One of the key trends in advertising today is “marketing effectiveness” – how to maximise marketing ROI through planning, media strategy, creativity, technology and automation.
The UK Department for International Trade has been working with the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) to promote marketing effectiveness thinking and understanding across all markets and took the opportunity to collaboratively spread this message at Dubai Lynx.
Janet Hull, Director of Marketing Strategy at the IPA talks about this trend and developments in the industry reflecting it:
“The digital revolution seemed to give us all that measurability, but it also opened a Pandora’s Box. Brands are flooded by data, the complexity of the modern supply chain is mind-boggling, and the rate of technology change is breakneck. All this brought a greater level of scrutiny on the results of marketing. People started to ask themselves what was really working.”
There is a real depth of knowledge on marketing effectiveness which has been built up in the UK. Two years ago, the IPA set up www.effworks.co.uk, a hub of information and resources. The site and annual conference, EffWeek, are powered by an ongoing programme of original research and development – much of which is available for free at the effworks website.
The UK delegation at Dubai Lynx this year included companies which are driving for greater effectiveness and were there to engage Gulf-based marketing and advertising professionals to establish new and improved ways of working.
Ashwin Saddul of Better Than Paper demonstrated at Dubai Lynx how their services are making it easier than ever before to create engaging and personalised digital publications. Their software solution automatically packages content from your company, such as from brand magazines, with highly relevant material from the internet and across social channels. This delivers a high-quality dynamic and personalized brand experience for readers across all digital platforms that’s more engaging and gets better measurable results.
With ever greater budgets, global audiences and commercial expectations there’s increasing demand for professionalism in sports marketing. MATTA have built a strong roster of clients amongst sports organizations and license holders such as the UK FA Cup. Their specialist expertise has been in driving dramatically greater value from these rights and brands by applying FMCG marketing best practice to a sector that was traditionally quite conservative in applying advanced marketing thinking. By helping them to think like brands with consumers, rather than sports with fans, MATTA have introduced proven models for success and strong measures of accountability.
Research shows how audience attitudes have shifted to the personal. Today, the social and cultural contribution of a brand is seen as the true measure of its value. Businesses must go beyond asking what they fulfil within an individual to what they fulfil within the wider community and how they enable people to feel part of something bigger. Whitestone International’s strategic and creative processes work with a business’s employees and management to define their purpose beyond just the product or service offer to shape brands that drive demand and attract.
Considering agency models, they are now expected to provide expertise in an ever-wider range of mediums. But pressures from tighter budget controls make it impossible to support all this wider range of skills in-house. YOLK focus on developing the most tightly defined creative brand expression conceived to work effectively across media. Then using their independent network of specialist ‘YOLK Associates’, they deliver creative that drives their clients’ brands forward faster and more efficiently than conventional agencies.
Hubspot’s recently released stats show that 51.9% of marketers see video content as delivering the strongest ROI. For many, VR/360 video content allows them to gain greater audience engagement with brands and products. RETìníZE specializes in 3D (stereoscopic) 360 VR production, working with brands, charities and agencies from idea generation to delivery to create memorable VR experiences. They combine UK film industry experience and skills with a lower cost location in Belfast to provide an optimal balance of quality and value for your campaign.
These are just some examples of how British companies are leading the world in applying creativity and innovative technology to enable their clients to be more efficient and successful.
Next year’s EffWeek will start on 08 October. The IPA are increasingly working with partners around the world to build marketing effectiveness knowledge. For information about EffWeek and resources on marketing effectiveness visit www.effworks.co.uk or in the Gulf region contact Dubai-based learning and development specialists Ampersand [email protected].
Find out how British expertise can help your organisation deliver its next creative project here.
