10: Touching Customers With Communication
It's noted that the "old" marketing model is not completely dead and probably never will be: the marketer retains the ability to communicate about the brands they represent - but they no longer have the degree of control they once did, and they certainly are not the only source of information attempting to influence customer perceptions. The difference is that there are many uncontrolled, even uncontrollable, messages that impact the attitudes and behaviors of customers. Not only have marketers lost control of the messaging, but they have increasingly lost control of the product delivery. The era of the single-brand company outlet (an Oreck vacuum cleaner store) is largely passed for the majority of industries, and the products are delivered to the customer by other parties.
The author refers to the present chapter as a "transition chapter" that will discuss basic concepts in a general way, before following chapters go into more granular detail, regarding the changing nature of the customer-brand relationship and the tools and techniques at marketers' disposal.
MEDIA MULTITASKING
The author describes this phenomenon as the simultaneous use of multiple media forms. (EN: this theory, while popular, is somewhat imprecise - research has found it is not simultaneous, but intermittent, as attention is swapped between stimuli. Beware of conclusions based on the notion of simultaneity.)
This stands in contrast to the mindset of marketers, who presumed that individuals gave their undivided attention to a single medium, or at most, presumed the medium to be the primary focus of their attention (the stereotypical man reading the newspaper while breakfasting with family was engrossed in the newspaper, with family conversation a temporary interruption from the paper.) This grossly inflated the purported audience of traditional media.
The notion of "monochromic" consumption is based on the reading model - in which individuals read one word at a time in a single thread, proceeding from beginning to end, largely without interruption. The same story-telling model was applied to media that followed (radio and television, primarily). But "polychromic" consumption involves the use of multiple media, shifting attention periodically from one to another - with a primary focus on one, but "monitoring" of other stimuli.
(EN: emphasis on the shift in focus rather than utter simultaneity of attention on multiple media. The author doesn't go into depth on this, and there is little research that delves the degree to which "monitoring" is effective. In some instances, an individual becomes engrossed and fails to monitor other stimuli. How effectively a person can monitor multiple stimuli, and the degree to which engrossment in one makes them inattentive to others, has not to my knowledge been studied in sufficient depth to draw conclusions. However, phenomena such as the accident rates of drivers who use cell phones, even in speaker mode, clearly indicates that it is not perfectly simultaneous, and an individual is insufficiently attentive to other stimuli when focusing on one channel.)
And given the expansion of media, it is more widely acknowledged that people multitask: to watch a television program, while surfing the Internet on a handheld device, while carrying on a conversation with people in the physical environment. This leads to problems with both measurement and impact: can such a person be counted as a television viewer? How much of his attention is given to the program? Do the messages sent via that medium really reach him?
RELEVANCE AND RECEPTIVITY
The notion of relevance focuses the content of a message of what is important to the recipient, not to the sender (specifically, the customer or prospect rather than the marketer). This is another break from broadcast models, in which it was presumed that the audience was subject to the message rather than in control of the amount of attention they paid to it. Especially in the modern environment, people are subjected to a cacophony of messages and choose where to place their attention. Early attempts to combat this (e.g., making the commercials louder than the regular program) have met with little success in overriding the audience's discretion.
The notion of receptivity deals more with the choice of media: at what time, and through what channel, the prospect is willing to receive information. This is likewise a matter of choice.
As such, marketers have found that they must develop a message that is of interest to the intended audience, and deliver that message at an opportune time and through an appropriate channel, in order to be given attention. This reverses the power relationship from a marketer who thrusts messages on an audience to one that must be attuned to their desire to receive information.
The author mentions the difference between "push" and "pull" marketing - seeking to impose information on an audience versus reacting to inbound requests from interested parties. The principles above apply to both, though "push" communications are now taking into consideration many of the principles that drove "pull" communication.
The "touchpoint" model focuses on the message first, then considers the channels and modes through which it can be sent, selecting a delivery method that will be effective in reaching a receptive audience. The goal for this may be to encourage the recipient to react in the short term, but it is more important to brand marketing to create a long-term impression of the brand.
UNDERSTANDING BRAND CONTACTS
On the atomic level, a "brand contact" occurs at each instance in which a customer or prospect becomes aware of the brand; and their overall attitude about the brand (which in turn drives purchasing behavior) is the result of the sum of all brand contacts.
To get a clear indication of the status of your brand, a brand audit should be conducted, measuring the attitudes of customers and prospects toward your brand. This audit can be conducted serially, to get a sense of the change in brand relationship over time. It should also be segmented, considering not only the standard spate of profiling information, but also the length of experience with the brand.
The audit itself seeks to uncover information about the brand contacts: the media, the timing, their credibility, their influence, whether they conflicted or agreed with previous impressions, etc. (EN: There are a long list of questions one might ask - it's entirely qualitative.)
ENGAGEMENT
The notion of "engagement" has recently come into vogue in marketing circles. It pertains to the level of interest a subject (customer or prospect) gives to messages about a given brand. Naturally, "engaging" the subject is more significant than merely "reaching" them with a message via the mass media - because if it isn't engaging, it's likely to be ignored.
The author gives a few examples: the television may be on, but the subject may not be paying attention to it; they may subscribe to a magazine but not read it; they may drive past a billboard and not even notice it. In each of these instances, traditional media metrics consider the person to be viewer/subscriber even though they were not reached by any advertising message.
However, engagement is multifaceted. The prospect may be interested in the product or service itself, the brand or manufacturer, the channel, the message, or any other aspect of the communication. To be engaging, a marketing message must match the interests of the customer in multiple regards.
There is also an engagement factor based on the medium: a magazine is considered more engaging than a news paper because it is a capable of using color, photography, and other elements, and is generally ready by a person with an inherent interest in its subject matter. Television is said to be more engaging than radio because it affords visual stimulus as well as audio. (EN: This strikes me as specious logic, and perhaps engagement is the wrong way to describe capabilities. I'd posit that an individual is often more engaged by a book than a television program, as a person reading a book is more likely to be intently focused on the "message," even though its presentation capabilities are comparatively primitive.)
The level of engagement with media has undergone scrutiny, as it caters to the traditional advertising mindset, and the various media still vie for advertising dollars based on their reach and the degree to which they engage their purported audiences, whereas marketers seek to select a channel that is effective in engaging their desired market segments.
Malthouse and Calder have defined five elements that can be used to estimate engagement across varying media types:
- Utility - The channel in question is believed by its consumers to provide them with a utilitarian benefit (financial news improves investment decisions, a how-to program teaches them skills, etc.)
- Recreation - The users of the channel find it to be relaxing or entertaining, such that there is a benefit from merely consuming the medium
- Attachment - The users of the channel have a sense of attachment to the channel, such that they would "feel a void in their lives" if it were unavailable
- Social - The users of the channel feel that their use of the channel impacts the way that other people view them (e.g., people who read a certain magazine are urbane and sophisticated)
- Credibility - The information from a source is considered to be unbiased and factual (e.g., a newspaper has more credibility than a blog)
It's worth noting that these measures will fluctuate according to the individual, the exact channel (a specific magazine, not just "magazines), and the subject matter involved.
Another important facet of engagement is the existing interest a consumer has for a given brand, which has long been of interest in the Japanese marketing community (the author specifically mentions the Hakhudo agency's notion of the "rings" of engagement), though this has long been treated as a notion specific to eastern cultures, but is being recognized as a set of principles that have more universal application.
The author mentions the concept of seikatsusha, which reflects an "emotional bond" between a brand and customer that creates mutual value (a stable revenue for the company and value of ownership for the customer), backed by their interest in obtaining the benefit they gain from collaboration. Each party chooses the other, shares information, and commits to an ongoing relationship.