Giving the customer more control

Integrated marketing is reaching new dimensions through the convergence of media. An example of this is the marketing campaign used by Gap to market its launch of its new 1969 Premium Jeans that were “Born to Fit”. They developed a software called StyleMixer for the iPhone (in the USA). This allows prospective buyers to mix and match clothes and to find inspiration and advice through friends from Facebook and the StyleMixer community. The application lets users swipe, slide and tap to design new outfits in the fitting room. These can then be shown to friends on Facebook. They can also flip through different outfits. At the same time users can see what stock may be available at the store they wish to visit. This is an interesting example of a brand can use an integrated approach to marketing, where the consumer has relative control of the product he/she wishes to purchase. At the same time the use of Facebook allows Gap to reach a wider audience where the consumer actually does the marketing and relationship building for them. As mobile applications get more sophisticated this type of an integrated approach to brand building will become prevalent for many global brands.

How realistic is it for your organisation to give the customer more control over the product they want to buy?

Mobile Vision

For Digital Marketers, Mobile is now the most game changing development in the market place. Mobile internet browsing has now become fast, accessible and the user experience is accelerating to a point where it is replacing the use of your standard hardware devices like laptops. There are now many good marketing examples of the use of SMS to build up customer relationships, for example, some banks now notify their customers by text when they are overdrawn, when their salary clears etc

The question is where is this going next? Augmented reality...

Augmented reality, a concept once confined to the Sci-Fi world and previously labelled virtual reality, is now becoming very real as software developers are creating next generation applications. This concept is the most exciting development in mobile to date as it goes way beyond avatars and made up VR worlds and actually maps onto real life. Surprisingly, it is also proving very helpful in day to day activities.

The new applications on Apple's iPhone work by using the mobile phone’s camera, GPS, motion sensor and the internal compass. Pointing your phones camera at your surroundings allows your phone to locate exactly where you are. Small boxes containing information appear on screen which can tell you where the nearest place to eat is or where the nearest tube station is located. Additional layers of detail also appear on screen such as distances. If you then point your camera towards the ground, arrows will appear directing you towards the location of your choice.

Play the video on the link below to see this in action!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8193951.stm

By allowing us to map previously internet confined information on to real life situations, it’s safe to say augmented reality applications are here to stay and are going to play a big part in the way we use our mobile phones in the future.

What do you think? Is there are potential application of this hardware/software for your products/services? How do you think this will impact on your future marketing plans?

Click to comment below.

Is Facebook useful to my business?

Facebook has over 300 million active users! This doesn't make it useful to your business automatically, but many brands are now setting up pages within Facebook and attracting and engaging with 'fans' on this basis.

Have a look at http://tinyurl.com/c82zq7 for an example (you don't need a Facebook account to look at this but you will if you want to 'connect' with Innocent.)

Facebook also allows advertising (it didn't at the start) and this can be paid for on a pay per click basis. Look at http://tinyurl.com/d8s4h6 to read about where ads can be displayed on Facebook pages and how social ads tie in to actions that Facebook users take.

Have any of you had experience of using Facebook within your digital marketing campaign? Share a comment with other readers so we know your views.

Empowering Marketers in the Digital Arena

The digital era took the marketing industry by storm. Suddenly everyone is using the digital buzz words and talking about SEO and Analytics. Marketers today have to keep on top of emerging trends in digital communication and know how to successfully manage their campaigns using the latest tools. It is not always easy however to get the knowledge on what these tools are and how to use them or even a basic understanding of the digital concepts. It is a new arena and information is limited and not always accurate. Knowing what the terms mean and understanding how they can be implemented empowers marketers with confidence and specialist knowledge that may result in more successful digital media campaigns.

We had the dynamic marketer of today in mind when we developed the Diploma in Digital Marketing and the Diploma in Managing Digital Media. Over the last few weeks, as numbers on the qualifications grow, we are reassured that the marketing industry refuses to stay in the dark on digital marketing!

Having said that, do marketers affect emerging trends in digital technology?