ASIA-PACIFIC – OCTOBER 24, 2011: Digital is on every marketer’s lips, but the online space remains unchartered territory for many. Faced with various platforms and social networks, where does one begin? There are two basic questions that brands should answer: Can customers find you? And can you hear what they are saying?
Speaking to clients of Mindshare Philippines at the Mandarin Oriental last week, Mindshare Asia Pacific’s Head of Digital Nick Seckold discussed visibility and listening, which should be the twin bedrocks of digital marketing.
As 80% of consumer online journeys start with search, visibility on the web is of primary importance, though marketers have not realized its potential as a communications vehicle.
"Brands haven’t made the connection with the volume of people that are searching every day to marketing programs," said Seckold. "Consumers associate search ranking with success." A brand that does not appear at the top of search results is not seen as a leader for the keyword.
But how about brands that people do not normally search for?
A product in a low-volume category like detergent powder can be linked to related keywords and target audiences. For example, an audience such as soccer moms and the search keywords "how to remove grass stains" can be part of a brand territory. Paid ads on top of search results can mark this territory.
With brand territory as a base, the brand has the constant visibility that Google values. "Brand territory moves you from tactical bursts to always-on activity and fills the visibility gap," said Seckold.
Search, though narrowly perceived and commonly associated with search engine optimization and direct response, can do much more. It may even be used to test creative. "If you wanted to test a tagline, search allows you to very cost-effectively test many variations," explained Seckold. As Google allows even rotation of ads, click-through rates (CTR) can determine what resonates most with consumers and the best performing lines can be applied to offline creative.
Other key benefits of a visibility program include a relatively low cost (pay per click) and defense versus competitors hijacking your brand territory.
Listening, the other fundamental part of digital marketing, is similarly undervalued by marketers. "It’s important that [brands] understand what consumers are saying outside the typical consumer groups that they may have," said Seckold.
Using online tools, brands can find out what people are saying about the brand, be on top of crisis management, identify key influencers who are brand advocates, and adjust communications based on conversation analysis.
Seckold gave the example of an incident in Malaysia where an employee of KFC rubbed a chicken on the bottom of his shoe, recorded it on video and uploaded it to YouTube. "Luckily we were listening and we were able to counter that with PR," shared Seckold.
With all the excitement in digital, the traditional media mix is starting to be questioned. Seckold maintained that media should be integrated–traditional and media co-exist. Television is in fact the most pervasive driver of search clicks.
"There is no line," said Seckold. Consumers do not make the distinction between online and offline; neither should marketers. Relevant messages must be tailored for each platform.
By starting with visibility and listening, brands can experiment, learn and lead in digital. As "new media" becomes mainstream, marketers can secure their brand territories and integrate digital seamlessly into their media plans.
