In a slight change to my normal working day, I was sent off yesterday to the 2015 Adobe Summit at the ExCeL Centre to be inspired about the future of digital technology and market research.
There were many highlights to be taken from the day, including the announcement of a partnership between Adobe and Microsoft, seeing the Coca-Cola screen in Piccadilly change at the click of a button, and an inspiring talk from physicist and television presenter Brian Cox.
However, while looking back over the notes I had been taking throughout the day, I saw that there were only really three key ideas that I had been writing on. And within these ideas I think is the main basis to what all marketers and advertisers should know about and be implementing.
So, without further ado, here are my three key takeaways from the 2015 Adobe Summit.
- Know the customer:
This is an idea that was reiterated throughout the day, and something I think most professionals would agree on. Brands must know everything there is to know about their customers. Data collecting tools are a great way to discover data and insights on customers and fans, which you can subsequently leverage to plan and structure the creative work.
One of the speakers at the event was Jerry Newman, the Head of Digital Marketing and CRM at Chelsea Football Club. He described how it was key for brands to maintain the relationship with their fans, and that for Chelsea particularly this included going beyond the football match and reaching into their everyday lives. Using data collecting tools they have been able to determine every different tribe of fan they have, from those who support the club with a deep passion, to those who watch them now and then on TV. Once these tribes are identified they can be targeted with the right message that will build a stronger bond between the brand and consumer.
These ideas were supported by Ricardo Carvalho, the Head of Digital at Shell. He stated that strategy tools give businesses an idea of the level of reputation of their brand, and from this they can gather valuable insights about the common perception of the brand.
Brands must always think about their customers and fan-base, and that this should be thought of beyond pinpointing one specific group of customers. Brands should be deeply knowledgeable about all those with a vested interest (or a potential interest) in the brand.
- Use digital to create new experiences:
One of the first things uttered by Brad Rencher (the SVP and GM of Digital Marketing at Adobe) was that Adobe were trying to change the world through digital experiences. Using the data collected on their customers, brands should be looking at how to redefine the customer experience through new technology. In the future this might mean brands adopting the Internet of Things, in-car technology or in-house technology. However, at the moment it is mobility and smartphone technology that is key to establishing new forms of customer experiences.
Consumers are at the stage where they want what they want, where they want it, and when they want it. Partner with this an increased interest in brands (beyond the product) from consumers, we find that people are far more demanding of brands delivering relevant, enjoyable and engaging content. Brands must deliver on this to develop and maintain their relationship with customers.
The DDF and CDO of Renault, Patrick Hoffstetter, stated that mobile and social channels were becoming ever-increasingly popular platforms, in which potential customers would search and discover content on brands. For Renault, they have to think about how they could use this information to deliver a strong customer experience. Currently one of Renault’s proposed strategies to deal with this is to bring digital screens into dealerships that will allow potential customers to instantaneously show the research they have previously done on their smartphones.
Customer experience is key to gaining and maintaining a loyal and engaged following. What brands, marketers and advertisers should be doing is looking at how digital can improve upon this experience so we are engaging the customers before, during and after the point of sale.
- Content is still king:
In the end, after all the initial research, planning and strategizing, the most important thing is to have the right content. While the planning stage is key to structuring the content, if the content isn’t to the right standard or doesn’t have the correct message then all your previous work is wasted. Brands must be sure that the content they are pushing to advertise and market themselves is delivering the right message. Particularly true on social which is becoming increasingly noisy as the user base for social channels constantly grows.
Much of this can be very straightforward, for instance having high resolution images and using short, clear and coherent copy. However once you’ve begun this process you have to start calculating which content performs best. Two spokeswomen for the TUI group described how they found that for Thompsons, lighter images were outperforming darker ones by 30%, and that those with a deal overlaid were outperforming those without one by 14%. By calculating this data they are able to find which content is performing best, and then redirect their strategy based on this.
The other major point of discussion was the best way to optimize the use of video. We were told that by 2016 55% of Internet traffic will be watching video content. At a point in which video is becoming dominant in the digital landscape, brands must learn how to correctly leverage their use of video to maximise engagement with the brand.
Fergal O’Connor (Industry Manager for Tech B2B at YouTube) described a simple but efficient method in which brands can do this. Firstly engage and spark curiosity though entertaining videos, making the audience more interested in who your brand is. Once done you can deliver informative content on your brand and products. This is a productive way to use different types of content to engage potential customers with your brand, and deliver informative information on your products.
The right message, at the right time, to the right people.
While these three ideas are not revolutionary by any means, they are key points that advertisers and marketers should have knowledge about to be able to bring brands closer to their customers and have real relevance in their lives.
What is exciting (and will be revolutionary) is how these ideas will play out in the future.
With the introduction of the Internet of Things, and having everything from your car to your fridge becoming a digital device, advertisers and marketers we will be inundated with consumer data and new ways to create consumer experiences using digital technology.
And with this we can create more relevant and more tailored content that reaches the right consumer, at the right time, on the right device, with the right message.