During this morning’s Starbucks run, I got a receipt which suggested I buy a tall, skinny latte next time around because, hey, they’re only 80 calories, they’ve got 10 grams of protein and they carry 35% of my daily calcium requirement. Why, thank you, Starbucks, for your healthy suggestion. Do I really look that out of shape?
After a momentary attack of vanity, I was prompted to think about how point of sale systems, databases and every other digitized device are converging to enable the direct marketing of everything — if we update what we mean by direct marketing.
Direct marketing can be situational–like my Starbucks example. It can be predictive, like a recent prompt from my car dealer reminding me that it will need service in a few weeks. It can also be as personal as the holiday card from my guys at the parking garage: It’s been a pleasure working with you (and your car) this year, and it’ll be ready for you at the usual time on Friday. And of course, direct marketing is also a combination of all three, like the Amazon book recommendations I get based on my previous purchases. Who knew “Kung Fu Panda: The Book” fits in with my love for anime, wildlife and fitness?
It’s time to take a seriously different view of direct and it might be time to rethink the marketing strategy process as well.
Imagine with me for a moment: When my web browser behaves like cable TV and I’m able to flick between web sites as easily as I have between stations, IPTV (Internet provider television) will give us an opportunity to personalize every commercial (will we call them IPTV commercials?). Suddenly, segmentation will explode by as many ways as we can learn about individual households from their IP address–or cell phone number, for that matter.
How many sales will be made when the cell phone number and its real-time location are matched to marketers ready to tailor convenient offers? Hey, there’s a free tall, skinny latte waiting for you around the corner when you buy a low-fat blueberry muffin… And: You, lovely lady in the high heels, are just three storefronts away from a new comfy pair of flats. Ten percent off if you drop by in 10 minutes…
Social computing could be the powerful new evolution of direct marketing from B-to-C to C-to-C-to-Cx. Facebook, LinkedIn, Bebo, you name it—could they replace gross rating points with consumer rating points?
Do me a favor: trippy as it may be, spend a day re-imagining everything you experience as direct marketing. It’ll be one paradigm shift you won’t want to live without.
Paul
Situational direct marketing can take your breath away sometimes. I mentioned my love of yammer.com on twitter and seconds later an official yammer group started following my tweets and asking me to follow them.
Wow. In moments Yammer had deepened my relationship with their brand, made me think how clever they were, and started to lure me away from a competitor brand.
By the way, it’s worth checking out yammer.com - an amazing business tool and an almost overnight success since launching (and winning) at TechCrunch a couple of weeks ago.
You can read more at my blog: http://www.livinginadigitalworld.com
Hey and love the new site look and feel. This new Rapp journey is going to be something special.
i want to work here!!!
I think RAPP has the right idea as the advertising industry heads into its next phase. We know consumers respond to whatever product or offer is appealing to them, but it takes data to figure out what that specific person or group responds to. Having a consumer feel like your product is the one for them is magic. Having the data to be able to serve your product to the perfect audience is also magic. There are many tools available today to build your bank and the list continues to grow. It is interesting to watch this industry change and to see into the future. The notes you shared mirror many of the thoughts I have had over the past few years. I think RAPP is on target.
Today the captalism is breaking down.Why?Because it’s false.It’s a ilusion.The true realization it’s not from consuming things.Our relationships are getting better.We need to get the wisdom, the true view to drive our lives. we are not brandings we are humans, and we have to respect our plantet and every human being, the animals, the water, the earth.
