This was a question recently posted by the DMA in advance of a live debate they are hosting on Thursday 15 October – http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edma%2Eorg%2Euk%2Ftraining%2Fevt-article%2Easp%3Fid%3D4648&urlhash=jN3a&_t=disc_detail_link.
Below was my posted comment…
When it comes to measuring performance digital is arguably the most transparent medium in terms of trackability. This is especially true since the ability to attribute ROI metrics beyond the last click, thus moving away from the flawed last ad model.
We are also seeing more sophisticated ways of tracking the shouts and whispers of social media buzz which meaningfully translate into ‘corporate’ value.
But… in assessing if digital is delivering on what it promises, ROI accountability is only part of the equation.
Given that digital is increasingly embedded in everyday life, there’s still work to do in establishing how it contributes to the shaping and building of brands over time. Only through demonstrating both the brand and sales impact will digital’s potential and position be fully realised within the overall marketing mix.
So how do we benchmark the comparative and accumulative value (i.e. the multiplier effect) of digital with non-digital ATL media? Well it doesn’t mean we limit this to replicating the existing ATL brand model template of pre/post awareness, image, relevance type metrics.
Don’t get me wrong - we still need to do this, so there’s a common currency that brand managers can relate to. But I’d suggest there is also richer way of gathering and interpreting this.
Let me explain…
There is growing chatter amongst the digital classes about shifting marketing effort beyond short-lived switch on/switch off campaigns to that of creating long lasting experiences. Simply put this boils down to helping brands ‘walk the talk’ by closing the divide between what brands promise and their service delivery. So it becomes more about pushing the quality of engagement.
Outside of physical interactions, this is where digital media really comes into its own. Whether it’s engaging within communities or tapping into the utilitarian properties of emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality or simply creating more user friendly applications, digital has the capability to facilitate, shape and grow such positive experiences through adding genuine meaning and value.
So perhaps we should reframe the original question to a more forward thinking: ‘how can digital help create deeper more meaningful brand experiences?’ And then through this seek to measure its individual and accumulative value relative to all other brand touch-points to help strengthen its position within the marketing mix.
Below was my posted comment…
When it comes to measuring performance digital is arguably the most transparent medium in terms of trackability. This is especially true since the ability to attribute ROI metrics beyond the last click, thus moving away from the flawed last ad model.
We are also seeing more sophisticated ways of tracking the shouts and whispers of social media buzz which meaningfully translate into ‘corporate’ value.
But… in assessing if digital is delivering on what it promises, ROI accountability is only part of the equation.
Given that digital is increasingly embedded in everyday life, there’s still work to do in establishing how it contributes to the shaping and building of brands over time. Only through demonstrating both the brand and sales impact will digital’s potential and position be fully realised within the overall marketing mix.
So how do we benchmark the comparative and accumulative value (i.e. the multiplier effect) of digital with non-digital ATL media? Well it doesn’t mean we limit this to replicating the existing ATL brand model template of pre/post awareness, image, relevance type metrics.
Don’t get me wrong - we still need to do this, so there’s a common currency that brand managers can relate to. But I’d suggest there is also richer way of gathering and interpreting this.
Let me explain…
There is growing chatter amongst the digital classes about shifting marketing effort beyond short-lived switch on/switch off campaigns to that of creating long lasting experiences. Simply put this boils down to helping brands ‘walk the talk’ by closing the divide between what brands promise and their service delivery. So it becomes more about pushing the quality of engagement.
Outside of physical interactions, this is where digital media really comes into its own. Whether it’s engaging within communities or tapping into the utilitarian properties of emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality or simply creating more user friendly applications, digital has the capability to facilitate, shape and grow such positive experiences through adding genuine meaning and value.
So perhaps we should reframe the original question to a more forward thinking: ‘how can digital help create deeper more meaningful brand experiences?’ And then through this seek to measure its individual and accumulative value relative to all other brand touch-points to help strengthen its position within the marketing mix.
