Plan media channels, touchpoints and content with the "Multichannel Marketing Guide"
The number of media channels and touchpoints is constantly increasing, making it difficult to orientate marketing and media planning. Although the print sector is largely stable, new players are constantly emerging in the digital sector. And the inclusion of analogue, physical objects also offers scope for creative marketing solutions.
Basically, the question of which media channels and touchpoints exist at all is important. Given the large number of options, it is not possible to get an overview, let alone orientation, without support. A weak point of the "media guides" available on the market is usually their focus on the portfolio of the respective service provider. The Multichannel Marketing Guide, on the other hand, offers a service provider-independent solution with a comprehensive overview.
Content:
Media channels and touchpoints for marketing and communication
Media channels are the channels or platforms through which advertising materials and communication media are transmitted. These can be traditional channels such as television, radio and print media, or digital channels such as email, search engines or social networks.
Touchpoints refer to various experiences or points of contact where potential customers can come into contact with a brand, product or service. This can take place on a personal level, such as in a shop or during a sales meeting, or via digital platforms, such as a company website or social media profiles. Touchpoints are therefore very wide-ranging and include all possible points of interaction between the customer and the brand.
Orientation with the AI expert system Multichannel Marketing Guide
The Multichannel Marketing Guide from Melaschuk-Medien was therefore developed as an interactive, innovative expert system to maintain an overview of the increasingly complex media landscape and enable targeted marketing planning.
The Multichannel Marketing Guide is a login-free and free AI-based online platform for the interactive filtering of media channels and touchpoints that match defined marketing objectives. Its unique selling point is its comprehensive presentation, making it an indispensable tool for successful multichannel and omnichannel marketing.
Features of the Multichannel Marketing Guide:
- Comprehensive practical presentation and filtering of 75 media channels and touchpoints.
- Basis for customer journey analyses.
- Planning of content recycling (multiple use of content) by filtering over 70 content elements, advertising media or communication media.
- Campaign planning through "Connected media channels" lists for each touchpoint.
- Bidirectional links to the system and services market overviews.
At the centre are currently 75 filterable media channels and touchpoints that are listed across all technologies and industries. Filtering is based on the following key areas:
- Booking options
- Media segment
- Media type
- Target group
- Marketing objective
- Customer journey
- Advertising medium, communication medium
Working with the Multichannel Marketing Guide
The media channels and touchpoints can be filtered according to the options in these areas, whereby care must be taken to ensure that these are AND links. The filtering should therefore be carried out several times in steps. For example, filtering by "Print" and "Digital" in the "Media type" area leads to channels for which both can apply simultaneously, such as out-of-home media or publishing objects (newspapers and magazines). In this case, the exclusively digital social media channels would not be listed.
There is an entry in the selection page for each media channel or touchpoint and clicking on the "Info-i" leads to a detail page with a brief description. Within the detail page, there is a list of "Connected media channels" that either belong together technically, such as various social media channels, or may be of interest for selection in campaigns. In addition, entries can be linked to systems or services from the web-to-publish market overview, which are labelled as "Partner systems" or "Partner services".
The results are to be understood as a checklist and source of ideas from which the relevant marketing measures can be selected.
The individual filter areas are presented below.
Filter areas of the Multichannel Marketing Guide
Filter area: Booking options
The booking options filter area allows you to narrow down channels based on the options for selecting and commissioning via service providers or technology platforms.
- Service provider: Specialised service providers, such as agencies, printing and media companies, provide support in consulting, planning and booking advertising space in various media or carrying out marketing campaigns.
- Programmatic advertising: Programmatic advertising refers to the automated purchase and delivery of advertising space in real time via online advertising networks.
- Self service tool: A media buying platform is a self-service tool that enables companies to independently book and manage advertising placements for specific media or a selection of media.
- Marketing portals and marketing automation platforms: Marketing portals and marketing automation platforms are online systems that support companies in planning and implementing their marketing activities. These include integrated options such as target group identification, media selection and media booking.
Filter area: Media segment
The media segments are categories used to differentiate the marketing channels in terms of geography, target groups, usage context, costs, measurement, cross-media synergies or technology.
By looking at the media segments in a differentiated way, a detailed strategy can be developed to ensure that the right people are reached at the right time, in the right place and in the most efficient way.
The media segments are divided as follows:
- Internet
- E-commerce
- Social media
- Mobile
- Out of home, digital out of home
- TV, cinema, moving image
- Radio, audio
- One-to-One
- Household, office
- Internet of Things
Filter area: Media type
It makes sense to differentiate between digital, print and analogue media types in marketing planning. Print media belong to the analogue media types, which also include physical objects such as buildings or vehicles.
Different characteristics and modes of action can be differentiated in relation to the media type, which can be decisive depending on the objective of the marketing campaign:
- Target groups: User preferences in terms of media types can vary considerably. While some target groups prefer digital media and are almost constantly online (such as younger generations), other target groups tend to use traditional, analogue or print media (older generations).
- Reach: Digital media often have a global reach, while print and analogue media usually have a local or regional audience.
- Costs: The costs of marketing measures vary greatly between media types. Print media can be more expensive to produce and distribute than digital media, which is why personalised print advertising materials in smaller print runs (keyword "programmatic print") are increasingly preferred.
- Interactivity: Digital media offer a wide range of opportunities for interaction (social media, comment functions, etc.) that are not available in print media. This offers opportunities for stronger customer loyalty and direct feedback.
- Format and design: Print media often offer high quality printing and paper as well as haptic effects, which can be particularly advantageous for high-quality products or services. Digital media allow multimedia formats (videos, interactive graphics) that can convey important information in an appealing way.
- Sustainability and ecology: In times of climate change and ecological awareness, it is also relevant for companies how sustainable their marketing measures are. Digital marketing measures tend to be more environmentally friendly as they use fewer resources.
- Measurability and analysis capability: Digital marketing allows detailed measurement of user behaviour and campaign success using analysis tools. With print and analogue media, measuring success is often more difficult, less precise and time-delayed.
Filter area: Target group
The distinction between B2B ("Business-to-Business"), B2C ("Business-to-Consumer") and B2E ("Business-to-Employee") target groups makes sense because each segment requires a customised strategy and communication.
B2B marketing focuses on sales to other companies, B2C marketing is aimed at end consumers and B2E marketing focusses on internal and potential employees.
The following aspects are also relevant:
- Purchase processes: B2B purchases are often more complex and longer-term, B2C purchases are more impulse-driven and quick, B2E addresses the needs of employees.
- Communication style: The approach must be adapted to the target group in order to be effective. B2B marketing emphasises long-term relationships and technical language. B2C marketing appeals more emotionally to end consumers. B2E marketing focusses on employee loyalty through internal communication and appreciation.
- Marketing and sales channels: Different target groups can be reached via different channels. In the B2B sector, a print mailing instead of an email newsletter may be the better way to reach individuals if only global email accounts such as "info" are known.
- Product design: Different target groups often require modified versions of a product.
A target group-specific marketing strategy enables a more efficient use of resources and can increase the company's chances of success.
Filter area: Marketing objective
It makes sense to differentiate marketing planning according to these criteria - brand awareness and increasing reach, lead generation and acquiring new customers, maintaining existing customers, increasing sales and recruiting employees - because each of these goals requires different strategies. By taking a differentiated approach, measures can be planned and implemented in a targeted manner.
Here is a brief explanation of each of the criteria and why they should be treated separately:
- Brand awareness and increasing reach: The aim is for as many people as possible to recognise the name and products or services of a brand. Broad-based advertising campaigns, sponsorship or content marketing that is capable of going viral are suitable for this. To increase reach, marketing measures via social media, online advertising or TV can be useful.
- Lead generation and new customer acquisition: The aim here is to identify potential customer contacts (leads) that can later be converted into customers. Measures such as search engine marketing, offering specific content (such as e-books, webinars) and cross-media campaigns including landing pages are used here. When acquiring new customers, the aim is to persuade people who have not yet been customers to make an initial transaction, for example through special offers and discounts.
- Maintaining existing customers: Retaining existing customers is often more economical than acquiring new ones. This is where good customer service, loyalty programmes and positive brand perception play a role in promoting customer loyalty.
- Increasing sales: While new customer acquisition is focussed on the number of customers, increasing sales aims to increase the value of the products or services sold per customer. Pricing strategy, product bundling or upselling are methods that are used within the touchpoints.
- Employee recruitment: Strong employer branding and marketing the company as an attractive place to work are important for attracting qualified staff. Career pages, emphasising the corporate culture, job advertisements and presence at job fairs are various ways to support this goal.
Each of these objectives requires a customised approach, as channels, messages and measures of success differ. In addition, it may be necessary to weigh up different objectives against each other, allocate resources accordingly and decide which objectives should be prioritised in the context of the company's overall strategy.
The marketing objectives should be geared towards positively influencing the customer journey, which is described in the next point.
Filter area: Customer Journey
The marketing objectives mentioned above can be categorised into the various phases of the customer journey, which can be divided into the steps of awareness, consideration, purchase, retention and advocacy.
The customer journey represents the entire process that a customer goes through, from the first perception of a brand to the active recommendation of the brand or product to others. This is the typical path of a customer, i.e. the customer perspective, while the marketing objectives described above represent specific intentions and strategies of the company, i.e. the company perspective, which can be implemented within this journey.
- Awareness: The awareness phase corresponds to brand awareness and increasing reach. This phase is about potential customers finding out about a product or brand for the first time.
- Consideration: With the consideration phase, the marketing objectives of lead generation and new customer acquisition take priority. In this phase, potential customers actively think about the offer and search for further information, reviews and comparison options.
- Purchase: This is the point at which consideration turns into action – i.e. the purchase takes place. Marketing efforts in this phase are aimed at persuading the customer to complete the purchase (conversion). Increasing sales plays a role here.
- Retention: After the purchase comes the goal of customer loyalty, which corresponds with existing customer care. The aim is to satisfy and look after customers in such a way that they are encouraged to make repeat purchases and build up a long-term relationship with the brand.
- Advocacy: In this final phase of the customer journey, the aim is to turn satisfied customers into brand advocates who recommend the product or service to others. This can lead to the acquisition of new customers through references and further increase brand awareness.
Filter area: Advertising media, Communication medium
While media channels are the transmission channels for messages and touchpoints are the contact points with the target group, advertising media are the actual advertising objects, such as adverts or video spots, and communication media are the instruments for transmitting communication in general, such as a sales talk or a survey.
Filtering in the Multichannel Marketing Guide makes it possible to generate an overview of the possibilities for reusing advertising materials and communication media, so-called "content recycling".
Example for content recycling:
A company has a seal of quality that categorises a product or service as trustworthy with regard to certain characteristics. These include, for example, the Blue Angel eco-label, the EU organic label, the Demeter label or the Fairtrade label.
Filtering by the parameter "Quality seal" results in 10 media channels and touchpoints in which the seal of approval can be used:
- Reviews, recommendations
- Retail media platform
- App (Brand, topic)
- Website (Brand, topic)
- Delivery
- Online comparison portal
- Online marketplace (Advertising medium)
- Product, service (Advertising medium)
- Affiliate programme
- Online shop (Brand)
The scope of the results can be extensive depending on the filter parameters, which is why it makes sense to use the output as a checklist and to mark points that are not relevant.
Use cases
Use Case insurance company
An insurance company wants to gain an overview of which media channels and touchpoints are suitable for digital personalised campaigns.
Filter parameters:
- Booking options: Marketing portal, marketing automation platform
- Mediensegment: One-to-One
- Media type: Digital
- Target group: Business-to-Consumer
- Marketing objective: Lead generation
Overall result:
- SMS
- Messenger, WhatsApp
- E-Mail, E-Mail-Newsletter
- Consulting, support, training
Result after consideration:
- Messenger, WhatsApp
- E-Mail, E-Mail-Newsletter
An email newsletter is planned based on these results. For future WhatsApp campaigns, which are known for high conversion rates, WhatsApp is to be introduced as a communication channel on the website and in direct customer contact with the corresponding consent.
Use-Case Solar technology manufacturer
A solar technology manufacturer wants to support craftsmen with printed marketing materials that they can use for their customers.
Filter parameters:
- Media type: Print
- Target group: Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer
- Marketing objective: Lead generation, customer care, sales increase
Overall results:
- Out-of-home (OOH) point-of-sale
- Household distribution
- Corporate lounge areas
- Print mailing
- Reviews, recommendations
- Shop windows, display areas
- Corporate publications
- Guerilla marketing action
- Product, service (Advertising medium)
- Customer loyalty programme
- Location-based service
- Point of sale (POS), Showroom
- Newspapers, periodicals, magazines (publishing objects)
- Influencer marketing
- Public Relation
Result after consideration:
- Household distribution
- Corporate lounge areas
- Print mailing
- Shop windows, display areas
- Corporate publications
- Product, service (Advertising medium)
- Customer loyalty programme
- Point of sale (POS), Showroom
- Newspapers, periodicals, magazines (publishing objects)
Flyers and postcards on the latest products are created for the selected channels. The postcards are sent out as part of a print mailing and the flyers are to be used as inserts in newspapers and magazines as well as in product mailings.
Summary
For successful planning of multichannel marketing strategies, it is essential to have an orientation aid. The AI expert system "Multichannel Marketing Guide" from Melaschuk-Medien provides such a solution. It offers comprehensive information on various media channels and touchpoints.
With the help of the guide, marketers can filter specifically by booking options, media segments, media types, target groups, marketing objectives and advertising media and thus select the relevant marketing measures. Further targeting and media booking can be carried out via service providers. The links to systems and services in the web-to-publish market overviews also provide orientation. A content strategy can also be derived from the Multichannel Marketing Guide.
Author: Ira Melaschuk
Date: 27. März 2024
Technical terms:
Media channel, Touch point, AI, Multi-channel publishing, Targeting, Customer journey, Media booking, B2B, B2C