Marketing Technology Cornerstones · 8 Marketing Technology Cornerstones To Make You A Savvy...

MarketingTechnologyCornerstonesTo Make You A Savvy Marketer8

Todayrsquos empowered and enlightened consumers are challenging the basic tenets and underlying infrastructure of marketing The days of ldquopush it out and they will comerdquo are long gone replaced by an environment in which the customer controls almost every aspect of the conversation The times places media and methods of contact are increasingly at the whim of the recipient who more than ever can tune out any organization that does not play by his or her rules

Marketing organizations are working hard to transform their business models to meet these rapidly changing consumer preferences In fact marketing has experienced a higher rate of disruption over the past decade than in any previous ten-year period And as technology continues to evolve the rate of change will only increase Applersquos Apple Pay and the commitment of Chase Wells Fargo and Fifth Third to support and integrate with it is but one example of the concurrent acceleration of technology and marketing

Looking ahead as the pace of change continues to increase marketing organizations will need to establish a solid foundation for change ndash a set of core competencies or cornerstones that will enable marketing to stay at the pace of consumer behavior that is constantly changing and at times chaotic

This foundational blueprint for marketing from Covalent Marketing provides a path forward that will enable insightful marketing organizations to capitalize on the congruent changes in customer behavior and advancing technology These are Covalentrsquos Eight Marketing Technology Cornerstones

TheIntroduction

2

00

Covalent Marketing

38 Marketing Technology Cornerstones To Make You A Savvy Marketer

TechnologyAdmin

SoftwarePortfolio

SoftwareSize

TeamSkills

BigData

SoftwareTraining

CustomerFocused

Real Time

01

0203

0406

0507

08

Consolidation of TechnologyMarketing has evolved from an organization that shunned technology to one that embraces it The transition was essential and by necessity fast With the increase in customer data outstripping the ability to analyze it those organizations without the capability to create actionable insights from customer data would fall quickly and irretrievably behind the competition In just a short time marketing moved from a bit player in technology expenditures to rivaling the historical star of the show IT So exactly how did that happen in such short order As with almost everything over the past decade the story begins with the customer

THE EVOLUTION

The explosion of social media and increased affordability of portable electronic devices ndash smartphones tablets and the like ndash have provided companies and customers with exponentially more ways to interact It is up to the marketer however to leverage this technology in such a way as to provide information and suggest actions that align with the overall corporate strategy The ability to automate formerly labor-intensive data gathering and analysis processes enables organizations to dedicate more resources to finding new and innovative avenues of customer interaction

Software Portfolio

4

01

Covalent Marketing

ldquoIn todayrsquos digital world customers control almost every aspect of the conversationrdquo


BUILDING THE PILLARSOF MARKETING TECHNOLOGY

Technological success is built by fulfilling a previously unmet need Before the turn of the millennium advances in marketing technology were often unfocused and inconsistent Then in a rather methodical fashion marketers began extracting order from chaos by implementing data driven processes that enabled greater understanding of customer desires enhanced customer service and resulted in effective resource allocation The foundational pillars of todayrsquos marketing renaissance were constructed from the following technologies

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) ndash CRM systems such as Salesforcecom Microsoft Dynamics CRM and InfusionSoft allow companies to collect and manage data for both existing and prospective customers Access to these pools of customer data spawned the need for new ways of utilizing data within the marketing landscape

Campaign Management ndash Campaign Management systems enable marketers to sift through mass quantities of customer data and define the target audience by selecting only those customers that meet certain criteria At its simplest these systems are list generators applying suppression criteria at different points of a campaign and excluding or including customers that meet the predefined criteria (eg customers in specific states different age demographics recent purchase activity etc)

Marketing Resource Management (MRM) ndash Marketing has numerous moving parts MRM systems ensure they all work in sync Creative brief details are shared instantly processes are established in workflows digital assets (such as marketing collateral) are easily stored and budgets are systematically maintained

Contact Optimization ndash Contact Optimization was developed as an extension of Campaign Management helping marketers to mathematically determine the best communications for each customer based on designated business constraints rules and marketing objectives

6 Covalent Marketing

LEVERAGING THE PILLARS TOACHIEVE NEXT-LEVEL MARKETING

Todayrsquos marketing technology allows organizations to derive insights from customer data ndash where customers are coming from what they are buying and when they are shopping But all of this data is of little use if it doesnrsquot lead to improved customer interactions which should be the primary objective of every marketing organization Fortunately technology exists to enable marketers to do just that

Real-time ndash Real time or ldquoinboundrdquo marketing is the latest buzz phrase within the marketing community Marketers have the ability to interact with customers when they are most receptive ie when they are already engaged with your brand This technology can dynamically offer customers personalized information through their web pages or the customerrsquos mobile devices based on recently visited sites viewed products etc

Visualization ndash Data visualization brings data and analytics out of the realm of specialized IT analysts and into the hands of marketers Today the creation of data visualizations is easier than ever before Drag-and-drop visualization tools allow marketers to take control of data analysis to create the story of their brands

Social ndash Social media kicked the door open for how businesses can interact with customers Marketing is no longer just about sending out discounts or promoting brand awareness instead it is focused on having individual conversations with customers Not only does this provide the opportunity to serve the customer according to his or her specific wants and needs it enables organizations to personally address issues that could create significant customer dissatisfaction

Microsoft founder Bill Gates once said ldquoThe first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiencyrdquo Applied to marketing this means that no matter how much technology an organization acquires it can only enhance marketing if the organization has defined a strategy with clear-cut customer-focused goals

ldquoMarketing is no longer just about sending out discounts or promoting brand awareness instead it is focused on having individual conversations with customersrdquo

Big Suites orSmaller Niche SolutionsWhich software best empowersyour organization

The big suite versus small niche solution debate will wage on as long as there is software to debate over Yet which solution a company selects depends less on size and more on company culture business needs and internal ability to support the solution

Software Size


027

ldquoItrsquos best to consider not only business needs for your software solution but also what the business can supportrdquo

In addition to evaluating the solutionrsquos functionality against day-to-day business needs each organization also needs to consider what its internal organization is able to support The variables involved when choosing between big suites or niche solutions include

Hosted or internal ndash Is your IT department set up to manage internally hosted software How much control does your business need over its software

Integration ndash Will you need to integrate any of your niche software solutions Will you need to integrate with any other departmental software (eg accounting) Have you considered your data flow process How will all this impact reporting

Reporting ndash Does your company plan to use the reporting that comes with the software utilize a business intelligence or visualization tool that you already have or some combination

Internal experts and overall team ndash Niche solutions or big suites require the need for several different experts (MRM digital asset campaign real-time reporting) It is important to ensure these experts collaborate to align technology needs

Employee education program ndash Can you support training the team on several niche solutions What modules of a big suite will employees need to learn Can your employees handle learning several different tools or modules

Niche solution ndash If you decided on niche the software needs to be applied enterprise-wide Each business group should not have its own campaign software for example there should only be one niche campaign software solution

Big suite ndash Rolling out a larger software solution typically takes more time and resources Your internal team should be prepared for a longer ramp-up period

No best practice exists for selecting one type of software solution over the other Carefully considering each of the variables will help organizations decide if they should be looking for the best small niche solutions or the best big suite solutions Be sure to not only consider business needs but also what the business can support

Covalent Marketing6

ldquoOrganizations look to marketing to create the single brand experience for customersrdquo

Marketing TechnologyAdministration Has ChangedIn a relatively short period of time marketing technology platforms have gone from client-server based to thin client to in many cases today the cloud Over that same period mobile marketing has gained strength and social media has integrated into our daily conversations As a result of these technological transformations the demands placed on marketing technology administration have evolved Marketing technology administrators are not only responsible for keeping the software functional but also for keeping it relevant to marketingrsquos needs

Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing

ldquoMarketing is beginning to attract a diverse group of employees who can bring new angles of vital strategic thinking to campaigns that relate to a worldwide audience of unique individualsrdquo


The traditional administrator responsibilities of network architecture database management and usersystem security still exist Now however there is an added set of responsibilities to support multiple marketing system integrations to be more front-end savvy with technologies and to manage a broader piece of the configurationtroubleshooting including supplementary tools

These expectations can be broken out in more detail

Supporting multiple system integrations Most organizations have some stack of marketing technology tools On their own they function fine but we now live in a world where customers expect omni-channel and multimodal experiences Organizations look to marketing to create the single brand experience for customers To achieve this an organizationrsquos marketing technology tools need to be integrated With the advances in cloud and hosting solutions technology administrator(s) now have the resources to develop and maintain complex system integrations While the organization benefits from end-to-end reporting and less manual work the most profound benefit is for customers Their experience can now appear seamless

Be more front-end savvy with the tools Advancements in GUI functionality are providing administrators with greater ability for custom tool configuration integrations and data maintenance This functionality was once only available on the backend of the tool within the database System administrators are now tasked with understanding the GUI then creating an administrative plan that includes day-to-day user support With this shift administrators are now becoming trusted tool advisors rather than just the help desk

Manage a broader piece of the configurationtroubleshooting As the marketing technology space continues to mature so do the requests and expectations of the marketers using them With all these system integrations added middleware dependencies and plugins administrators now need to be jacks-of-all-trades They are being asked to resolve issues ranging from server virtualization to workarounds due to limited web browser compatibility Their knowledge must span more than just the mechanics of keeping the software functional

In continuing the journey toward building a better relationship with your marketing technology administration team think about the following questions

Have you recently consulted with your marketing technology administrators to see how they think things are working

Have you properly educated and prepped your marketing technology administrators in such a way that they can be successful

Are you including marketing technology administrators in the larger marketing capabilities conversation to enable their understanding of not just the ldquowhatrdquo but also the ldquowhyrdquo

Is there a clear intake process for marketing technology administrators to manage and prioritize change requests

Do your marketing technology administrators have the operational authority to assume any role in the system to make their troubleshooting processes easier

It is evident that marketing technology administrators are no longer the internal software help desk They are an essential team member in leveraging seamless customer interactions enabling end users and creating speed to information

The Emergence of NewMarketing Roles and SkillsWhile marketing is still defined by the internal and external tactics of how to best reach the customer technology has changed both marketingrsquos role within the organization and the roles and skills of marketers themselves

Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing

Before the emergence of extensive connectivity (the internet) the ldquo4Prsquos of marketingrdquo were fairly limited ndash product place price and promotion The place was primarily restricted to brick and mortar while promotion largely fell to traditional advertising channels such as television print media and radio The objective of marketing was to produce quality materials that created product awareness among a mass audience and attracted customers To ensure the quality of the materials produced marketing departments and ad agencies hired people with creative skills such as journalists and designers To roll out creative collateral business strategists served as account and campaign executives There was a specific division of personnel within marketing between business and creative functions

ldquoMarketers must be versatile so companies can capitalize on the next change that technology will surely bringrdquo

Covalent Marketing14

While the quality of advertising material is still extremely important marketing has become much more than just creative development A considerable difference exists between innovative marketing and marketing innovation (see Covalent Marketingrsquos white paper Reclaiming Marketing Innovation The Modern CMO Imperative) New and improved forms of technology enable countless new touch points through which customers and companies can interact With the evolution of ways to reach (and have a relationship with) the customer the responsibilities of marketing within the organization vastly increase As marketing evolves the skillset of marketers also needs to change Some of the skills of the modern marketer are

Marketers are now critical thinkers and problem solvers not just content generators The increased number of customer touch points requires marketers to be more creative in the ways they market The focus of marketing is no longer to reach mass audiences but instead to have meaningful interactions with individuals Doing so requires critical thinkers to decide what messages to send across which media at what time while maintaining a consistent brand message

Marketers are diverse Marketers no longer come from the cookie-cutter molds of business or creative types Rather marketing depart-ments require people of all skill sets to fill the broadening profession of marketing Individuals with different specialties are needed to meet the expanding scope of responsibilities within the modern marketing department More and more marketing organizations are hiring candidates with backgrounds in liberal arts science engineering and math This diverse group of employees also brings new angles of strategic thinking that are vital to crafting campaigns that relate to a worldwide audience of unique individuals

Marketers are technologists The depth of technical skills varies based on the nature of the role Some roles have emerged solely because of the rise in technology But even traditional roles within the marketing department need to have a technical presence At the very least all marketers need to interact with technology to do their jobs through marketing operations and campaign software They also need to have an understanding of the technological channels through which they are reaching customers At the other end of the spectrum are positions that work almost exclusively with technology but report to the CMO These require expert-level IT understanding and ability Marketing is now a technological endeavor No matter the role some level of technical ability is a necessity


Marketers are in charge of data With the increase in ways to interact with customers comes a corresponding increase in the amount of information companies have about each customer The next development in marketing is collecting analyzing and making decisions using data Data-driven operations define how entire businesses are run Accomplishing this requires people who can analyze and mine through data to extrapolate insights and use them to make marketing decisions Harvard Business Review wrote in 2012 that the sexiest job of the Twenty-First Century is the data scientist Data scientists require skills in statistical analysis and computer science However to be of most value data scientists should also have a solid foundation in business practices This allows them to best translate analysis into marketing decisions and strategies that make sense with respect to the organization and circumstances of the company These individuals ndash the data interpreters ndash are the real treasure for the marketing department

The skills and core competencies of marketers have evolved and so too have the roles that marketers fill Some examples of positions that have emerged as a result of technology are bullDatascientists bullWebdevelopers bullDigitalmarketers bullSocialmediamanagers bullDigitalcontentmanagers bullMarketingautomationexperts bullMarketingtechnologyadministrators

Technology has transformed marketing and will continue to do so New avenues have opened through which organizations can establish relationships with individual customers Todayrsquos marketing departments need to be versatile and agile in order to take advantage of these new and emerging opportunities This means that marketers must also be versatile so companies can capitalize on the next change that technology will surely bring

ldquoStarting training with the business process sets a level playing field for all usersrdquo

One-Size Technology TrainingDoes Not Fit AllAs previously discussed technology has fundamentally changed the skill sets needed to develop a successful marketing team Marketers no longer come from exclusively business or creative backgrounds If the people on marketing teams now span a multitude of skill sets shouldnrsquot technology training be adapted to accommodate their needs Training must adapt in conjunction with the evolution of marketing technologies moving beyond simple point-and-click trainings to enabling marketing mastery When planning building and executing training to achieve user adoption a number of factors must be considered

Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing


WHO IS THE TRAINING FOR

Employees perform specific functions within both business processes and marketing technologies Separate training materials must be developed for each role within the organization to ensure appropriate concepts are covered

END USERSTraining sessions and documentation must be created that encourage end users to use the tools (and not just throw them into the bottom of a desk drawer) Training materials must be relevant to the functions for each role For example if the subject matter is too broad or not applicable to the general audience knowledge absorption can be compromised End users who do not have the context with which to connect the training lessons have difficulties learning or retaining the subject matter Further if the subject matter is redundant and below the expertise level of attendees the training session becomes both boring and wasteful In each case the training course is likely to have little impact

Process ndash Since each end user role performs a different function within the overall marketing process each must understand the responsibilities of his or her individual role and how these relate to the responsibilities of others Training end users on the entire process helps them develop empathy for people performing other roles as well as understand the importance of their own roles within the whole process Since marketing automation enables a marketing process starting training with the business process sets a level playing field for all users

Technology ndash Technology is utilized to enhance the process by providing tools to achieve goals Once end users have been educated on the entire marketing process they must learn how to execute their part within the technology This part of the training must begin with teaching each role how to complete his or her specific function within the tool End-user technology training should focus on personalizing views to deliver pertinent information quickly and ensure that each person knows how to execute daily tasks within the tool

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORSTraining for this group must be more robust than that for end users System administrators must understand how to perform the functions of end users so they can assist with their support They must also

understand how the system is configured and how to make changes and updates so the system can keep up with the changing needs of the business

Governance ndash Technology is maintained by the technology group with preventative maintenance in mind Administrators must constantly monitor resources (CPU storage memory inputoutput activity) and manage any potential activity that may affect system performance and uptime The business prioritizes uptime since all of its processes are based on system availability Administrator training must prepare this team to master governance of the system In addition to learning all of the system functionality this team must also work together to develop processes for logging user enhancement requests decide on enhancement schedules and know how to execute them

Technology ndashTechnology training for administrators covers concepts that require a certain level of knowledge beyond that of typical end users In addition technology training normally covers underlying systems and systems integration irrelevant to most end users

EXECUTIVESSince executives are often not full users and do not use the marketing technology systems daily their training must focus only on the specific functionality they are likely to need such as reviewing the various benefits their departments and organizations receive from the system

Benefits ndash New process and technology provides the opportunity for increased ROI from new efficiencies and capabilities Resources learn new skills and processes that can decrease error margins and improve output New tools can be utilized to better manage resources at a high level while providing a clear picture on utilization

Technology ndash Executives can manually run reports (custom or canned) on specific criteria to educate themselves in regards to overall project health and resource bandwidth utilization As well middle management can provide meaningful reports to executives on an almost real-time basis To realize this benefit of marketing technology executives must be trained to run these reports and how to access them in the system


HOW IS IT DELIVERED

How training is delivered is just as important as the content presented Little is gained by providing sessions where the trainer reads off slides or rambles on and on about some technology system that attendees have never seen touched or tried It is important to be purposeful about how training is delivered Benefits of various delivery methods are as follows

Live sessions ndash Live sessions are beneficial to those who like interactivity in learning The ability to participate during class while hearing the viewpoints of others can be very important for the learning process Live sessions also allow for the clarification of concepts since a facilitator is always around to help

Paper documentation ndash Paper documentation is geared more for those with some experience or familiarity with the subject matter Documentation is straight forward and can offer step-by-step instruction about how to achieve desired results This type of learning also allows the student to absorb at his or her own pace while having readily available reference material for later use

Video ndash Video provides the student the ability to learn through such techniques as animation and graphical presentations Like documentation a video can be utilized as reference material or act as an enhancement to live sessions Video also permits students to learn at their own pace allowing pauses when more time is needed to navigate certain subject matter or to digest the presented material


WHEN IS IT DELIVERED

Training is not only necessary for the marketing of today but also to build for the future Continued learning is essential for the health and prosperity of the organization Specific knowledge-sharing techniques can increase the effectiveness of training and extend the retention of learning

Pillars of mastery ndash These pillars are specific to the concepts being taught and should reflect organizational goals Pillars used for a successful marketing mastery development include

Scaffold the learning ndash By building novice intermediate and advanced skill levels people have a clear path upward Specific skills are associated to ascending levels within each pillar The following is an example for the Application Expertise pillar

The needs of your organization will continue to change Training is not static and should be revisited often Make the adjustments necessary to continue to enable and build skills that support your team The long-term benefit is a stronger marketing organization

APPLICATION EXPERTISE

Knowledge and competency usingavailable resources forday-to-day work upthrough basic troubleshooting

EXECUTION amp ACCURACY

Quality practicemakes perfectquantity-basedaccomplishmentgained over time

PROCESS amp COMPREHENSION

Mastering the processmakes for a betterprocess with fewercommunicationbreakdowns

CONTRIBUTION amp MENTORING

Aiding coworkers withonboarding and day-to-day questions gives theopportunity to learnthrough teaching

01 02 03 04

bullTroubleshootingampResolutionforMinor System IssuesbullAdvancedReportingampAnalysis

bullAdvancedFilteringbullBasicReportingbullDefinitionsampDifferencesinUsers Groups RulesbullReassigningTasksbullResourceUtilization

bullNavigationbullCampaignsProjectsbullPersonalizationbullBasicFilteringbullCommunicationsNotificationsbullButtonsandTerminology

Application Expertise

Advanced COMPANY VALUE DEVELOPMENT

Intermediate PROCESSTEAM DEVELOPMENT

Novice INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT

Big Data For MarketingData is the lynchpin in creating interesting conversations with your customers and is key to helping your organization achieve next-level marketing Data is both the impetus and underlying foundation of integrated marketing predictive analytics and a seamless customer experience Yet for all of its value making sense of the tremendous volume of customer data is a daunting task

Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing

ldquoThere is a buzz around big data because there is no limit to the questions it might answer it dares organizations to ask questions that were previously unanswerablerdquo


With an unprecedented number of people working on internet connected devices the volume of data generated daily approaches the aggregate amount generated in the sum of recorded history Despite this big data does not have to intimidate It is instead an opportunity to gather essential insights about your customers and even your own organization

The challenge from big data that paralyzes many organizations is not just the volume but its foreign unstructured nature This lack of familiarity with how it works often inhibits people from exploring big data altogether The key is to ask questions stay focused and eventually extract your insights for more traditional structured usages

MINING NOT CONTAINING

For unstructured data gaining insights requires patience Many organizations employ tools like Hadoop in a vain attempt to structure it what many do not realize however is that great insight does not have to be gained from unstructured data all at once The unstructured data requires mining to find patterns from which relevant data can be extracted to provide insight into business decision-making

Effectively employing big data requires a shift of mindset Trying to contain a dataset that nearly doubles in size each day can send you chasing your tail Instead aim to mine the data to gather broad insights then locate clean and structure the data relevant to each insight to drill down into it

HOW TO GATHER INSIGHTSFROM DATA MINING

Start with a question Data mining is only effective in context The first step is identifying a business question that you want to answer For example why are online sales down from last quarter

Develop a hypothesis Data mining utilizes statistical hypothesis testing To test whether or not you have the data that supports a certain position a hypothesis must be tested against a confidence interval usually 95 percent or 98 percent The hypothesis should take a stance on the identified question and be something you need a big data source to answer For example a hypothesis from the example question above might be that brand sentiment on social media was negative this quarter

Run the test An experienced statistician or data-modeling analyst should be able to execute this type of test Open source free software such as R makes this type of data mining and hypothesis testing accessible to organizations of all sizes

Analyze the results The test results will indicate whether at a certain confidence level the hypothesis can be considered true from the data In the case of the example a positive result often named as a positive correlation means that brand sentiment on social media was in fact negative this quarter

Generate a new hypothesis and repeat Answering one question rarely leaves us satisfied but more often leads to more questions Continue to develop hypotheses and test them in the way described above until an answer to the original question becomes clear A follow-up hypothesis in this example might be that online sales go down when brand sentiment on social media is negative


DATA TO INFORM MARKETING

Armed with correlations between consumer behaviors and business outcomes informed business decisions can be made To continue the example multiple rounds of testing might have revealed that young adult males in the Midwest created the negative sentiment on social media that caused the drop in sales The business might decide to initiate a ldquowin-backrdquo campaign focused on this customer segment

There is a buzz around big data because there is no limit to the questions it might answer it dares organizations to ask questions that were previously unanswerable The power of big data is its large array of potential insights Donrsquot get frightened by this immense beast Instead of trying to contain big data use its size to your advantage by mining it to gather insights to make well-informed business decisions

Customer Focused -Breaking Down SilosMarketers operate in a consumer and technology-driven world In response savvy marketers need to breakdown the silos

CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK

The previous example helps to illustrate how Amazon successfully delivers a singular brand interaction across products and services in a customer-initiated experience However communication when the brand initiates the interaction is equally as important It requires actually breaking down the silos internally not just the external illusion of a single voice In essence you have to walk the walk not just talk the talk

Savvy marketers need to take the customer information from a previous purchase to communicate with that individual across all channels For instance data from the purchase within one department of Amazon should be leveraged across other departments for relevant cross sell opportunities This is relevant personal and savvy marketing

YOU DID IT FOR YOUR CUSTOMER

Customer-focused marketing creates interactions with a single brand voice Marketers achieve this through transcending across channels to create the customer perception that there are no silos Amazon for instance does this well You can read a book connect to the cloud watch the latest movies via Amazon Prime and order groceries ndash all in one session No matter the Amazon service used the single interface provides a consistent understanding of the Amazon brand

Business-to-Consumer marketers will tell you that the key to a strong brand is one voice The Millward Brown report about Increasing Brand Value states ldquoEvery encounter [between brand and consumer] must deliver a consistent impression of the experience the product gives consumers in order to avoid a reality gap and a negative brand perceptionrdquo So when communicating with customers directly having a single voice for every aspect of the organization is critical


TRANSCENDING MARKETING

Breaking down the silos has made brand interaction easier for the customers but what can it do for marketers Three big wins emerge for marketers from this marketing cornerstone

Shared data ndash It is quite simple ndash the more information you have access to the more you can potentially know Marketers not only need their data but also the data gathered from other departments A horizontal reach across your organization for relevant information will allow you to know more about your customers and allow you to successfully communicate with them

Dynamic reporting ndash Marketers need to stay ahead not just catch up or be up-to-date A static weekly report with old irrelevant data is not going to inform a decision in the same way as a dynamic dashboard that pulls information from various sources and departments in real time These dynamic reports hold information that can drive customer-focused decisions They pave the way for predictive analytics so you can know what your customers are searching for before they even search for it

Channel integration ndash While consolidating disparate strategies across mobile social media and direct marketing into one organizational marketing strategy ensures that customers hear one unified brand voice it also opens up the channels of communication needed to have one clear organizational focus If you are focusing on the customer you have to be as integrated internally as your customers perceive you to be

The brilliance of shared data dynamic reporting and channel integration is that while they are born out of customer-focused marketing they also make such marketing easier to implement Once this process is started the tools are in-hand to become better and smarter with your marketing every time So if you have not taken advantage of these three key wins now is the time to start

START WITH PEOPLE PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY

People ndash Work across the organization to ensure that each department embodies the voice of the customer This incorporates all of the three big wins People in your department need to understand the strategy and data in other departments to have one clear voice

Process ndash Your marketing operations need to tie together from end-to-end This is where channel integration comes into play Know the goals and strategy for each group and make sure the organization is in alignment to speak with the same voice

Technology ndash Marketing automation software can help ensure that people and process stay integrated Once you have broken down the silos use technology to automate the process If you cannot get each department to use the same tools use data and software integration to allow communication between your different systems This allows you dynamic use and ease for sharing data and reporting

You have broken down the silos externally for your customers now do yourself a favor be a savvy marketer and break down the silos internally

ldquoIf you are focusing on the customer you have to be as integrated internally as your customers perceive you to berdquo

Real-Time MarketingTechnology Reaches MaturityThe evolution of technology has changed the way consumers receive information The use of the internet and mobile technology has resulted in a dynamic increase in the number of marketing channels Consumers now interact with brands across many channels often simultaneously and they expect seamless experiences from one to the next Further the speed of technology has made customers impatient With access to a worldwide web of information at their fingertips customers expect immediate access to accurate information In the current aggressively interactive environment customer interactions have drastically changed and marketing must adapt If you are not offering real-time interactions with your brand for your customers it is a good bet they have already moved on

Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing

ldquoConsumers now interact with brands across many channels often simultane ously and they expect seamless experiences from one to the next rdquo


Like big data real-time marketing is still not clearly defined Elements often considered part of real-time marketing include

bullPersonalizingcontentorcreativeinresponsetocustomer interactionsbullResponsesinthecontextofcustomerwebinteractionsbullLivewebsitechatsbullSocialmarketingndashrespondingtotrendsandcurrentevents via socialbullLiveactiontriggeredemailsbullAppsthatleveragegeo-fencing

Regardless of the channel or software used the goals of real-time marketing remain the same

bullReachcustomersattherighttimewiththerightmessage through the right channel bullCollectreal-timefeedbackdataoncustomerinteractions to understand how when and where marketing reaches each customerbullApplythesametechniquesusedtosegmentcustomersin traditional outbound campaigns to present targeted offers and messages in real-timebullUtilizeexistingoutboundchannelstosendreal-timemarketing messagesbullCreatepersonalizedmarketingmessagesforeachcustomer

Since customers expect real-time marketing interaction marketing technology was forced to ldquogrow uprdquo quickly to support this type of marketing Both big suites and smaller niche players have developed products aimed at delivering tailored content Regardless of which type of service you choose adding a real-time marketing technology solution to your arsenal of marketing technology tools completes your organizationrsquos marketing capabilities quadrant

As marketing technology and consumer behavior continue to evolve those organizations that fail to capitalize on the Eight Cornerstones of Marketing Technology are likely to fall behind their peers However by following the suggestions outlined in this report organizations can position themselves to use technology that offers the best opportunity to provide personalized targeted marketing to todayrsquos empowered and enlightened consumers

The Conclusion

28

09Covalent Marketing

ldquoThe times places media and methods of con tact are increasingly at the whim of the recipi ent who more than ever can tune out any orga nization that does not play by his or her rulesrdquo


About Covalent MarketingCovalent Marketing is a marketing technology consultancy servicing Fortune 100 to Mid- Market clients nationwide It was founded with the belief that building better stronger relationships with customers come from applying our market-tested approaches and creativity along with technical savvy Covalent Marketing consistently delivers best-in-class marketing solutions through disciplined innovative ideas combined with veteran experience Our range of services span from providing marketing strategy EMM software tool evaluations Campaign Management re-engineering all the way through to large enterprise-wide MRM implementations and support

Todayrsquos empowered and enlightened consumers are challenging the basic tenets and underlying infrastructure of marketing The days of ldquopush it out and they will comerdquo are long gone replaced by an environment in which the customer controls almost every aspect of the conversation The times places media and methods of contact are increasingly at the whim of the recipient who more than ever can tune out any organization that does not play by his or her rules

Marketing organizations are working hard to transform their business models to meet these rapidly changing consumer preferences In fact marketing has experienced a higher rate of disruption over the past decade than in any previous ten-year period And as technology continues to evolve the rate of change will only increase Applersquos Apple Pay and the commitment of Chase Wells Fargo and Fifth Third to support and integrate with it is but one example of the concurrent acceleration of technology and marketing

Looking ahead as the pace of change continues to increase marketing organizations will need to establish a solid foundation for change ndash a set of core competencies or cornerstones that will enable marketing to stay at the pace of consumer behavior that is constantly changing and at times chaotic

This foundational blueprint for marketing from Covalent Marketing provides a path forward that will enable insightful marketing organizations to capitalize on the congruent changes in customer behavior and advancing technology These are Covalentrsquos Eight Marketing Technology Cornerstones

TheIntroduction

2

00

Covalent Marketing


TechnologyAdmin

SoftwarePortfolio

SoftwareSize

TeamSkills

BigData

SoftwareTraining

CustomerFocused

Real Time

01

0203

0406

0507

08


THE EVOLUTION


Software Portfolio

4

01

Covalent Marketing



















Software Size


027











Covalent Marketing6



Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing
















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28






TechnologyAdmin

SoftwarePortfolio

SoftwareSize

TeamSkills

BigData

SoftwareTraining

CustomerFocused

Real Time

01

0203

0406

0507

08


THE EVOLUTION


Software Portfolio

4

01

Covalent Marketing



















Software Size


027











Covalent Marketing6



Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing
















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28






THE EVOLUTION


Software Portfolio

4

01

Covalent Marketing



















Software Size


027











Covalent Marketing6



Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing
















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28






















Software Size


027











Covalent Marketing6



Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing
















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28














Covalent Marketing6



Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing
















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28






Technology Admin

10

03

Covalent Marketing
















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28



















Team Skills

12

04

Covalent Marketing














Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28
















Software Training

16

05

Covalent Marketing















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28



















HOW IS IT DELIVERED



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28



















01 02 03 04









Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28






Big Data

20

06

Covalent Marketing



















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28






















CustomerFocused


07

23

WALK THE WALK




















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28



















Real Time

26

08

Covalent Marketing









The Conclusion

28












The Conclusion

28





Marketing Technology Cornerstones · 8 Marketing Technology Cornerstones To Make You A Savvy...

Documents

Transcript of Marketing Technology Cornerstones · 8 Marketing Technology Cornerstones To Make You A Savvy...