Strategy 2024: the race for awareness is over, bet on engagement! (2 of 5)
2024, or the year of wisdom.
Imagine a space where every interaction with the client transcends mere transactions to become an opportunity for building lasting relationships. This space is yours. Hopefully, in 2024, it is a hybrid of "offline" and "online". In this pivotal year, marketing is undergoing not just an evolution, but a revolution. Why? Because crises are the birthplace of opportunities (remember, we talked a lot about this during COVID-19).
The line is clearly drawn between authentic engagement and superficial awareness, this divine notoriety that we have prioritized in marketing for so long. In our constantly evolving digital universe, as generative AI reshuffles the deck and upends our established ways, it is now just as essential to touch hearts as it is to reach minds.
Making marketing solely an awareness development effort is an era that has ended. Especially when the economy tightens.
Awareness was the foundation on which traditional marketing was built. It represented the dawn of brand communication, a cry in the digital desert, an attempt to draw attention in an information-saturated world. But was it enough? Certainly not. It was just the prelude to something greater, more significant.
Engagement: the new continent everyone is seeking.
« Engagement is the art and magic of complete marketing. »
Engagement is the art and magic of complete marketing. It is the ultimate expression of customer experience. It's not just about making your brand known, but about instilling it in the minds and hearts of your audience. It's about creating an experience so captivating that it turns each user into a fervent ambassador of your brand. Engagement is not about selling products, but about realizing dreams and aspirations.
This actually begins not with marketing, but with the product and/or service. Too often, I hear business owners, unaware of the significant shortcomings of their product, believe that they need to improve sales and/or marketing. But here we will focus on the marketing part (which, in my opinion, should include customer experience).
The Expectation Revolution
Today's consumers aspire to more than just transactions. They seek tangible authenticity, meaningful interaction, and ideally personalized and memorable experiences (instagrammable, I should say :( ). They are no longer just buyers, but active partners, co-creators in the adventure of your brand. With current technological advances, this personalization is not only feasible, it has become a fundamental expectation.
Case study: success through engagement
Let's observe the brands that are redefining market standards.
Cook it is not a company that found its disruptive offer in technology. That technology was just a means to achieve its mission. The real aspect that engaged so many consumers over the past decade was its product, its response to a real need. Its passion for understanding its members and how to make their culinary life easier.
For BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), it was not its marketing that primarily generated not just engagement but the true fanaticism of its consumers. It's passion, it's a product that is absolutely, fabulously designed and conceived to meet even the unknown expectations of consumers.
So, how can marketers sometimes become real conductors orchestrating the symphony of the customer experience?
Their success lies not in their ability to communicate, but in their competence to listen, interact, and co-create with their clientele. They use technology as a bridge, not as a spectacle, to make each interaction unique and memorable.
A small but crucial parenthesis here: to create transparent, invisible technology, which is not the goal but the means, you need the best technology experts.
My strategy: authentic engagement
Authenticity in engagement comes from a deep and empathetic understanding of customers. Technology is a tool to deepen this understanding, not a substitute. Forge stories that resonate, build experiences that leave a mark, beyond simple messages. Authenticity is the key to powerful engagement.
« Engagement is a journey, an endless quest. »
Engagement is a journey, an endless quest. It requires innovation, flexibility, and the ability to take measured risks. It's about anticipating trends while staying grounded in your core values. Engagement thus transforms the way brands interact with their public. It's no longer just about making your brand known, it's about making it felt, making it indispensable in the daily lives of your customers.
For example:
In advertising: create campaigns that don't just sell a product, but tell a story, evoke emotions, and invite action. Most importantly, most importantly, (have I already said most importantly?) most importantly, don't fall into the war of promotions and other discounts of all kinds.
In digital marketing: use data to personalize interactions by audience, create content and experiences that resonate with users' values and interests. A digital destination is very rarely created, even with millions of dollars.
In communications: move from a one-way message to a dialogue, foster exchanges and feedback, and be responsive to customer needs and concerns. Most importantly, most importantly, don't get caught in the trap of Green/Diversity Washing.
For effective engagement, you must...
Understand and segment your audience:
Use customer data to better understand the different segments of your audience.
Adapt your content and messages according to the specific interests and behavior of different groups.
Personalize the experience: offer data-based recommendations, personalized offers, and responsive and human customer service.
Create engaging content: stories that inspire, interactive campaigns, and immersive experiences.
Keep your consumers active: work on your loyalty programs, « Great Scott! »!
It's a meticulous job of strategy, data analysis, and financial planning, but there are experts, don't do it alone! A good program allows a truly profitable balance between the company and its consumer.
Develop loyalty programs that reward engagement and loyalty. It may seem obvious, but believe me, it's not clear to everyone.
Build communities around the brand to encourage exchanges between users and strengthen the sense of belonging. This reminds me of a very innovative, inspiring, and audacious project developed by Sail: reSAIL - https://resail.sail.ca/ (I have nothing to do with this project, it's just excellent).
Don't think in silos anymore, but ensure Omnichannel Marketing:
Ensure a consistent presence across all brand touchpoints. It's much more complex than just writing it, unfortunately, but it's the basis of any iconic brand.
Create smooth and connected experiences across all channels, online and offline. Some of the traditional industries I've had the pleasure of collaborating with have a lot of difficulty with this point simply because they don't understand the importance of it. Without believing in it, it's therefore impossible to do it properly. But don't give up because it's unfortunately a necessity of the customer experience that will only grow.
Don't be entrenched anymore, it's now the era of Reactivity and Adaptability:
Be agile and responsive to emerging trends and customer feedback.
Quickly adapt your strategies to stay relevant and connected with your audiences.
In conclusion
In 2024, marketing is not a question of quantity, but of quality of impact. We are entering an era where engagement and customer experience are the true measures of success.
It's time to think differently, to challenge the status quo, to create not just products, but unforgettable experiences.
What will be your next step to transform your marketing? Are you ready to engage, inspire, and create something extraordinary? Your future is in your hands. Dare to be bold, dare to be different.
