channel strategy

Single channel strategies are simply too risky, because marketers run the risk of missing their target market entirely. In addition, multi-channel strategies have the added benefit of re-enforcing the brand and the brand message, allowing consumers to hear the same message at different times of the day, and various stages in their buying cycle.

The various media choices have different capabilities - while digital brings with it a response mechanism and the amplifying effect of social media, radio has an enviable ability to provide an aura of trust through the DJs who have spent years cultivating relationships with their listeners.

Clever marketers will use the different media to different ends, ensuring that each of these individual strategies works together to a common, combined purpose.

When executed well, multichannel strategies result in multiple returns. One survey conducted by Commercial Radio Australia and TNS found that people who hear a radio ad with a digital call to action are six times more likely to visit a brand's website than those that don't. 78% of those who heard the radio ad engaged in some form of digital activity with the brand within 24 hours.

Tips for marketers considering the multichannel route

A well-planned and executed multichannel strategy is very, very different from the old 'spray and play' approach. It's not about just getting your brand out in every channel you can think of. For me, there is a five-step approach that works best to ensure best results:

• Have a clearly-defined objective

• Know your customers, which media types they consume and how they consume them
• Know your media and consider which channels work well together
• Be consistent in your messaging, but ensure that the message is tailored to suit each specific media type
• Measure, measure, measure - it's vital that you learn from each campaign, so as to improve on the next one.