Kraft:'Marketers must remember they are talking to people'
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Marketers should not forget consumers’ needs by rushing to embrace the latest digital marketing technology, according to Kraft’s European marketing chief.
Speaking at the Guardian’s Changing Advertising Summit today (20 October), Daryl Fielding said that the use of technology must be based on a deep understanding of customers and fit in to broader brand strategy.
She adds: “At the end of everything like Foursquare and Facebook is a person. People are inherently social, but it’s fundamental to remember that behind apps and technologies is a person who will decide if they will buy your products.
“Modern marketing is about how many Facebook fans have you got, but your question should be ’what is the role of that in your brand strategy, what does it contribute?’. I see everyone diving off after the new things like Foursquare, but what is the role going to be with your consumers.”
Aviva’s chief marketing officer Amanda Mackenzie echoed Feilding’s comments, urging marketers to recognise people in all brand communications.
As a long-term investment provider, Aviva has to think about its relationships with pensions customers and make sure that its communication recognises that long-term view, Mackenzie adds.
“Never forget that we’re all human beings. Think about your relationship with consumers in the context of humanity.”
The financial sector would only regain consumers’ trust one brand at a time through honest, comprehensible actions, she says.
Readers' comments (1)
Dave Excell, CEO, Featurespace | Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:44 am
Daryl Fielding is absolutely right in her assertion that companies must base their use of marketing technology on a deep understanding of customers. People soon get fed up of marketing material that does not meet their wants or needs and is presented to them at wrong or inappropriate times.
However, there are many companies which labour under the false belief that solely using ‘big data’ solutions will create direct marketing relevant to their customers. Unfortunately, much of the time it is not, because such methods rely on past actions to pigeon-hole customers into general marketing groups. Additionally, this results in customers receiving marketing after the optimum moment has passed.
Companies who engage with customers online are looking for a more accurate solution to create targeted marketing are turning to self-learning solutions that operate in real-time to predict individual customers’ future wants and needs, based on current actions. This results in customers getting truly targeted marketing - the right offer, at the right time, with the right method - which ultimately improves the relationship between the customer and the company.
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