How do you define marketing?
It’s a lot of things but ultimately I believe it’s all about making sure your target customers perceive your brand the way you want them to perceive it.
What marketing trend is dominating your job at the moment?
Two way customer engagement. It’s a little obvious I know but we’re constantly looking for ways to positively engage with our customers – past, present and future. I’m happy the days of blanket ‘one size fits all’ communications seem to be over now.
If you had three wishes for your brand, what would they be?
I only ever have one wish when it comes to marketing and that’s for our target customers to understand and appreciate our brand’s chosen customer value proposition. Everything else should fall into place after that!
If you had one recommendation for those looking to maximize the level of engagement with their brand, what would it be?
Whilst having a singular person or agency responsible for your social media channels is needed, don’t be afraid to empower all willing staff to be your social media advocates. Give them training on tools (if needed), make sure everyone understands the brand’s personality traits and then let them engage directly with customers. If your brand is going for positive engagement, there’s no better way than utilising the individuals already working for your brand.
What has been the most successful tool in optimising your brand engagement and maximising returns?
We recently ran an online short film competition that encouraged current and potentially new customers to register. Entry was free and there were plenty of highly sought after prizes on offer. Our objective was to positively engage with a certain number of new professionals who weren’t already engaging with us. Not only did we achieve our goal but it was all the more pleasing as we also gained valuable purchase data insight and provided customers with a very positive experience.
What do you hope to gain/takeaway from gathering with other marketing leaders at BrandMAX 2013?
As always at events like these, it’s about sharing good and bad experiences and being able to recognise a blueprint to use in your own environment. As I’m still relatively inexperienced compared to those speaking at BrandMAX I’m looking forward to getting inspired.
What session, other than your own, are you most looking forward to at BrandMAX 2013?
As I keep banging on about engagement it’s only natural to look forward to the session on getting a solid return on engagement at 09.50.
Dan will be speaking at BrandMAX 2013 on ‘Build The Next Generation Marketer Today’ – a panel debate about gaining the optimum marketing skill mix to capitalise on how the craft is evolving, alongside James Frost, Marketing Director, Nectar and Meaghan Fitzgerald, Head of Marketing and Founding Management, 23snaps.
26 September 2013, St. Paul’s, London -
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