In this technology-driven economy, corporations must be ready to transform its marketing strategies to maximize the branding potential, thus reaching the largest clientele.
“Technology is transforming the way brands and customers interact,” according to Yuri Radzievsky. “Wired. Networked. Multiplexed. Call it anything you want. …. Marketing must adapt, or your brand will wither.
Radzievsky, chairman and CEO of the marketing agency GlobalWorks Groups, LLC, advises executives across industry to formulate a plan to approach technology-driven branding by considering the following:
- Everything a corporation does as an enterprise or brand can be observed and published to the world on the Internet. Transparency through technology can be a hindrance and an aid to market branding. My making use to the available technology, such as corporate blogs on technology, consumer issues and future plans, corporations can take control of their own branding, Radzievsky advises.
- As technologies converge, consumers and brand marketers are finding new ways to communicate and interact. One example being the phone.
“The phone turns passive customers into engaged brand loyalists,” Radzievsky said. “It can involve them in brand-based games, challenge them to create commercials for brands, bring them together for brand-sponsored events, galvanize brand feedback, energize brand sharing and transform your brand into a powerhouse of convergence.”
Other examples of technology-driven branding that consumers can take personal stock in include such innovations as personalized M&Ms, cars and trucks custom built online from Ford, Honda and General Motors, custom clothing and shoes at Land’s End or Converse, among others.
- Measurement drives branding in a world of convergence and networks, according to Radzievsky.
“Web-based ads provide almost instantaneous feedback about what works and what doesn’t. Technology tracks keystrokes and follows a person’s every move on your Web site,” he said.
“Soft data can tell you quickly if your brand is in trouble or thriving, based on customer reactions and opinions. …. Ultimately, listening to such brand currents and countercurrents may be more valuable than anything brands may say about themselves,” he said.
- Leadership and innovation are essential elements to the new world of branding.
Sales and marketing executives must work together to embrace technology and leverage brands to the fullest.
“Your role is not only to encourage use but also to nurture an environment that rewards experimentation,” Radzievsky says.
- It’s important to stay on top on technology-driven branding.
“You may feel disconnected from technology. … Watch your children or grandchildren as they use technology to connect with peers and products. There’s no science to this, but they are a leading indicator. Things trickle up in the new-media marketing world, not vice versa,” he advises.
