GLOBAL – CALIFORNIA, USA, OCTOBER 31, 2011: Localized marketing is becoming a critical area of strategic focus and competitive advantage for brands, reports the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. Only 12 percent of marketers believe they have highly evolved campaigns and analytics on a local level in contrast to nearly 50 percent who see themselves as underperforming or needing new strategic thinking and capability development in local marketing.
In its latest detailed study – "Localize to Optimize Sales Channel Effectiveness" – released today, the CMO Council reveals 86 percent of national marketers surveyed intend to look for ways to better modify, adapt and localize their marketing content, messaging and prospect engagement practices.
Findings from the online survey of 300-plus members across all leading industry sectors indicate traditional print and broadcast/cable media are losing ground to more targeted, personalized, interactive and measurable forms of local engagement across diverse audiences and communities.
The most preferred channels for localized marketing are experiential events, direct mail, localized web sites, social networks, electronic messaging, and interactive digital signage. These were far more popular selections than cable and broadcast television, radio, local magazines, and even daily and weekly newspapers. Surprisingly, the Yellow Pages (online and offline) and local online deal delivery networks, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, lagged behind all channels of localized marketing choice for national brands.
The CMO Council notes that local marketing automation platforms and solutions are enabling national or regional marketers to produce, package, distribute and digitally repurpose multiple versions of content, collateral, advertising, direct mail, promotional and in-store merchandising materials very cost-efficiently and effectively. It is enabling them to truly localize and customize campaigns by community to accommodate factors such as climate, geography, ethnic composition, demographics, shopper-graphics, psychographics, politics, breaking news, and even neuro-sensory influences.
According to the CMO Council, downsizing the world-wide web to a neighborhood locator network is transforming the classified advertising and local listings business and bringing localized search marketing innovations to the demand-generation and traffic-building capabilities of field networks, sales channels, service locations and merchant outlets of national brand marketers. These include local agents, dealers, franchisees, branch offices, manufacturers reps, consultants, brokers, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores.
Localized social marketing is also harvesting the audience reach and viral value of hundreds of millions of active and addicted social gamers, personal content publishers, brand and personality fans, as well as community networking enthusiasts.
The CMO Council notes that advances in media, buying, tracking and reporting systems using the Internet are introducing higher levels of transparency, accountability, reporting and measurement to co-op, localized and network marketing programs on a grassroots level. Centralizing the origination of localized marketing content and programs also delivers significant cost savings, assures greater brand integrity, reduces errors and improves time-to-market. In addition, localized marketing support drives participation, interest and enthusiasm in the field, boosting sales effectiveness and closure.
In addition to quantitative research, the Localize to Optimize study also sourced perspectives from more than 20 leading brands, including senior marketers at: AAMCO, Arby’s, Avon, Best Buy, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Burger King, Chipotle, Coca-Cola, Coldwell Banker, Denny’s, DirecTV, Dunkin’ Donuts, eBay Classifieds, ERA, Farmers Insurance, GNC, Gilt Groupe, Grupo BBVA, LG Electronics, Macy’s, Marriott ExecuStay, Ritz-Carlton Group and Toyota. In addition, leading academics and subject matter experts on the faculty of the program contributed valued insights and impressions.
The full Localize to Optimize Sales Channel Effectiveness report (90 pages) can be sourced from the CMO Council website.
