How to research and optimize strategic brand development. Creating a strong omnichannel brand identity based on research

Brand identity is often misunderstood as simply picking a color palette and a logo. In reality, this is just one element of brand development strategy. With every market bulging with competitors, carving out a strong brand identity is critical to differentiation and achieving cut through. The concept of building a strong brand identity is therefore grounded in research, and based on a clear understanding of the business, market, competitive landscape, and brand positioning. It’s more than simply coming up with a name and plastering a logo across collateral. It is a strategic approach to designing an identity that truly reflects the business. It requires a deep understanding of the business values, what it does, and how it wants the world to perceive it.

What is brand identity?

Brand identity is a collective term for all…

How do direct-to-consumer businesses establish themselves in a competitive market? We look at how D2C businesses leverage owned data to reach and engage directly with consumers

In recent years, brands have realized the merits of owned and self-operated direct-to-consumer (D2C or DTC) sales channels. In line with ongoing global digitalization, D2C models saw even further acceleration and greater emphasis. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce (D2C) sales in the US massed US $128.33 bn in 2021 and have been predicted to increase by 42% to $182.62 bn by the end of 2023. Clearly, now's the time to invest in your e-commerce marketing strategy. Whether your model is B2B, B2C, D2C, or a mixture - your channels and media will only be as effective as the marketing strategy that ties them all together. We've got resources to streamline your e-commerce marketing strategy and planning,…

Find out how to use the RACE Framework to optimize a more people-centric approach to marketing for manufacturing

In manufacturing, marketing enables you to connect with both wholesalers and distributors, ensuring that your product reaches your customers. However, as our target decision-makers are becoming familiar with online models for other products and services, so too must we as manufacturing marketers consider if we are still using the most appropriate tools for the job. Digital marketing has evolved tenfold in the last few years. And, whilst the adoption of new omnichannel marketing strategies has varied across different sectors, in manufacturing today we are seeing some great examples of a people-centric approach to marketing. When considering your options for how to market a manufacturing company, the RACE Framework is a really useful system for visualizing customer journeys. As such, the below examples will be structured across RACE. (Plan) > Reach > Act > Convert > Engage The RACE…

How to structure your software go-to-market strategy using Smart Insights’ Opportunity Strategy Action framework

When planning to go live with a new product or service, it’s important to have a clear idea of how and when you will launch. This is particularly true for software marketing leaders, planning their go-to-market strategy in a growing and competitive marketplace. Software as a service (SaaS) spending worldwide is estimated to reach $10 trillion by 2030. When you also take into account that up to 45% of product launches are delayed for different reasons, the importance of having a clearly defined go-to-market strategy becomes even more stark. Delayed product launches may mean your software won't be received in the same way as it could have been at your anticipated on-time product launch. In some instances, missing the boat here could significantly impact your product's financial viability, despite costing the same amount to…

What does omnichannel mean in Pharma? And what does digital disruption mean for this increasingly complex industry?

Omnichannel Pharma does not exist in a vacuum. Many industries launched large-scale omnichannel transformations years ago, and consumers are experiencing the benefits. Of course, digitization has been gradually occurring for customers across many sectors, as the percentage of users who are willing/expecting to make digital purchases increases. However, pharmaceutical companies have typically been lagging behind other industries in providing an omnichannel experience, since face-to-face communications are seen as beneficial as part of service delivery. Pharma marketing notoriously relies on complex customer journeys. This has never been the case more than now, with customers' increasing digital expectations. That's where Omnichannel Pharma comes in. If you're still deciding whether to create a digital/omnichannel marketing strategy for your Pharma business, or you're trying to get more digital buy-in, don't miss my free explainer blog 10 reasons you need…

Maximizing the potential of AI in email marketing with our human expertise

Picking a path through the ever-growing AI maze in email marketing is a challenge for today's digital marketers. While AI tools offer efficiency and support, relying solely on them risks producing mediocre results. In this blog I delve into the fascinating intersection of AI and email marketing, emphasizing the crucial role of human expertise in crafting engaging campaigns.  AI really helps, but your strategic thinking and long-term subscriber care remain vital to achieving email success. Let’s unlock the true potential of AI while maintaining the art and personal touch of effective email marketing.

How to use AI for marketing?

There is no doubt that using AI for email marketing will make the task more efficient. However, for all the same reasons that sending great emails is not easy, simply copying and pasting outputs is not the…

Thinking about your e-commerce marketing plan for 2024? Use the RACE Framework to create a focused and well-structured digital marketing strategy

In today’s e-commerce business landscape, there is no room for a lack of planning. All e-commerce businesses should plan out the best e-commerce marketing strategies to attract and retain high-value customers online as part of their e-commerce strategy. Without a well-planned e-commerce marketing strategy, sustainable growth will be inhibited. An e-commerce marketing plan with quantifiable KPIs should be directly linked to the goals of the business strategy which considers the e-commerce marketing landscape as a whole. Our most recent survey found that nearly half of companies don't have a clearly defined digital marketing strategy. Of those who do, the majority have integrated it into their overall marketing strategy.

What is an e-commerce marketing plan?

E-commerce marketing planning is about formalizing how you intend…

Practical ideas for you to use including how to use ChatGPT

Each year, for the last 10 years, or so, I have identified the latest trends in digital marketing and forecast what the major trends will be in the year ahead. The aim is to help marketers and business owners find new marketing ideas, review their budget investments and put together their plans. There’s always a lot of interest as businesses consider tactics they can deploy to gain an edge by using some of the latest techniques. This review covers the latest developments in digital marketing across the many digital marketing channels tools that businesses can use shown in the visual below based on our RACE digital marketing framework. I cover ChatGPT at the end of the article. We developed this to help businesses develop a robust approach to developing integrated digital marketing strategies across 25 key activities which we define as…

Sustainable marketing is a great way to promote the eco-friendly aspects of your company, as long as you get it right

It’s natural for a business to use all of its genetic makeup to promote itself and stand out in its market. For example, SMEs frequently use grassroots beginnings or a local focus to give them a unique tone of voice, while larger companies pride themselves on winning industry awards. Another strategy that is becoming more popular for companies looking to make their mark is sustainable marketing. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a more common brand value, with the most recent Conference of Parties (COP) highlighting its 2023 objectives as: Reducing emissions Helping countries adapt Climate finance Responsibility for the climate crisis is shared by governments, businesses, and individual consumers. So sharing your eco credentials could help you win more business accounts or increase customer loyalty, depending on your goals. However, it…

We all know marketing in tech is done differently to other industries, but what makes a great technology company marketing plan?

The IT and High-tech industries are well-known for innovation. But having a great product is only half of the work of a successful go-to-market strategy. Now more than ever, it's crucial for marketers to step up and add value, to help differentiate and stay ahead of the fierce competition in the sector. How do you do that? Read our steps to creating a winning marketing plan for your technology company.

Why invest in marketing for tech?

Worldwide IT spending in 2023 projected to total $4.6 trillion in 2021, an increase of 5.1% from 2022. Your marketing plan is more important than ever in securing your market share of that growth. Clearly, marketing plans for technology companies need to develop to take advantage of all the omnichannel tactics available to the…