People-based marketing can unlock a lifetime of value
In the months ahead, as we continue to bridge the divide between pre- and post-GDPR communications, the marketing and advertising industry will undergo the biggest mentality shift since the invention of the internet.
As regulation forces the issue of privacy and consumer control over data, it will become imperative that those in the media find a method to engage consumers on a personal level, without being intrusive.
Enter people-based marketing (PBM).
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Unlike the spray-and-pray approach of old, which prioritised quantity over quality, PBM uses information tied to identity to deliver better targeting solutions, and strengthen the relationship between brand and consumer – unlocking long-term value.
By adopting a PBM approach, and delivering tailored marketing interactions to real people, brands are able to create consistent and meaningful experiences across multiple channels.
Approaching people with relevance and context is not only hugely beneficial to the consumer – no more being bombarded by “creepy” or irrelevant marketing – but also to the brand itself.
Those who seize the opportunity that PBM offers are likely to find they turbocharge the return on investment of their marketing spend, and enhance their existing consumer relationships.
In contrast, those who fail to collect and connect the immense volume of data (which is needed to create meaningful interactions) risk wasting budgets and alienating customers.
With such clear benefits, the inevitable question is: what has changed? Why now?
Perhaps most obviously, the necessity of becoming GDPR-compliant means that brands must gain active consent from consumers when collecting their data online.
Ironically, those who have already adopted a people-based approach to marketing will have been most likely to gain this permission as GDPR came into force.
Having established a pattern of delivering relevant and contextual experiences, the likelihood of consumers opting in is greatly increased.
For those who have failed to do so, it’s possible that any desperate emails in the run-up to GDPR were the last interaction they had with a large proportion of their address book.
There is another practical reason for the pivot towards PBM.
Digital marketing is finally seeing a maturation of technology that allows us to treat people as people.
For organisations, this is likely to require a reorientation internally around first-party data so that it can be leveraged effectively across the entire business. Companies must also ensure that there is alignment between all parties – right through to clients and suppliers.
Companies don’t need to do this alone; working with the right partner can help ease the transition towards a fit-for-purpose data infrastructure, which helps the business organise its disparate data streams into one easily-accessible resource.
Adopting a PBM approach will be key to ensuring continued brand success in the years ahead, facing tomorrow’s twin challenges of growing consumer expectations and shifting perceptions of data privacy.
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