Category Archives: Branding

Win the brand selling game by elevating your brand’s trust barometer

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Marketing is much more complicated today. The number of channels and customer touch points is growing. The mobile Internet, social media, and the ease of online shopping are changing how consumers decide to buy. Your next customer is on a decision journey that is unprecedented in terms of buyer intelligence and transparency of brand offerings.

Consumers are doing their homework before purchasing. A report by the E-Commerce Foundation shows 88 percent of consumers, pre-research products of interest on the Internet before making a purchase.

It is no surprise the majority of online experiences with a brand begin with a search engine. In fact, a quarter of American adults say they are “almost constantly” online, according to Pew Research.

Making things more complicated for marketers is the recent proclamation: “the traditional sales funnel is dead.” Buyers can easily jump in and out of channels, do comparison shopping on their mobile apps, read product reviews, and even be influenced in the store aisle by a sales associate, product packaging, or an in-store promotion. Continue reading →

Why customer experience is the new differentiator in banking

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Banking IndustryThe Canadian financial services industry spent an astounding $8.7 billion dollars on information technology.  According to a Deloitte 2014  Industry Outlook, many banks are investing on IT to focus on revenue growth, customer experience, and security.  There is a strong desire by the banking industry to drive performance, mitigate risk and improve operational efficiency.

Customer experience is the new differentiator, requiring the seamless and unified delivery of online, branch, and mobile channels.  By leveraging technology, banks can better understand customer spending habits, preferences and product demand and  grow revenues.

McKinsey research, The three Cs of customer satisfaction: Consistency, consistency, consistency supports the belief that a consistent customer journey across multiple touchpoints is a key predictor for customer satisfaction and loyalty. Key findings include: companies can differentiate their brands by focusing on customer experience; building trust leads to long-term business success; and consistency-driven emotional connection is essential for customer loyalty. Continue reading →

Sales enablement bridges the ‘Last Mile’ of communications strategy

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Marketers love branding, awareness, and lead generation programs.  They develop compelling value propositions—encapsulating the benefits of a product or service for a targeted group of customers.  The multi-channel marketing strategy is put in place and aligned with corporate objectives. Marketing is ready to go-to-market.  What can possibly go wrong?

For one, there is a potential gap between marketing objectives and field execution, where customer-facing sales people engage with buyer organizations.  I liken it to the “last mile” metaphor because this is the vital final link of the communications strategy trail for a targeted audience.

Marketers must be ready to bridge any potential gaps in strategy execution. This is where sales enablement comes into play by helping the sales force sell more effectively. Continue reading →