Skip to main content

Improving Multi-Channel Outcomes in Online Marketing



Companies don’t always exist exclusively in the real or virtual world and neither should their marketing campaigns. Some consumers prefer buying products through physical channels while others prefer online channels. Companies find themselves managing the complexity of both broad channels to improve sales. These sales may not be based in a single marketing channel and may be more associated with the use of multiple marketing channels working together.

An article in the Journal of Marketing Research offers greater insight into cross-channel effects on traditional, online display and paid search advertising. They found that a single marketing channel cannot account for the total purchase rate of products/services (Dinner, Van Heerde, & Neslin, 2014).

Consumers may have a particular on or off line preference for purchasing but regularly use the Internet to search out and research their chosen items. The totality of both online and offline purchases is a combination of using different marketing channels and should be measured as such.

Think about how a consumer processes information. They see or hear about a product that relates to their self-image and develop an internal need for that product. If the product has value they may search out its benefits and detractors online. When a decision has been made they will either purchase online or from a ground store.

In today’s marketing world it is important not to evaluate marketing effectiveness in a silo. Even though the success of each marketing channel should be considered like the success of each purchasing channel it is still important to consider the total marketing effectiveness.

Different forms of exposure from multiple events create the total impression and experience for the consumer. Sometimes it may take multiple exposures from varying channels to grab their selective attention and finally make a decision to purchase.

Marketing is more than simply having customers see images and impressions on a webpage. There is a lot of competition out there in the cyberspace and the physical world that leads to advertising overload. A single marketing channel is unlikely to draw significant interest and improve market position.

To improve upon exposure companies will often use paid search positions. As consumers search out information on a product the paid search engine sites come up first. Usually it is the home company that reaches the top based search algorithms. In many cases there are multiple companies competing for the top position.

Paid search positions have less effect than originally thought. No one is sure why this is the case other than the click-thru rates decrease over time making the marketing method less effective. Mitigating factors could include the search engines, competition within specific industries, and the sensitization to these ads.

As the different channels work together it was found that they push potential customers into certain purchasing behaviors. Using multiple channels to direct customers to successful purchasing channels may be beneficial for raising the overall conversion rate. Channels then become augmentation and support for preferred channels that work the best.

Dinner, I., Van Heerde, H. & Neslin, S. (2014). Driving online and offline sales: the cross-channel effects of traditional, online display, and paid search advertising. Journal of Marketing Research, 51 (5).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Meaning of A Boundless Moment by Robert Frost

A Boundless Moment by Robert Frost He halted in the wind, and — what was that Far in the maples, pale, but not a ghost? He stood there bringing March against his thought, And yet too ready to believe the most. "Oh, that's the Paradise-in-bloom," I said; And truly it was fair enough for flowers had we but in us to assume in march Such white luxuriance of May for ours. We stood a moment so in a strange world, Myself as one his own pretense deceives; And then I said the truth (and we moved on). A young beech clinging to its last year's leaves. The poem is one of seasons changing and the cycle of life. Each May the bloom comes out and brings life to the death of winter. The poem is about a single moment when the characters see that life has changed. The layers of meaning can be deep but on the surface it appears Robert Frost is discussing nature and its cyclical momentum.   Everything in nature moves through patterns. The poem indicates that

Art Review: The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

The Kiss is Gustav Klimt’s most famous and well known painting. Produced in 1908 in Vienna, Austria and incorporated oil and gold life on the canvas ( 1 ). This was unique for his time and represents both tile works with Asiatic influence. The painting and the romance it brings forward is still wonderment to onlookers. The picture depicts a passionate relationship between a man and woman in a sort of perfect place.  The couple is embracing, bodies entwined, wearing robes of wealth and decadence. It provides linear constructs of the Art Nouveau style and the movement of arts with crafts ( 2 ). The male is square and masculine while the woman painted is in curves to represent femininity. The couple is a pair with the woman and man equal in stature. They are in a field of flowers and appear to rise above it.  To many this painting represents the concept that love has no bounds. Social position or worldly wealth cannot hide what goes on under the fancy clothes and standard m

The Nine Parries of Saber Fencing

The Parry is important for defending against attacks and offers an opportunity to counter attack. Without learning parries it will be difficult to effectively compete in fencing. Your body will be generally open to seasoned fencers. Practicing defending against attacks using multiple parries is important for creating the highest levels of competitive skill. The most common parries used are Parry of Four, Parry of Six, Parry of Seven, and Parry of Eight ( 1 ). They are designed to protect your right side, left side, lower stomach, middle of your stomach. They are parries designed to cover the core areas of your body and help you defend against the majority of fencing attacks.   Prime: Stops a cut to the chest. Seconde: Stops a low cut to the flank Tierce: Stops high cut to the flank Quarte: Stops high cut to the chest. Quinte: Stops cut to head. Sixte : Stops cut to head. Septime: Stops cut to back. Octave: Stops cut to flank. Neuvieme: Protects Back Mic