MANILA, JULY 1, 2013 – Brands who “nurture” instead of just “persuade” their consumers are bound to get more positive results from their target markets, according to Daina Middleton, Global CEO of Performics, the Publicis Groupe performance marketing specialist.
Middelton, who was in Manila for Performics new Manila office launch last week, asserted that the new paradigm for marketers was to engage customers not just through persuasion, but through sharing, empowering and connecting.
According to Middleton, who authored the book Marketing in the Participation Age, the demographics of the new customer has changed – from one who has to be persuaded to one who wants to be consulted in their brand purchase choices. Consumers now also want to feel empowered in their brand choices, as well as seek a sense of connection or “community”. Marketers are advised to take these into consideration, as a more empowered and engaged consumer leads to increased participation from them leading to higher performance results.
Looking at the region, Gareth Mulryan, Performics Asia Pacific managing director, sees strong upside potential for digital spend in a region where traditional media still rules and marketers shift investments to digital platforms.
Based on current statistics, 45% or 1.1 billion internet users are now in Asia Pacific. Japan and China still top the list for digital spend, about 21.3% (US$9.9 billion) and 28.5% (US$10.2 billion) of total advertising outlay respectively.
Traditional media spend dominates elsewhere, but digital is catching up, hitting US$43.8 billion. In the Philippines, TV is still dominant but digital spend is gaining ground. Mulryan forecast media spend for Asia Pacific and the Philippines would increase at 20% led by television and the internet.
