Multi-channel marketing doesn’t mean you need to be an expert at everything, writes Alessandra Alessio, APAC marketing director at StackAdapt. That said, there are many benefits from leveraging a full-funnel strategy.
Let’s start with some news that should get all the marketers out there excited: there is currently a massive opportunity in the digital advertising space across APAC. By next year it’s predicted to be a $440 billion dollar opportunity, in fact.
StackAdapt’s just-released Driving Digital Advertising Platform Success report shows that digital advertising is now in the ascendant for marketers throughout the region. This year, it is expected to make up no less than 69 per cent of all APAC ad spend.
But accessing this opportunity comes with a few challenges. Not only has channel proliferation made marketers’ jobs increasingly complicated, they are also having to turn up in more places than ever.
That’s because today’s consumer is a true digital nomad. Think about your own daily consumption of media between the time you wake up and the time you rest your head on the pillow; there’s no doubt you’re using more channels and devices than you were a few years ago.
It’s for this reason that modern marketing strategies need to cover all the bases. That means investing in a multi-channel approach, which gives businesses the best chance of mimicking the unpredictable and multi-faceted customer journeys of today.
To be truly present means showing up in places where digital natives are spending more time. Channels like display, video, connected TV (CTV), native, digital out-of-home (DOOH), in-game, and audio are taking on newfound importance and utilising them is integral to driving conversion and building customer loyalty.
Using a broader mix of complementary channels also helps brands develop a story throughout the entire customer journey. And it assists in targeting demographics where they are most likely to be. Older generations, for example, are more likely to purchase on a computer compared to Gen Z, who shop more readily on smartphones.
There are other advantages. By providing consistent exposure to brand messages across various channels and devices, it encourages consumers to move further down the marketing funnel, from awareness to consideration and purchase.
Traditional, linear TV, for example, has long been utilised to power brand awareness, something social media and digital video are increasingly employed to do. Emerging channels, by contrast, are now proving highly effective in driving upper-funnel campaigns, while search plays a key role as the leading channel for driving lower-funnel sales. All of these channels, when used in tandem, work symbiotically.
StackAdapt’s research shows that half of advertisers leveraging a multi-channel strategy see stronger ROI. Additionally, 60 per cent report that these campaigns meet or exceed KPIs, and 40 per cent say multi-channel advertising is critical to achieving their goals.
Tapping into the region’s rapidly growing digital advertising potential starts with putting a firm plan in place. Marketers should first aim to deepen audience insights and employ a test and learn approach to channels that are currently underutilised. In doing this, they should also choose a platform that provides a streamlined approach, enabling data-based decision-making in a straightforward manner. By following these two key steps, the opportunity to engage more customers right throughout the funnel can be realised.
You can check out StackAdapt’s Driving Digital Advertising Success report here.
