The Shift: Riding the Wave of Marketing Changes    

Marketing is the subtle art of making you give a damn. It’s not what they see, it’s what you want to show them. Even data backs it. According to Nielsen, “One emotional ad can increase sales by 23%” 

Let me walk you through a real-life case study. During the 2012 Summer Olympics, while many brands capitalized on their status as official partners, Nike turned a potential setback into a masterclass in market segmentation and positioning. Despite restrictions that barred the use of Olympic trademarks and athlete imagery, Nike crafted an ad that spoke to the Olympic spirit without mentioning the games directly. By leveraging a modern marketing technique and an innovative marketing plan that blended customer-centric marketing, influencer marketing, and content marketing, Nike redefined what it meant to achieve greatness.

Their campaign, which echoed through social network advertising and engaging social media ads, transformed the idea of greatness from an exclusive gift into an attainable goal for everyone. In doing so, Nike not only captivated audiences but also demonstrated that a thoughtful mix of digital marketing strategies and market segmentation can turn a simple message into an inspiring call to action. Check it here

Advancing in the topic – How does this strike you? – The same all-purpose flour and eggs that make yummy spongy pancakes, so why do we end up paying more at a five-star restaurant? The dish at both restaurants might essentially use the same ingredients, and the same recipe but the difference in perceived value comes down to how it’s marketed and presented to you.

Marketing is no more a Luxury but a necessity! – Survival of the most Alluring one 

Let’s try to understand what changed in marketing strategies over the past decade.

Previously marketing was all about people’s reach. There was no tracking or analysis, leaving very limited platforms for reach, and fairly passive. With the modern digitization era, the core of marketing has changed its Retro Roots to Modern Boots. Today’s marketing is not just about reaching people, but more about leaving an impression to think twice before you roll the dice. It’s more about adding a personalized touch, implementing analytics, and tracking for real-time results. Right from laying out strategies for a successful reach on social media, website, and emails to whatnot!

Just like in the old days—could we walk to every destination or rely solely on letters to communicate? Practical? Not quite. Similarly, while traditional marketing methods still have value, they’ve been so overused that their impact has faded.

Adding that Extra Kick

Let’s review some key points to get us started with exploring “Modern Marketing”

Across the overarching domain, marketing has a very broad scope covering everything from the life to the death cycle of a product. We will be bringing attention to Market Research, Promotion and Branding.

Market Research 

Market research is a very important part of marketing as it involves gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about a market. The information gathered can be used to segment the target audience and competitors. It can be used further to understand market dynamics, identify potential opportunities and make more informed decisions.

Market segmentation is one of the components of Market research which plays a crucial role in marketing by allowing businesses to tailor their strategies and offerings to specific groups of consumers. Let’s understand the Market segmentation shift.

Traditional market segmentation is typically based on Demographic, Geographical, or Behavioral kind of segmentations and I am not saying these can’t be used but again think of it this way “Can we reach all destinations by walking? Not quite.”  

These segmentations are great but let’s add some ketchup on the fries by approaching Platform usage segmentation, Impact-Driven Segmentation, Ideology-based segmentation, and technology affinity segmentation. 

Let’s understand the shift details

The following user segmentation strategies will help us connect with our target audience more effectively and meaningfully-

• Platform Usage Segmentation:

It involves categorizing users based on their preferred digital platforms, frequency of use, content engagement, and overall online behavior. By analyzing social media habits, e-commerce activity, and app usage, brands can tailor their marketing strategies for maximum impact.

• Impact-driven Segmentation:

This includes grouping consumers based on their commitment to social causes such as sustainability, social justice, or community development. Aligning brand messaging with their values fosters a deeper emotional connection and enhances brand loyalty.

• Ideology-based Segmentation:

It involves targeting consumers based on their political, cultural, or philosophical beliefs. For instance, minimalism enthusiasts prioritize simplicity, influencing their purchasing decisions and engagement with brands that reflect their values.

• Technology Affinity Segmentation:

It is about identifying consumers based on their relationship with technology and innovation. If a particular segment responds well to a tech-driven brand narrative, strategies like in-depth technical podcasts or participation in industry events such as tech conferences can enhance engagement and brand positioning.

Market research has significantly evolved over time. Traditional market research was more focused on surveys, focus groups, interviews and observation. There was very limited data collected and it was more towards manual analysis providing generalized insights. When we speak about modern market research it more resonates with online surveys, social media monitoring, web analytics, wider reach, automated data analysis and specific target audience

The key difference comes down to Speed, Scope, Data Volume and Technology Integration with the evolving data world. The next stop in the discussion would be Promotion.

Promotion

Promotion is to drive Sales and build Brand Loyalty. Advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and influencer marketing all come under the broad umbrella of promotion.

Moving on to our next segments in thispPromotion window- the main shift could be seen due to technological advancement, consumer behavior change and add-ons to communication channels. 

Let’s understand the modern marketing strategies to help us relate to the marketing shift better.

• Creating FOMO:

It’s a strategy that psychologically triggers consumers to take immediate action. The idea is simple- if I don’t take action, I will miss out on a great deal of a lifetime! 

You can leverage this through limited-time offers, low-stock alerts, or real-time analytics like everyone has it and you don’t. Adding countdown timers to the website to provoke action or highlighting trending products can further drive urgency. One real-life example would be Apple creating scarcity around its product releases by limiting supply and creating a sense of urgency. People queue up for hours (or even days) just to get the latest iPhone. 

• Customer-centric Approach:

Imagine someone offering you coffee – “Here is one coffee for you!” OR “Here is one coffee for you, just the way you like it Double shot, no Sugar, 1 teaspoon of cream and frothy!”

Which one stands out to you??? The later one, I am assuming!

This approach focuses on the consumer as the centerpiece of our product. While marketing a brand or product, adding that extra personalized touch, and giving extra importance to customer experience and feedback help in creating value-driven relationships and customer retention.

• Pre and Post-launch Hype:

Pre-launch marketing could focus on teaser campaigns, building email sign-up lists, press releases and media outreach, exclusive pre-orders, countdowns, and hype building. Post-launch marketing would be customer reviews and testimonials, referral programs, retargeting ads for catered audiences, post-launch content, and new feature updates to lure the audience.

Traditional promotion relied on mass media channels like TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards and flyers. While modern promotion techniques leverage digitization as the main focus of making a presence. Social media, email, SEO (search engine marketing), websites and content marketing walking down focusing on the data-driven approach.

Branding

Moving on to the next segment – branding. The branding transitions shifts focus from corporate-driven branding strategies to more consumer- centric dynamic approaches

Let’s dive into “The Shift” essentials

• Corporate to Consumer:

Brands were primarily in control of their messaging by advertising and market campaigns. The modern-day branding now has a great influence driven by social media, reviews and peer recommendations. Consumers share their experiences, create content and interact with brands setting up a brand narrative with their own voice.

• Product-centric to Purpose-driven:

Traditional branding focuses on a product featuring its benefits and quality. Whereas modern-day branding talks more about purpose-driven communication where consumers expect social, environmental and ethical issues. Consumers are more likely to support brands that resonate with their values and beliefs. 

• Static to Flexi:

Brand identities were fixed with logos, taglines and core messages. The modern shift demands frequent adjustments based on consumer feedback, trends and cultural shifts. The brand theme should reflect real-time events and trending topics with a dash of personalized touch.

The branding shift in marketing highlights a move from corporate-controlled, mass-marketing strategies to more consumer-centric, interactive, and purpose-driven approaches.

Final Thoughts

It all comes down to pushing creative boundaries to feel connected and “Converting Buzz into sales loyalty”. Today, leaflets are replaced by……..

• Social Media Ads/Influencer Posts
• Radio Ads by Podcast Ads
• TV Commercials by YouTube & Streaming Platform Ads
• Word of Mouth by Online Reviews & 
• Social Proof/Telemarketing by Chatbots/Automated Messaging.

The clear shift from physical, broad-reaching strategies to digital personalized tactics is the only way to keep up unless your brand wants to be a small local identity and get buried.

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