In the past I have labeled mobile marketing an enabler of “active direct response” due to the immediacy of interaction, but another new term, “Direct Branding” I think equally applies. In this context, Direct Branding is the application of direct marketing techniques by brand marketers to reach their customers in nontraditional ways. It was the subject of this article on ChiefMarketer.com and while not specific to mobile, Direct Branding is certainly a mobile application increasingly used by marketers. The reasons for brand marketers to embrace direct customer marketing concepts are underscored by this quote:
“The shift from traditional advertising or marketing to direct branding will help you confidently point to measurable marketing milestones and outcomes. Whereas branding and the classic direct marketing used to be separate disciplines, the two have discovered that they need to merge. Marketing accountability becomes the norm and is absolutely necessary to compete and survive in this day.”
The article contains interesting examples by Consumer Packaged Goods makers using digital media to launch new products and capture interaction data to evaluate the effectiveness and return on their investments. It’s a brilliant idea, but the article makes no mention of mobile as an interaction channel actually preferred by many consumers, especially in and around the point of sale.
Brand marketers would be wise to embrace Direct Branding as a strategy but should build mobile channel considerations into their plans to reach consumers on the go – especially given the generally higher response rates for mobile programs and the need to continually justify marketing investments to top executives.
“Today, branding and measurement are not mutually exclusive. Great branders understand that they need to add the measurement metric of direct marketing to their work in order to prove ROI. The C-suite expects marketing to show a positive impact to the bottom line, and those marketers that can will not only survive, but thrive.”
