Brand Activation

The days of consumers following a straight path to their purchases are long gone. Even the circuitous “customer journey” is constantly being challenged by innovative new technology, consumer behavior and channel dilution. Whether you’re a packaged goods or a software-as-a service company, a considered purchase or an impulse buy, companies must continue to be innovative in the way they generate commerce, or they risk being outflanked by their competitors.

Within the area of Commerce Marketing, the NAOCA will help to immerse you into the world of the latest innovations in Commerce that lead to brand growth, from industry leaders in URL to IRL, Direct to Consumer (DTC), Click and Collect/Buy Online Pick Up in Store (BOPIS), experiential flagships, social commerce and more. Commerce marketing focuses on all areas of  the collaborative planning and solutions between the product/service and the sales channel (i.e. retail, e-commerce, m-commerce, direct-to-consumer) regardless of whether your business is shoes, banking, gasoline, mattresses, fitness-as-a-service or staplers.

Experiential Marketing includes events and sponsorship, but it also understands an experience can be more personal. Its importance lies in its ability to create a relevant bond with the consumer.

Today, experiential marketing includes events and more individual experiences, such as a demonstration of product’s performance, extra care/personal connection, and grassroots/affinity events. The key is creating an experience that stimulates an emotional connection and reinforces the essence of the brand.

Experiential Marketing may also have an entertainment, cause, or celebrity aspect to it.

Relationship Marketing is a strategy of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that emphasizes customer retention, satisfaction, and lifetime customer value. Its purpose is to market to current customers versus new customer acquisition through sales and advertising.

A good relationship marketing strategy is rooted in building customer loyalty and lasting, long-term engagement with your customer base. Benefits include increased positive word-of-mouth, repeat business, and a willingness on the customer’s part to provide valuable feedback to the company and their peers.

Content marketing is defined as the discipline of creating content, on behalf of a brand, designed with the specific strategy of influencing the intended target audience in order to drive quantifiable profitable results. As a cornerstone in brand activation, content marketing encompasses the strategic use of content, regardless of source or placement, which helps to advance the strategic initiatives and the brand or product and helps to drive the engagement of the target audience.

The core of promotion marketing is still sampling, couponing, premiums, sweepstakes and more but the focus now is on integrating these promotions into the overall marketing plan that includes deepening customer engagement with events, sponsorships, social media and experiences.

Beyond driving trial through traditional methods, promotions can be held in physical environments at events such as concerts, festivals, sporting events, cultural/tribal events and in the field, such as in grocery or department stores. Interactions in the field allow immediate purchases. The growth and integration of social media into consumer marketing plans has made recursive marketing an essential component of promotion marketing as brands give their customers the power to promote their products, diving advocacy and authenticity.

More marketers are increasing their influencer budgets, and reporting that the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing is better than other sources. Yet influencer marketing continues to operate within a complex, rapidly-evolving ecosystem with rising levels of fraud, changing social media algorithms, and complex attribution and measurement. That’s where the ANA comes in as your trusted resource to help capitalize on its ROI while navigating its hurdles.