The last time we spoke with Kevin Akeroyd from Oracle Marketing Cloud the conversation turned to marketing myths. As Akeroyd pointed out, for all the hype we hear about the perfect journey, in reality consumer journeys aren’t linear and marketers can’t predict exactly what a consumer will do next.
The good news, Akeroyd reminded us, is that they don’t have to: When marketers turn to technology that brings all of their data together in one place, they can react to consumers in real time and implement the marketing tools they need without campaign-killing delays.
It was a riveting chat, but it left us with yet another question. Akeroyd pointed out that centralizing marketing data on a cloud that has an open framework does more than allow marketers to react rapidly. It also makes it possible to create great experiences and build long-term relationships with consumers—the type of relationships that can make a brand memorable. And while that sounds great in theory, is it realistic to expect marketers to develop strong relationships with consumers when the boardroom wants to see eye-popping numbers every quarter?
To get an answer to our question, we asked (begged!) Akeroyd for a little more of his time.
Bryan Bartlett, Adweek BrandShare: Last time we spoke, you did some serious myth busting. What do you think about the myth that it’s possible to expand the reach of a campaign while still focusing efforts around one big idea?
Kevin Akeroyd, Oracle Marketing Cloud: I hate to ruin my reputation for myth busting, but that one is actually not a myth. Or, to be more precise, the idea that you can expand your reach without compromising on focus is only a false promise if you’re relying on the wrong technology.
BB: But if it’s not a myth that you have to choose between reach and focus, why do so many marketers think that it has to be one or the other?
KA: I think that when it comes down to it, marketers believe that reach and focus are mutually exclusive because they’re operating in a fragmented world. We all receive more marketing messages across more channels than at any point in history. And, without the right marketing technology, it’s really harder and more expensive than ever to deliver a consistent and personalized brand experience throughout the customer lifecycle.
BB: I imagine it’s especially hard when the boardroom is breathing down your neck to expand your reach.
KA: Exactly. The boardroom’s anxiousness to see eye-popping numbers risks making the fragmentation problem even worse. But if marketing isn’t focused and can’t capture—and hold—people’s attention, the CMO has no chance of creating dazzlingly, one-to-one marketing experiences around a big idea.
BB: Okay, so we’ve gone over the problem, but are you really suggesting that the right tech can overcome the reach vs. focus dilemma?
KA: Crazy, I know. But every once in a while you really can have the best of both worlds. The key is that when you bring all of your data together on one platform, you can connect activities on different channels to a single individual. And that means you never have to target the same individual on every channel. You can expand your reach without entirely muddling the big idea at the heart of your campaign. Better yet, you’re getting instant feedback on which channels are working, so you can quickly scale whatever tactics are driving conversions without abandoning the channels that are meant to form long-term relationships.
BB: Boardrooms love scaling.
KA: Yes, yes they do.
BB: Can you explain a bit more about how this would all look in action?
KA: Well, with the sort of marketing platform I’m describing, your content marketing tools can live side-by-side with your social media, your email campaigns, your SMS, your CRM data and so on. So, to take one simple example, if you’re a retailer, you could set your campaign so that you’re only sending SMS messages to consumers who have purchased specific items—for instance, a message about diapers could be restricted to consumers who have recently purchased a crib on mobile. That might seem like a bold tactic, but so long as it’s going to the right people, and as long as those right people aren’t also being blasted with emails and display ads for diapers, it can be a very effective technique without the annoyance that comes with batch and blast.
BB: And if it’s working you scale it?
KA: Right. If it’s working, the data will reveal that so you can crank up the campaign and expand your reach even further. Meanwhile, the focused story you’re telling across multiple channels can continue to hum along, quietly reinforcing the big idea—that’s the art of it all. You’re keeping your campaign focused even as you’re experimenting. When everything is on the same platform and your data is truly integrated, multiple campaigns don’t have to mean multiple brand identities.
BB: But what if the tactic does end up annoying consumers?
KA: Well, as I mentioned in our last conversation, this is why it is so important to be able to manage the customer’s expectations, experience and expression in one place. By using a marketing cloud that provides quick and easy access to an open ecosystem of hundreds of marketing apps, media and data providers in one enterprise-ready system, marketers can list and reach quickly. This enables marketers to proactively address issues before they arise and continually identify actionable ways to strengthen the relationship with existing and potential customers.
BB: This sounds pretty good, but don’t you see the problem?
KA: What’s that?
BB: Ranting about the unrealistic expectations of the suits is a fundamental part of the job. Do you really want to rob marketers of that privilege?
KA: I wouldn’t worry too much about that. The suits will always come up with some other way to drive marketers crazy!
