Editorial Articles

James Murray, Marketing Research Analyst at Experian Hitwise looks forward to the digital developments that'll matter throughout 2012

Innovation generally comes in two forms: the invention of a completely new idea or the refinement of an established idea that significantly improves on the original. A completely new form of digital marketing may well emerge in 2012, but more likely is that innovation will come from refining established digital marketing practices and honing these. In 2011 we saw a greater emphasis placed on integrating marketing channels to extend the reach and longevity of a campaign. Integrating online and offline activity is by no means a new idea, but there is still a lot of room for companies to innovate and create truly exceptional multi-channel campaigns.

The obvious starting point for marketing integration is to distribute existing video content online as a way to reach new audiences. Office supplies chain Viking Direct did exactly that in May 2011 and managed to increase visits to its website six-fold by hosting its advert on YouTube. At the peak of traffic, Viking Direct was receiving nearly four times as many UK internet visits as its closest competitor Staples, demonstrating how powerful even a modest foray into online video can be.

A good example of a strong, well integrated multi-channel campaign was the Coors Light advert featuring Jean Claude Van Damme. Coors Light brought together TV, social media, organic and paid search to boost the effectiveness of its beer commercial. The campaign was a success and delivered a five times uplift in traffic to the Coors Light website during the opening week of the campaign.

2012 will see more companies tackle fully integrated multi-channel marketing campaigns. The innovative ones will be the companies that can successfully blend online and offline channels to create a synergy that is greater than the sum of its parts.