In the words of The Guardian, 2015 was a liquidiser revolution and 2016 looks to be no different- all thanks to the Nutribullet. The blending craze is widely recognised as healthy because it encourages us to add food groups (and nutrients) to our diet that many of us usually ignore. As it turns out, variety is healthy. I’m here to make the case that the same is true for our marketing plan.
Blending data refers to mixing a cocktail of insights pulled from multiple sources and analysing them to create strong, healthy marketing campaigns. Blending data isn’t a new thing. It’s just that big data analysis has become a lot easier with the use of the right tools, and so we’re seeing more and more companies adopting this strategy. Here are 3 reasons why…
Connect the dots. Pin-point the patterns
Brand reputation can’t be judged by one person’s opinion, whether expressed in an article or a social media post. Blending online news and social media data allows us to connect the dots by identifying patterns to understand how our brand is perceived overall. We can take this a step further by comparing groups of people and channels to identify patterns.This is when amedia monitoring tool becomes invaluable.
We can easily compare our brand reach by channel, publication, or geography. We can compare sentiment in the news versus social. We can compare key themes associated with our brand. Making these comparisons offers much more reliable and valuable brand reputation data. When we blend them all together we get a much better sense of where we stand and how we should focus our marketing efforts.
Remain competitive
PESTEL analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal) insights are what drive a competitive marketing plan strategy. A lack of attention to such trends in macro data can result in huge losses to the bottom line, a brand reputation crisis and lack of competitiveness. A scan through Sainsbury’s 2015 annual report reveals how one of the biggest supermarkets in the UK has remained at the top, and sure enough PESTEL data is included. Through being aware of technological developments, Sainsbury’s have strengthened their in-house digital and technology capabilities. Trends in the cost of raw material, consumer confidence, employment rates, inflation and buying habits all have direct impact on the company. Ultimately, their marketing plan will need to accommodate such trends if they are to remain a key player.
Tailor campaigns
Blending data is useful for gaining a deeper understanding of the target and identifying their sweet spot. Our audience leaves digital breadcrumbs in everything they do and it’s up to us to track them to help us see the wider picture. We can then tailor our marketing plan and campaigns, for example, by bridging the gap between online and offline shopping behaviour and experience. 2015 was the year of impressive personalised campaigns, each fuelled by understanding how to use data effectively.
Don’t leave a sour taste
Much like fruit, data goes off. It’s best to keep the data as fresh as possible by updating our marketing plan with real-time insights.
Do you have any blending data tips that will help improve marketing plan success? Drop us a tweet @Meltwater
