I’ve been struggling to answer this question for quite some time – Are we, as digital marketers, winning customers or loosing them with an overload of content? We are using every possible channel/outlet to send automated messages, track consumer activity and basically turn every nook and corner to influence them. But, can brands truly achieve their dream goal of winning the trust and loyalty of consumers in this era of automation?
In order to uncover these answers I started doing what I do best – I read a lot of industry reports*, studied consumer behavior patterns and dug deep into meaningful data. I wanted to discover what is the right balance between a consumer’s expectations and a brand’s (marketer’s) goals in this golden era of AI, chatbots and marketing automation. All these tools are hyper-cool and can excite both consumers and marketers alike. However, can they build consumers’ trust for a brand, or are they short lived? What are the most critical things a marketer needs to remember in order to achieve the maximum results and long-term goal of ‘brand loyalty?’
My market research indicates a substantial gap between consumer expectations and the perspective of marketers (or, what they think they are delivering). The key problem is both in our approach and how we utilize tools and data to progress. Half-baked knowledge is always more detrimental than helpful – that’s the root cause of the problem, of the discrepancy. Although we are zealously adopting new tools and trying out new ways to excite customers, we are missing out the some of the critical elements that will bring the connect that really binds a consumer to a brand for the long-haul.
Check out my findings and a possible solution to fix this problem in this short video we have developed. Please feel free to share, giving credit to www.puredesignsolution.com.
*Sources: https://www.acquia.com/resources/webinars/close-cx-gap-why-brands-still-have-work-do-engage-consumers https://www.londonresearch.com/partner/act-on/state-of-marketing-automation-2019-410
