ARE WE IGNORING PROACTIVE MARKETING IN THE RACE AGAINST TIME?

Have you evaluated the effectiveness of running a last-minute versus data-driven proactive marketing campaign for your business? If the former strategy was a success, most brands would opt for quick and easy tactics without working on the research, consumer behavior, or setting parameters for growth and retention.  

Risky. Isn't it? 

When the competition is steep and huge investments are made to gain the desired results, unplanned and hasty marketing campaigns often prove to be short-lived. According to a study conducted by the Institution of Practitioners in Advertising, long-term campaigns are three times more effective than short campaigns and have a 60% higher chance of profit-making. 

If you are focusing on earning a higher ROI, building loyalty, and making an emotional connection with your customers, it is time to consider proactive marketing as a stepping stone to success.

Proactive marketing is about understanding customers' behavior and offering products and services based on their needs. Proactive marketing is not only about the efforts you make before running a campaign but also an integrated approach to achieve sales goals based on a long-term strategy.

This includes: 

●      Understanding your audience; their needs, behavior, concerns, and expectations 

●      Analyzing real-time data derived from statistics, research, and feedback

●      Defining metrics for success by selecting marketing channels and innovative maneuverings 

●      Optimizing campaigns for the desired impact and engaging with your customers

Lesson learned

Eight years ago, when I was setting up the marketing department at MeTL, a family-run mega-conglomerate in East Africa, I closely worked with the sales team to analyze the business growth. They did a great job of making sure our products were available in the market. But who was making sure the products were picked from the shelves and what were our sales figures? With no marketing strategy, our competitors were ahead of the race and pushed us off the rack. 

We refused to give up and instead worked on a long-term strategy from improving product designs to analyzing consumer preferences, and their perception of our umbrella brand. 

Today, after years of consistent efforts, our brand visibility has tremendously improved and built the loyalty of millions of our consumers who make MO products a part of their lives. 

Proactive marketing combines consumer data such as demographics, purchasing history with implicit data including interests, behavior, and other filters to leverage campaign effectiveness targeted towards engagement and retention.

Implementing proactive marketing in your business 

1. Your database is your asset

Your first goal towards planning a marketing campaign should be about understanding your customers with techniques including research and database. Thanks to the potential of information technology, you can now access real-time data and draw insights and analytics from surveys and consumer feedback.

2. Understanding consumer behavior 

Once you have all the demographics, spend time to understand the relationship between your customers and the products and services you offer. What kind of product variants are commonly picked from the shelf, when is the most popular time of the day to buy your products and how will you differentiate your products from your competitors? Thinking from the consumers' perspective saves costs on trails and errors and efficiently design targeted campaigns.

Founded in 1824, the Cadbury Dairymilk has grown beyond offering consumers a classic plain or fruit and nut chocolate. By understanding the evolving demands of their diverse consumers, Cadbury offers over 85 varieties from fun and quirky flavors such as pineapple and bubblegum to rich peppermint and almond chocolates.

3. Add value

Proactive marketing allows reaching out to your current customers better, expanding your market potential, and offering a valuable, and relevant product to your potential customers.

Pro Tip: Create an effective message; slogans, taglines, e.t.c. that prompts customers to take action. Always do split testing to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing ideas.

 With several movies and TV shows on Netflix, this entertainment app adds value and personalizes user experience by sending notifications on new releases, recommends new programs, and allows users to watch movies with friends and family across the globe with its ‘Netlfix party extension’. These small ways of reaching out to customers before they reach out to you are what differentiates successful brands to other businesses.

 Long-term gains of proactive marketing

Designing a marketing campaign based on real-time statistics and data is certainly more meaningful than trying to fix the wrongs with the running campaigns. Making strategic decisions requires efforts, budget, and creativity, however, it brings back visible rewards. 

A survey conducted by InContact shows, 87% of consumers prefer to be contacted pro-actively by a company.

●      In-depth research and creative strategies instill brand confidence and minimize campaign failures by offering consumers an improvised version of products or services 

 ●      Understanding consumer behavior helps to improve engagement and brand proposition while promoting a competitive product  

 ●      When consumers notice a change in your marketing efforts, you are likely to attract more customers and improve brand loyalty. 

According to a survey conducted by Accenture, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who recognize, remember, and provide relevant offers and recommendations.

 ●      Better products mean strong brand preference achieved with strategic marketing efforts and are less time-consuming and more cost-effective in the long run. 

 ●      By providing consumers the services even before they ask or complain, you are improving your brand image and attracting them towards making your product or service their choice. 

Many companies find it easier to adapt reactive marketing methods and learn from the mistakes after the campaign. Proactive marketing, on the contrary, is a proven strategy that offers a clear view of the business landscape, based on real-time data and analytics targeted toward greater ROI and staying ahead of the competition.