This article underscores the foundational role of data in shaping insight-driven customer acquisition strategy and highlights tactics smart marketers use to drive efficacy and cost-efficiency from their paid media outcomes. 

Before we dive in, I want to be clear on the connection between the terms ‘smart’ and ‘marketer’. In order to be deemed a ‘smart marketer’, one must be effective at delivering outcomes (customers and sales) into their organization. Seems simple enough. This means staying up-to-date with the latest trends and marketing technologies, as well as adapting to changes in consumer behavior and their preferences both online and offline. Many of us do this by leveraging a combination of data, insights, analytics, innovation and creativity into robust strategies laser-focused on performance.

When designing paid media campaigns for clients, marketers start with the basics (the 5Ws and maybe even sometimes the 1H). We do this because we were taught this in college. Is this methodology correct? It used to be but probably not anymore. Why? Because this method required marketers to center the ‘who’ and ‘how’. 

How many new insights could we uncover about our audiences and consumers if we stopped focusing on the ‘who’ and pivoted to the ‘when’ and ‘where’? Could these new insights help future-proof our advertising outcomes? I strongly believe so. 

Future-proof 

Future-proofing refers to the process of anticipating and preparing for potential future challenges and developments. As marketers, this requires the implementation of forward-thinking strategy and technology which is both flexible and adaptable, in order to remain relevant and competitive in the future.

Adopting a future-proof approach which prioritizes data-driven decision-making and adapts to emerging technology and consumer channels, can help retailers reinvigorate in-store traffic and build a longer-lasting relationship with their consumers over time.

In the context of paid media outcomes, future-proofing involves incorporating data-driven insights and technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize and ensure our advertising efforts are effective and relevant to consumer audiences. It also involves a shift in our approach from data-driven to insight-driven. 

Insight-Driven Marketers

Retail marketers are some of the best insight-driven marketers, and my professional faves. Their desire for data accuracy specifically related to online and offline attribution is continual, and for good reason: retail marketers do not have the luxury of being lackadaisical. The nature of their roles require them to be focused on the future, effective on a much more consistent basis. Retail marketers know very well, retail brands who are reactive in their approach to marketing innovation and consumer behavior rarely survive their in-market counterparts proactively innovating to consumer purchase behavior, preferences and intent.

The efficacy challenge for retail marketers

Effective retail marketers possess a unique blend of imaginative thinking and data-driven analysis. They are agile marketers, with a keen sense of marketability, the ability to adapt quickly to evolving market dynamics and the all too constant shift in consumer behavior. Being well-informed about the latest advancements in marketing technology, including location-intelligence technology, is crucial for them to stay ahead of competition and achieve tangible results.

Retail marketers face a number of challenges in their efforts to drive efficacy from their paid media initiatives. At the center of every insight, campaign, process, business decision, and the foundation of their customer acquisition strategy is data. Massive amounts of data.

What if there was a way to equip retail marketers with insights they need to succeed at physical retail and stay ahead of their in-market competition? No, not geofencing or proximity targeting but instead a new way to develop audiences based on where people go, and have been.

Not just visibility of inferred insights but truly actionable insights smart marketers can leverage to significantly improve and future-proof paid media outcomes. 

The missing link to attribution clarity

Smart marketers want nothing more than to accurately attribute conversion to specific campaigns and channels. Location intelligence allows smart marketers to understand the spatial context of their consumers, including their physical movements and interactions with specific locations, and could be the missing link to connecting physical movements with digital touch points. This attribution clarity will allow for an effective allocation of resources and a significant improvement in return on ad spend. 

Over the next few weeks, we will explore outcomes delivered from centering ‘where’ and how proximity is hyper-relevant to future-proofing your customer acquisition strategy.

Future so bright. 

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which I work and extend my deep respects.