I just returned from the Graph Expo show at McCormick Place in Chicago. First of all, you wouldn't know that the economy is "suffering". The place was packed. Not sure if anyone was buying anything, but it was packed nonetheless.
Anyhow, the big buzz at the show was cross-media solutions. I visited many of the vendors and sat in on a seminar on the subject. What I found out was that cross-media is being defined as the integration of direct mail, email and PURLs (personalized URL's) into one application solution. You create the direct mail piece and the email header with the same look and feel. You then publish PURLs to the content of those two media and send the recipient to a personalized landing page (otherwise known as a micro-site). All of this is tracked and triggered based upon logical steps determined by the recipients action. The end-game report gives the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) some datapoints to sink his/her teeth into to determine next steps in the strategic marketing picture.
OK...sounds pretty cool and all that. However, these so-called cross-media application solutions are missing quite a few other media. I think the software developer that can integrate more than just the "big three" media will be onto something extremely big.
How would you define Cross-Media Solutions? I'd like to hear your comments...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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2 comments:
First of all fair disclosure I am the Director of Business Development for Indros Group the makers of the the EasyPersonalized URL cross channel marketing software. That having been said, I am not sure if my seminar on cross channel marketing was the one you attended. If so I am glad you took the time and that you were able to bring back some valuable information on cross channel marketing.
I agree with you that the buzz was all about cross channel marketing and I believe the reason for this is that with the adoption of one platform (mine or any other true cross channel marketing platform with integrated PURLs Print Service Providers are able to instantly enter the world of cross channel marketing and become Marketing Service Providers which we at least feel is a necessary step in order to compete in this increasingly competitive landscape with Agencies buying presses ( there were four on the show floor that I met).
What you missed (and this was my fault not yours) was that our seminar at the Graph Expo was tailored for the Printer not the overall agency (this one is saved for the DMA or late night rants with my agency friends over a couple of beers). One of the things I talk about on a regular basis is the ability to truly reach out across all mediums with a PURL technology. We call this G2P or a GURL to a PURL campaign (general URL to a Personalized URL) and we have seen great success with these campaigns when properly executed. Of course the basis of this campaign finally leads to a PURL (sorry were partial as we sell PURLS)for the reporting and personalization.
There are of course challenges when you market using a G2P campaign. In a normal DM PURL campaign you have two basic challenges. The first challenge is catching the prospects’ interest and driving to the PURL the second is selling them on converting on the PURL. In a G2P campaign you have three individual hurdles to overcome. The first is selling the prospect on going from passive to interactive. The prospect is sitting on his couch watching Mad Men and he sees your ad on the TV with a GURL in it. He needs to be sold on getting up off his but and interacting with your brand. This is the first sale from passive to interactive. He logs onto his computer and puts in your campaign specific URL or GURL into his browser and he is taken to a page where you ask him to enter in his information. This is the second sale where you are asking him to go from safely anonymous to a personalized state. Once he has done this you know have to sell him on buying your product, signing up for the newsletter etc.
If you can overcome the inherent challenges in a G2P campaign then you can achieve some pretty remarkable and more importantly, trackable results. I have personally seen 30,000 respondents in the first hour of a campaign launching. This was not Chiat/Day this was not JWT. This was a small to medium size printer in Chicago. These printers have been tasked with the responsibility of contacting their client’s prospects on their client’s behalf. Why are they not contacting these prospects in every medium in which they interact?
Devin Voorsanger
Director of Business Development
www.indrosgroup.com
Devin:
For the record, it was not the Indros Group that I attended. I wish I could have as I would like to have seen your "spin" on things. I believe the printers face two major challenges with regards to "contacting these prospects in every medium in which they interact"; resources and know-how. I believe cross-media software companies need to bring those resources together in an integrated, scalable fashion. Thanks for the comments.
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