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Stuart O'Brien

Do you specialise in Brand Monitoring? We want to hear from you!

Each month on Digital Marketing Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on different parts of the print and marketing sectors – and in June we’ll be focussing on Brand Monitoring.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help marketing industry professionals find the best products and services available today.

So, if you specialise in Brand Monitoring solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact James Howe on j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.

Here are the areas we’ll be covering, month by month:

Jun – Brand Monitoring

Jul – Web Analytics

Aug – Conversion Rate Optimisation

Sept – Digital Signage

Oct – Brochure Printing

Nov – Creative & Design

Dec – Online Strategy

For more information on any of the above topics, contact James Howe on j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.

Highways England campaign receives top marketing award

The ‘Distressed’ campaign, which sets out to help bikers realise what could happen if they ride in the wrong clothing, has scooped the ‘Best Content Marketing Campaign’ award at the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) Marketing Excellence Awards 2019.

It features a fashion range, and price tags, which, instead of showing the cost of the clothing, show a range of serious injuries a biker could suffer if they are not wearing the right gear.

As part of the campaign, a pop-up shop was opened in East London, with the ‘distressed’ clothing range. ‘Customers’ were filmed – including their reactions when they realised what the price labels referred to.

The film was then used as content for the campaign, along with mock fashion photographs featured on poster sites near to accident hotspots. The ‘Distressed’ clothing range is still being used to promote bike safety at events across England.

The campaign forms part of Highways England’s target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured across the network by 40% by 2020.

A survey after the campaign of the target audience – young motorcycle and moped riders – had positive results. It showed:

  • an increase of more than three-quarters in the number of young riders who said they were more likely to wear protective clothing
  • a 70% increase in young rider riders being more likely to check traffic more thoroughly at junctions and roundabouts and in the way they filtered through traffic
  • a 6% increase in young riders saying that they would wear protective clothing.

The campaign also directed bike riders to the Think! website for further advice and information. This saw a 340% rise in unique page views compared to the same period in the year before the campaign ran.

Peter Allen, Highways England’s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications, said: “Bikers are among the most vulnerable on the road – this campaign is all about helping them be safer.

“The mental and physical cost of not wearing the correct motorcycle clothing can be far greater than the financial cost, so we wanted to stress how important it is for our young riders to really understand the need to be prepared, and to always wear the appropriate clothing.

“I’m proud the campaign has been recognised, and continues to capture the imaginations of partner organisations and young people across England.”

6 killer marketing metrics that really matter

By Adam Oldfield, MD of Force24

The life of a digital marketer is rarely straightforward. Whilst other communicators may perhaps argue it’s easier for their digital peers to evidence ROI, those within the world of email marketing, for instance, may be quick to defend their position.

Because yes, they have a wealth of metrics at their fingertips, but it can be difficult to know where to start.

Rather than focusing on what is arguable a vanity metric – like a click rate or, even worse, an email open – it’s important that marketers look deeper at the data to offer a true bottom line impact.

Insight relating to a brand’s data subjects, list segmentation, and the evolution of those segments, will help a marketer to understand what excites people and drives them to engage. Instead of asset-based reporting, professionals should therefore be concentrating on audience reporting, to assess campaign performance through a user’s eyes.

But how do marketing departments get these bottom up metrics that matter?

  1. Segments are key

Not exactly a metric in itself, but the data that matters can’t be uncovered until segments have been built to see how they are performing, how they’re growing (or shrinking) over time, and what the average lead score is. The more segments created – the better. Automation should make this possible in only a few easy clicks.

  1. Lead score matters the most

‘Lead scoring matters only for B2B marketers’ is a huge myth! Savvy lead scoring takes ALL engagement from any type of user. A points-system should be set so it can be tallied and a pre-defined ‘tipping point’ – tailored to the brand – should trigger when to act. Lead scores help to decide exactly who to focus on at any given time.

  1. Analyse average lead scores per segment

The average lead score of a segment may peak and trough over time. This data can be used to draw engagement curves that indicate seasonality, optimum purchase times, crucial cross-sell periods and when an existing customer is most likely to re-book/buy. This type of analysis also helps to quickly identify strong or weak segments within a data set. It also helps draw correlations between lead scores and campaigns, web activity and, most importantly, the number of leads actually secured. 

  1. Segment evolution

It is important to understand how a list is growing or shrinking – is the data in a segment diminishing, for example? And what might this mean? 

  1. User web engagement

We know browsing behaviour gives us a deeper insight into a user’s interests and needs, but only one in six organisations use it effectively. Web collateral should therefore be designed to support this information gathering, and engagement across this online real-estate should be analysed.

  1. User marketing preferences

It’s just as important to understand what your segment does NOT want to see – you’ll be surprised by the level of variation between data sets.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Mrs Digital end-to-end digital marketing

Since 1999, we’ve built a team of talented marketers and honed our craft as a performance driven agency. We exist for one reason: to provide you with a truly unrivalled, end-to-end digital marketing service.

Our unwavering focus is on people and the commercial value we bring to any business’ work in the online space, and as a result, their bottom line. We’ve spent years developing our craft just for you and work with every client with pride and full transparency.

We truly care about the work we do, our client relationships, and mean it when we say we become an extension of your brand. Request your free search marketing audit (completed by a real human!) now and let’s talk.

To find out more, visit https://mrs.digital/services/dmss19

Registration open for the Print & Digital Innovations Summit

Senior print professionals will converge on London for a full day of networking and business meetings on 14th November – will you be among them?

What: Print & Digital Innovations Summit

When: 14th November 2019

Where: Hilton London Canary Wharf

Format: Corporate ‘speed-dating’. Your attendance as an event partner includes face-to-face meetings (pre-arranged), networking, stand, electrics, lighting, name board, furniture, lunch and refreshments, plus contact details of all delegates post-event.

Audience: Senior professionals from a range of sectors, including:-

Charities

Education

Mail Order

Marketing Agencies

Pharmaceuticals/NHS

Publishing

Retail

Travel

Utilities

Register here to secure your place.

For more information, visit www.printinnovationssummit.co.uk.

Last Chance: Digital Marketing Solutions Summit

This is the final call for delegate and supplier places at the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit, takes place on May 14th at Hilton Canary Wharf, London.

It’s entirely FREE for delegates to attend – every VIP pass includes access to a series of seminars by industry thought-leaders and meetings with the leading solution providers in the sector.

The event will also allow you to network with peers.

Lunch and refreshments are included with your free place.

Places are limited though, so register today.

For more information, contact Katie Bullot on 01992 374049 or email k.bullot@forumevents.co.uk.

Alternatively, if you’re a digital marketing solutions provider and would like to showcase your products and services at the event, contact James Howe on 01992 374067 or email j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.

Marketing budgets up in 1Q 2019

The net balance of marketing executives reporting upwardly revised budgets increased to +8.7% in Q1 2019, up from a +0.0% reading for the final quarter of 2018 and the highest since Q3 2017.

That’s according to the latest IPA Bellwether report, which says around 21.6% of panel members observed spending growth, compared to 12.8% registering budget cuts.

The quarterly report says that while the Brexit uncertainty that is shrouded over the UK’s political and economic climate continued to prompt belt-tightening and a delay in decision-making, other companies took a more pro-active approach and looked to push resources into their brands, enhancing digital marketing methods and expanding presence on social media platforms.

Firms were also wary of rising competitive pressures, leading some to diversify product offerings as part of efforts to enter new markets and attract new clients. As such, there were reports of boosting marketing spend as a defensive mechanism to protect brand reputation.

Nevertheless, the IPA Bellwether says unfavourable global economic conditions, coupled with fears of falling business and consumer confidence prompted caution over discretionary spending in some cases.

The best performing category of the Bellwether survey was internet, which saw its net balance jump from +2.1% to +17.2%. Firms showed a strong appetite to enhance their digital footprints, with Search/SEO spending (+14.2% from -3.9%), as well as targeted advertising on mobile (+3.6% from -2.4%) all receiving boosts. A renewed drive for big-ticket advertising campaigns was also apparent during the opening quarter of 2019, with main media marketing returning to growth (+5.2% from -6.2%). Events was the third and final Bellwether category to register expenditure growth (+3.4% from +2.6%).

However, market research, sales promotions and direct marketing budgets were all revised lower during Q1, with net balances of -4.2% (from -4.7%), -3.7% (from +3.8%) and -3.5% (from -5.6%) respectively.

Marketing executives erred on the side of caution with their forecasts for marketing spend for the 2019/20 financial year. A modest net balance of +3.4% anticipate budgets to grow during this period, which was notably weaker than past forecasts made before a new financial year and the lowest since 2009.
Although approximately 26% of panellists foresee growth, the remaining 74% expect cuts or no change. Compared to this time last year, a net balance of +18% of firms anticipated budget growth for the 2018/19 period.

Positive expectations were centred on main media marketing campaigns and advertising at events, which yielded net balances of +4.8% and +2.5% respectively. Some companies expect that brand-building initiatives seen during the most recent quarter will continue through the coming financial year, as they look to defend their brand and stave off tough competitive pressures. Plans to launch new products in some instances were also seen as opportunities for marketing budget growth.

Nevertheless, firms were much more downbeat for the remaining Bellwether categories. Negative outlooks were recorded for other marketing (-13.1%), PR (-7.0%), sales promotions (-5.3%), market research (-4.0%) and direct marketing (-1.8%).

Marketers’ confidence levels remain significantly negative

Following the first downbeat outlook towards own company financial prospects since Q3 2012 during the previous Bellwether survey, latest data showed no signs of an improvement. A net balance of -2.7% of surveyed marketing executives indicated a pessimistic assessment towards their company’s finances, compared to -0.9% during the final quarter of 2018, thereby indicating a stronger degree of negativity.

Industry-wide financial prospects also remained pessimistic during the first quarter. Although the net balance of firms casting a downbeat assessment was slightly lower than previously, registering -22.6% (- 28.6% in Q4 2018), it still signalled one of the most negative industry-wide outlooks since the global financial crisis.

Paul Bainsfair, IPA Director General, said: “This sharp increase following Q4 2018’s flatlining signals that UK marketing budgets have received a much-needed kiss of life in an economy gripped by Brexit uncertainty. The smart marketers realise that to grow their businesses, they must invest in them, particularly in mass reach, long-term media. While the forecast for the year ahead remains uncertain given the seemingly endless Brexit negotiations, those that want real competitive advantage should follow the proven rule that if you increase your share of voice above your share of market, you should expect to experience growth.”

Joe Hayes, Economist at IHS Markit and author of the Bellwether Report: “A return to growth in marketing budgets during the opening quarter of 2019 may come as a surprise given the uncertainty that shrouds the UK political and economic climate has only built further since the previous Bellwether Report. However, some companies began to show a determination to step up brand-building and protection in these challenging times, taking a pro-active, yet defensive approach in the face of business belt-tightening and weakening consumer confidence. That said, cautious undertones were still apparent in budget plans for the 2019/20 financial year, with panellists providing only modest growth expectations in available marketing spend. In fact, the outlook was the most subdued since 2009.”

C-Suite execs urged to step up to B2B marketing plate

Even in the age of virtual reality activations, social video and mobile apps, the most effective media format for branded business content remains the good, old-fashioned ‘opinion piece’.

That’s the view of Michael Feeley, Founder of Feels Like Content, who previously spent the five years working as a consultant journalist with marketing media brand The Drum, advising hundreds of marketing agency clients on their content marketing output.

Feeley says that while there he was surprised to find that, on average, it was opinion pieces, above all other content types, which generated most readers, most engagement, and most click-throughs.

He said: “My experience was that a well-written opinion piece would often outperform all other branded content types online – even video, animations or infographics – by a factor of three-to-one.”

Feeley has now launched Feels Like Content to offer a range of content coaching and development services which he believes “plug the gaps” in the traditional agency/client relationship. The first of these services, the Thought-Leadership Sprint, is a 60-minute training and content package that teaches senior executives how to recognise and develop great ideas for opinion pieces.

Feeley explained: “For opinion pieces to be truly authentic and cut-through to your target audience, they need to originate from the ideas of your senior team, and be based on their sector experience, their real-world expertise and the conversations taking place inside your organisation right now.  

“The problem is that senior executives are busy people. Ask the average over-worked sales or IT director to write produce an article on the latest industry trends at short notice and their immediate response is likely to be unsuitable for publication! However, it’s a big mistake for C-suite executives to view content marketing as ‘something other people do’, so I want to help shift that mindset wherever I can.”

Feeley claims that during the 60-minute group session (and subsequent 1-2-1s with participants) he can convince senior execs to become “enthusiastic content creators” and, using a unique ‘5 magic questions’ approach, show them how to develop thought-leadership articles easily that deliver genuine ROI. Each participant then develops their first opinion piece in collaboration with a professional journalist to kick-start their journey as industry commentators.

Feeley said: “The vision is to make content marketing make less about automation and being on the latest hot social platform without really knowing why, and more about reconnecting your content with the expertise inside your organisation.”

Feels Like Content is currently trialling the Thought-Leadership Sprint with selected organisations in Scotland and will formally launch the training and content development package across the UK from June 2019.

Print & Digital Innovations Summit: Everything you need to know!

Are you free on the 14th November and would like to join us at the Print & Digital Innovations Summit?

We have 50+ senior print buyers looking for your products and services.

When: 14th November 2019

Where: Hilton London Canary Wharf

Format: Corporate ‘speed-dating’. Your attendance as an event partner includes face-to-face meetings (pre-arranged), networking, stand, electrics, lighting, name board, furniture, lunch and refreshments, plus contact details of all delegates post-event.

Audience: Senior professionals from a range of sectors, including:-

Charities

Education

Mail Order

Marketing Agencies

Pharmaceuticals/NHS

Publishing

Retail

Travel

Utilities

For more information, call Katie Bullot on 01992 374049 or email k.bullot@forumevents.co.uk.

To attend as a supplier, call James Howe on 01992 374067 or email j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.

For more information, visit www.printinnovationssummit.co.uk.

Learn about the power of Influencer Marketing & more…

Join us at the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit and you’ll have the opportunity to learn about influencer marketing, AI, personalisation and more.

This unique one-day event takes place on May 14th at Hilton Canary Wharf, London and is entirely FREE for you to attend. Your VIP pass includes access to a series of seminars by industry thought-leaders. These sessions include:

The Power of Influencer marketing

It’s not a badging exercise and it’s not about choosing influencers based purely on follower numbers. It’s about developing real relationships between brands and influencers and creating authentic content that drives genuine consumer connections.

Presented by: Sam Brookes, Business Director, Seen Connects

Mobile Web Excellence: Delivering Engaging and Delightful Customer Experiences

Join a Google expert to learn how you can create an excellent customer experience through your mobile web strategy and ensure that your digital experiences function efficiently on mobile devices.

Presented by: Maria Lopez Pozuelo, UK Mobile Lead at Google

The Power of Relevance: How AI is Driving Effective Personalization at Scale

Gain insights into the critical role that AI plays in helping marketers scale personalization to meet the increasing demands of today’s consumers.

Presented by: Alexander Handcock, Senior Director, Global Marketing, Selligent Marketing Cloud

The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit will also allow you to meet, face-to-face, with innovative and budget-saving suppliers, and network with peers.

Lunch and refreshments are included with your free place.

Places are limited though, so register today.

For more information, contact Katie Bullot on 01992 374049 or email k.bullot@forumevents.co.uk.

Alternatively, if you’re a digital marketing solutions provider and would like to showcase your products and services at the event, contact James Howe on 01992 374067 or email j.howe@forumevents.co.uk.