Marketing doesn’t look the same as it did 10 years ago — or even last year. Yes, emerging technologies play a role. But the important question isn’t how marketing has changed (and will continue to change). It’s why.
Marketing transformation comes down to people. It always has. It hinges on the new ways we learn, work, socialize, shop, and navigate our world. It has as much to do with the global pandemic as it does with the smartphones we all rely on. By adapting media strategies to current and predicted human behavior, marketers not only safeguard themselves now, but they also set themselves up for continued success.
Preparing for the opportunities ahead
A marketer’s greatest challenge is to push beyond old thinking and what’s worked before. In the past, marketers would outline a user profile and try to fit people into it. But that’s backwards. Instead of tracking down consumers, our greatest opportunity is to design experiences for individuals.
So how exactly do marketers craft more personal campaigns? While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, the following strategies can help establish a solid foundation for people-first digital marketing.
1. Unlock the key: zero-party data
The most valuable data is given, not taken. This is the nature of zero-party data, or the information people willingly offer brands. Zero-party data can include people’s plans, preferences, or anything else they want to share about themselves. By creating the context to receive intimate information directly from individuals, brands can connect with people at a profoundly personal level. And that’s the first step toward building lasting, long-term relationships.
Brands can earn zero-party data in several ways. One of our favorite ways is through primary research and insight creating customer journey maps aimed to help our clients solve a variety of marketing challenges. Another is through genuine conversation led by humans and enhanced by generative AI. Through our custom-built Conversational Engagement Platforms we create with our clients, people give us a clear sense of who they are and what their life is like. We hear what they need. We learn what inspires them. We build trust. We listen. It’s only then that we achieve the insight we need to truly enrich the user’s journey.
2. Personalize through digital empathy
McKinsey research shows that 71 percent of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions*. This is where generative AI and machine learning come in. With the right insight and intent, these tools strengthen the relationships brands build with their audiences. Add zero-party data to the mix, and personalization efforts can go even further.
Additionally, AI-powered tools easily offer what most legacy marketing can’t — tangible ROI. As an example, our Conversational Engagement Platform learns as it goes to create better user experiences with every interaction. Coupled with multi-touch attribution, this iteration enables us to optimize with the help of detailed quantitative and qualitative insight into every interaction.
3. Prepare for the impact of AI Generated Search Experiences
The growing presence and inclusion of AI generated search experiences represents a significant shift in search engine algorithms and the user experience. Brands must be ready to adapt to AI’s impact on search behavior and the rapidly changing inclusion of AI in the search results. Brado is closely monitoring the evolving landscape of generative AI in search, enabling us to anticipate this impact and adapt strategies accordingly.
For example, although relatively new, Google AI Overviews can include ads as well, providing incremental competition. On a similar note, new AI generative search engines are entering the market looking for ways to win with advertiser opportunities. Lastly, with AI overviews, as an example with Google, we’re seeing less and less clicks to publishers websites as more answers are given in the search results themselves. These AI overviews also take up a lot of space, so paid search ads are becoming a more fail safe way to appear and engage with your searching prospects.
The future is in our hands
The unfolding story of digital media won’t be written by the tools we use. It will be written by people. Our success will be measured by the depth of the relationships we create. And user experiences can make or break that connection.
Building a marketing strategy around genuine human interactions sets the stage for more authentic and effective campaigns. The tools exist. We can create opportunities for people to share invaluable information about themselves. We can use insight to personalize user experiences. We can leverage AR and VR to bring brands and people into one another’s worlds. We can connect through human creativity.
With all this opportunity on the horizon, change is at our fingertips. And we’re excited to see what we can collectively accomplish by advancing digital media.
To discuss digital media opportunities with Brado, contact Blake DeCola, General Manager, Digital Media