Getting it on with Omnichannel

We sat down with our good friend Leah Daly, Media Director at Adgility to discuss the merits of a popular marketing approach and why it's worth "getting it on, with omnichannel". A standout observation was when Leah reminded us, “The purchase journey is non-linear - it hasn’t been for many years. As a result, marketing has become a lot more complex.”, continuing, “Marketers have so much on their plate - we’ve got to try and simplify and streamline the process.”.

What we liked about this is that it places media and creativity side-by-side, right next to the marketer. It’s a shared responsibility to drive the best result from any campaign - more so with an omnichannel strategy.

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At the very heart of this approach is being able to MEASURE activities and impact.

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This again asks for a partnership approach to ensure the creative, the message and the media mix are all aligned and able to be measured. The measurability is the key feedback element to refine and adapt future communications. This streamlines the efforts and places focus on assets which are proven to be effective.

The notion of “holding-hands” and trusting each expert in the conversation is inspiring and paints for me an ideal of how each discipline best functions.

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Omnichannel versus Multichannel

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Before going any further - it’s worth taking a mini step back to clarify a specific detail I found super useful. That is the distinction between ‘omni-channel’ and the other marketing strategy of ‘multi-channel’.

Multi-channel is a popular form of marketing using separate, independent channels simultaneously. Omni-channels the one that places customers at the centre of everything. For those a little hazy, here’s a summary:

“The concept of omnichannel was devised to describe a shopping experience that extends beyond multi-channel retailing. An ideal omnichannel shopping experience would be accessible to customers on all platforms, from traditional brick-and-mortars to the digital world of text message, emails, and online shopping.” Nectarom

Both are very similar, but the way each operates is distinctly different.

We like this description:

“Every omnichannel customer experience uses multiple channels, 

not all multichannel experiences have an omnichannel focus.”  Clevertap 

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To spell it out clearly - here are the current descriptions of both strategies

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‍Multichannel marketing is about connecting with customers across multiple channels. Channels such as  websites, an APP, social media, customer service, all work independently.

‍Omnichannel marketing puts the customer at the centre of the strategy. It focuses on the user experience across all channels and seeks to create a consistent, positive experience at every touchpoint in the customer lifecycle.

That’s starting to become a little clearer right?

The next big question is then - WHY omni-channel?

The answer to that is immediate and succinct: SALES.

Yep. Being able to surround and service your customer with marketing efforts that illuminate and invigorate stand you in good stead to convert a sale.

OK - the main takeaway points from this discussion are.

1. To be successful, omnichannel requires a team of experts. Marketers, Creatives, Media and Producers.
2. All experts must foster a healthy working relationship based on trust.
3. Measurement is essential to focus and calibrate real impact

To continue your reading - HERE is an article from Advertising Week that explores “Why brands need to offer an omnichannel experience in order to drive retail sales”.

Remember. Now’s the time to get it on with omnichannel.

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