Digital Marketing- Nothing digital about it!

Digital Marketing- Nothing digital about it!

Very often I meet people (brands/companies) who are really buoyed about "innovating on digital", "trying something new", "experimenting on digital" and so on and so forth. Its really encouraging to see people all set to go and take a leap into this dynamic and ever so changing world of digital marketing.

But the question still lingers in my mind- is digital marketing really about digital or is it about marketing? To answer this question one has to clear his/her mind and put oneself in the shoes of the people we are doing all this for- not you, not me, not your boss (or my boss) but for the people who pay for all of this- the end consumer. 

So what does a typical end consumer want? Does she want to look at your innovations? Does she want to see your ads? Does she want to look at why brand x is better than brand a,b,c? The answer in most cases is No. An end consumer has a need. The need can be to get entertained, to book a ticket, to buy a phone or to simply checkout the photo of her best friend in her social network.

As traditional marketeers, we are used to one way communication. Someone is watching a movie on their TV- shove an ad right there. Someone is reading the morning newspaper for expert comments on last night's cricket game- why not place an ad there! While the traditional mediums allow users with certain degree of freedom to ignore your message (switch channel, turn the page etc). Digital mediums come up with a unique challenges for marketeers- placing the end consumer above all else. Your end consumer can totally go around with her business and can be completely immune to your message, while you burn your money away to glory. But consider a scenario when you solve the need your end consumer has. The consumer will come running to you and you will reap rewards.

So today I am going to talk about the basics or should I call it Marketing- 101 (I am choosing to ignore "digital" consciously). Here is what you can do to cover the basics (or the 4Ps)-

1. Product-

What does your brand have to offer to the end consumer. Is it in-tune with what the consumer wants? Is there enough demand for your product/service online? Do you see the audience on the internet your suitable TG? If the answer to any of these questions is No, you might have to go back to basics and re-look at your offering.




2. Price-

Remember internet increases accessibility. You are discoverable in numerous ways you can and cannot control. You are visible and so are your competitors and alternatives. This gives the end consumer enough incentive to make a decision and often price plays an important factor in the consumers mind especially when differentiation is low/not visible. Hence, it is important to stay sharp- more than ever.

3. Promotion-

The average internet user is used to hundreds and thousands of ads. How many times we login to a website and see 20 banners in a single page? Do you remember any of them? They all are trying to drive one message- constantly trying to promote their product hoping to reach the right audience. Do you want to be the 21st banner on that page? I shouldn't even answer that! Reaching the right audience who are interested in your products and will be interested in it is very very important.

4. Placement-

Congratulations! Your 3Ps have worked. The consumer is looking for you hoping to find you and reward you. Can she reach out to you before your competition reaches out to her? Can she locate your website/social page/video destinations/twitter etc etc. If she can't I wouldn't even recommend any of the previous three Ps.

So its not really digital that I am talking about here, its just plain old marketing 101. Innovations can wait, basics can't.

Cheers,
Abhishek