The Marketing Director - March 2022

Customer expectations are evolving

I won't dare to say that we're out of hot water with the pandemic (best to leave the opining to the epidemiologists) but I am confident that we now understand some changes in consumer behaviour are here to stay.

There's no going back. Digital convenience is an expectation, buyers are demanding more value alignment from brands, and remote work is the new reality for many employees. These changes should be reflected in how we plan our digital experience, our brand campaigns, and our everyday actions in order for us to hit our goals and maybe even get ahead.  

That's what this month's Marketing Director is all about — meeting evolving expectations and how to place ourselves at a competitive advantage.  

This month's headlines:

1. The state of digital customer experience 
2. Entering the age of social good
3. How to lead a diverse team
4. Social updates

Digital customer experience still isn't up to par with consumer expectations. 

According to a recent customer experience (CX) study from consultancy group Broadridge, brands still have a long way to go to meet consumer expectations. Here were some of the stats that caught our eye from the survey:

• 56% of consumers agree that COVID-19 has changed how they engage with companies now and into the future.
• 59% of Millenials, 51% of Gen X, and 28% of Boomers have stopped doing business with a company because it did a poor job of personalizing the experience. 
• 86% of consumers want to manage their preferences for how, when, why and where companies communicate with them.
• 84% of consumers want companies to make it easy to interact across all channels.

Why you should care: Consumers have higher digital expectations than ever for the brands they interact with and are willing to go through the hassle of changing services to find more personalization and convenience. No matter your product or business, removing as many friction points within your process as possible to help your customers will pay off in the long run. 

Are we leaving the age of customer centricity to the age of social good?

In an article written for the UX Collective, author Kim Witten suggests that we're leaving the age of customer-centricity and entering into the age of social good. 

Since the 1900's, consumer demand has created ages of prioritization that build upon the previous to create an even more robust system to meet that demand. In the 1900's, it was the age of manufacturing where things became able to be built cheaply and efficiently through machinery. In the 1960's came the age of distribution where the global supply chain blossomed. The 1990's saw the age of information where technology and the internet made supply chain connectivity easier than ever. 2010 brought about the age of the customer where consumers began to demand a new level of customization and experience. 

Witten's theory is that we're now moving into a new age of social good. One where, "customers and employees drive more ethical practices and organizations must become purpose-drive, align to values and higher order aspirations to succeed." 

Our take: It's not that there's no room for innovation, but competition is everywhere. The world is a crowded marketplace for goods and services of all types. In order for businesses to stand out, it's no longer enough to have a good product at a good price with a good experience. You need to align with your audience in their values. There's a reason companies are publishing carbon emission reports, establishing diversity and equity goals, and offering better employee benefits — your customer cares about why you do what you do and how you do it.

How to build cultural competence (and better lead a diverse team) 

Culturally diverse teams are a given in North America as immigration continues to rise year over year. Learning how to lead and navigate culturally diverse teams is a skill that needs to be built according to this article from Harvard Business Review.

In the article, author Jeff Meade, suggests that there are 3 key strategies to build this cultural competence:

1) Build self-awareness around your biases. To create an inclusive work environment, you must first be comfortable recognizing situations in which your biases are most likely to negatively impact your decision-making or judgment. 

2) Practice active listening. In a culturally diverse workplace, successful managers know how to interact with people who have different communication styles (verbal, nonverbal, written, or visual), approaches to problem-solving, and even methods of asking for help.

3) Ensure equity in retention and promotion. Hold yourself accountable to your DEI goals by tracking how promotions are awarded on your team and within the larger organization. Note any inequities, and then work explicitly on how to address them.

Read the full article here.

The latest social updates

It seems like there's always something new going on in the wild world of social media. To keep you in the know, here is the February(ish) round-up of social updates: 

 1) YouTube's Chief Product Officer announced the platform's 2022 priorities which include more short-form videos, live streaming, and more native shopping integrations. There's a whole lot more, much of which seems less relevant to the average marketer, but give it a read if you're curious.  

2) TikTok has published a Brand Safety Centre to act as a reference guide for brands and marketers using the platform.  

3) Facebook has launched Facebook Reels to all users (to the angry booing of social media marketers everywhere).

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Quick hits

What we're listening to

This comprehensive podcast episode explaining inflation. Does it have anything to do with marketing? No. Am I tired of being caught in conversations where I have no clue what anyone is talking about? Yes. If that's also you, you're welcome. 

What we're reading

This surprisingly helpful article on editorial skills from HubSpot. It's never a bad idea to brush up on the basics, right?

What we're downloading

This Chrome extension condenses all your tabs into a single page. If your computer is extra slow or sounding like it's ready to launch into space, you probably have too many tabs open. 

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Have a question, comment, or recommendation for the newsletter? I'd love to hear from you! Slide into my LinkedIn DM's.

Cheers,

Santana Blanchette,

The Marketing Director Editor in Chief 

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