Spring has finally arrived (well almost!). It's been a rough Winter, whilst not as cold as previous Winters, a lot of the country has experienced flooding and unexpected weather largely caused by the Polar Vortex and storms across the world.
Winters like this mean that some businesses suffer, especially those in the retail sector. Customers don't want to leave their homes when the weather is bad, and Internet shopping has also suffered for those who were effected by the floods. However, Spring has finally arrived and it's vital that you consider your Spring marketing campaign and how you can make your campaign more effective.
Take this change of season as an opportunity to look at your brand message across all platforms to ensure they are consistent. This is important to your company as consistency of message and continued repetition can lead to a stronger return on investment. This is because sending mixed messages to your customers can lead to confusion and often lost sales.
Key to sending the same consistent message is communication, both internally and externally. You need to ensure that your customers and employees are receiving the same message. For example, if you launch a new deal via email to your customers, your employees need to know about the deal otherwise there may well be confusion when it is claimed. An opinion can be made within 30 seconds and it's important that your customers have a positive view of your company. If the message is communicated effectively, you are avoiding the possibility that they will receive a negative impression.
You should also consider a 'less is more' approach. Some organisations may have a change of focus every month but this is dependant on the size of your business. For example, if you are a large organisation you may change your marketing focus on a regular basis, whereas smaller companies may change it on a quarterly basis. By changing on a quarterly basis, you are giving yourself more marketing opportunities.
Your Spring marketing calendar could include events, traditional media relations, Social Media focuses along with a Direct Mail campaign to target your specific audience. Again, your Direct Mail campaign may include a promotional item which is related to your brand message, keeping the same consistent theme.
We'd like to know how often do you change your marketing focus and how often do you use Direct Mail as a form of advertising?