Employ an Omni-Channel Approach

Digital Marketing - Study Notes:

Rise of new channels

There’s been a rise in new channels. And we’re moving away from a multi-channel approach to an omni-channel approach. In 2008, for example, when there was the HSBC sale, that was very much a multi-channel approach.  We had messages for each channel and it was integrated. However, every channel was treated as a separate channel.

But the omni-channel approach relies on integrating traditional communications channels with new digital channels. Digital channels allow us to have two-way conversations with customers. And consumers are now expecting that they can pick up a message on one channel and easily transfer to another. They expect to see a consistency in the tone of voice and see a consistency in how your brand presents itself.

Supporting digital channels

How can traditional communications channels support what we’re doing in the new digital age?

Events

Suppose you’re holding a traditional event. It can then be streamed online. Think of Google and Apple as examples of this, but one of the best ones to look at is a computer game developer called Blizzard. They developed a number of popular games, probably the best known is World of Warcraft. But also, they’ve done Diablo, Starcraft II, and most recently, Overwatch, which is now one of the biggest first person shooters available worldwide. Blizzard every year have a conference, BlizzCon. And it’s a physical conference and they stream it online. But the interesting thing is they charge people to watch this. And in return they give them either physical or digital gifts. It may be a new skin for a character within the game. It may be a set of unique playing cards. But Blizzard have found a way of creating this omni-channel approach to bringing the gamers closer to their brand. Would you pay to watch an Apple event? Gamers are quite happy to! They’re so engaged, they will happily pay to watch an event in America while they’re sitting at a PC in the UK.

Business cards

The business cards are a very traditional way of, not only communicating about who you are, but also supporting and communicating what your brand stands for. And in the digital world, those business cards need to stand out. Remember, your business card represents your brand. As marketeers, we shouldn’t just allow someone to create random business cards. It’s another key element of being a strong brand guardian. Ensure that the little piece of card, which is still used worldwide and still very important in a lot of businesses, represents what you stand for. It should really get across your core brand message.