ISSUE FOUR

OVERVIEW:WHAT IS FRONTLINEMARKETING?

EXPERT ADVICE: IMPORTANCE OF THE FRONTLINE APPROACH

FRANCHISE FOCUS: MEDIA BLEND

THIS ISSUETHIS ISSUE

FRONTLINE FOCUS: INTERVIEW WITH PAUL CARTER MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GET CARTER PRODUCTIONS PAGE 10

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OVERVIEW / 3

FRONTLINE FOCUS:INTERVIEW WITHPAUL CARTER

DEALER FOCUS:SOCIAL MEDIA FORDEALERSHIPS

INNOVATIONS IN FRONTLINE MARKETING:HYPERLOCALADVERTISING

OVERVIEW:

FRONTLINE THINKING / ISSUE FOUR

WHAT IS FRONTLINE MARKETING? / 5

WHATIS FRONTLINE MARKETING?

With most big brands there’s still a real disconnect between national and local marketing. The former looks for ways to establish brand equity, whereas the latter is far more concerned with hitting targets – and getting the bonuses.

We use ‘Frontline’ to describe your franchise network or sales outlets – inevitably parts of your business with their own unique set of challenges. They’re also areas that, more often than not, are focused on ways to increase sales and customer retention.

EXPERT ADVICE:

Words of wisdomThis issue’s expert is Emma Varney, who heads up Acuity’s local marketing team.

In the growing age of the mobile, it appears that marketers everywhere are embracing the local opportunities that digital presents. Just last summer, Google conducted a study and found four in five consumers want search ads to be customised to their city or immediate surroundings. Clearly, by engaging consumers with location-based ads, advertisers can provide them with the information they need to take action – making the buying process simple, fluid and PERSONAL.

Staggeringly, 97% of all consumers now use digital media (whether it is online or on smart phones) when researching products or services in their local area according to a recent study by BIA/Kelsey. That means that where once local

E-COMMERCE JUST GOT LOCAL

“80% of consumers want their search adds to be local”

marketing meant putting a great press ad in the local paper or booking a slot on the local radio station, consumers are now looking elsewhere for local product information and they are going online. So, unsurprisingly, all eyes are on the growing opportunities to advertise on social media platforms, and the continual rising of mcommerce, allowing digital marketers to tailor national messages to a local audience.

With more people using their mobile devices to visit Facebook and Twitter via apps instead of browsing the web, there’s never been a better time to advertise on social media — and leverage the location-based functionality of these ever-present phones to your advantage. I’m thinking, geotargeted social ads, click to call buttons on localised landing pages, social check ins, comparison shopping and ecommerce that will be facilitated by the likes of the Google wallet.

We already know how embedded mobiles are in our lives so it makes sense that this is encouraging consumers to engage and shop on their mobile devices. Before everywhere becomes a cashless market, local retailers must jump on the mobile payment bandwagon to remain competitive as the trend picks up and consumers’ demands rise.

Along with the ease of payment, mobile payments bring other interesting advantages back to local businesses. Specifically the potential to bring in a lot more data. Accessible data that can help marketers and local businesses compete with big business in understanding their customers.

FRONTLINE THINKING / ISSUE FOUR

EXPERT ADVICE / 7

FRANCHISE FOCUS:TRENDS FOR 2015

2015 is an exciting year to be part of the franchise culture with an explosion of digital and mobile marketing on the frontline, creating innovative localised solutions.

Here are some exciting franchise sector trends.

Mobile OptimisationMore consumers are searching for products and services using phones and tablets than ever before. So be ready for these savvy customers who expect optimised fully responsive platforms on their mobile phones. When planning for mobile creative and user experience, set your marketing objectives, and make sure your planning doesn’t require you to budget thousands of pounds in support tools for many years; the world will have already changed.

Digital IntegrationIn an ever-changing media and lead generation landscape, franchise brands must build integrated marketing plans to compete. Google Adwords, Google Analytics and other digital tools can access data allowing business to refine consumer segments and audience demographics, giving franchises the ability to target their advertising to a

granular level. One of the most basic settings for any PPC campaign is the geotargeting where you set a localised geographical area to show your digital ad. Google Adwords features 10 x different levels of geotargeting. By using the most specific location possible in the ad copy you ensure users know you’re more relevant to them than the competition. In short, this means you get highly qualified, geo-targeted leads from this easily accessible media channel.

Digital Ad PlacementFocus more on digital ad placement and content versus keyword search alone. As Google continues to monetise its search engine, it is now changing its organic search listings, making it harder to drive traffic off SEO alone. Instead, placing strategic digital ads and adding new content to websites is predicted to be a better focus in 2015. If you’re paying someone to “do keyword search” stop right now! To help drive traffic to your website, you can allocate that money on ‘property content creation’ (fancy talk for adding pages to your website) and on becoming a ‘technical webmaster’ by adding striking imagery and videos to your website.

TRENDS FOR 2015

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What are some of the unique challenges big brands face in localising their marketing strategy and how do you help them overcome them?

I think that the majority of big brands can thank the web for making their products as accessible and local as the nearest smartphone, tablet or desktop – and make their purchase possible 24/7 anywhere. For instance, can you remember the time before we could book airline tickets online? For me the biggest challenge still exists for those brands whose products need to be touched, tested and personalised prior to purchase. We have to connect the consumer with their local retailer/visitor attraction/venue – and offer them a reasonable incentive to make the connection. The better the big brand’s values, the smaller the inducement required!

At Get Carter Productions we use local, regional and national commercial radio advertising to reach those consumers. We strive to give the big brands ‘standout’ in a very competitive local marketplace.

What is it that national brands typically ask you for? What are they expecting? How do you manage that?

We’re usually called on to promote a specific product or offer – one whose sales success can be measured as a result of a planned radio ad campaign – and do it in a compelling way that manages to deliver the potential customer, AND maintain the brand values that helped attract them in the first place. Our job is NOT to sell the product, it’s to deliver the customer enquiry – and once retailers understand this, it’s easier to gear up the way the response is handled and hopefully converted.

We start by agreeing a brief; WHO are we talking to? WHAT do we want them to do? And WHY should they do it? If we can create a radio ad campaign that answers those three simple answers effectively, AND stay ‘on brand’ - we’re on to a winner!

What do you feel are the biggest struggles for new local outlets who are trying to build their client base whilst still trying to maintain their brand identity?

Trying to attract new customers by selling at less than they would expect to pay, but not cheapening the brand. The saying that ‘There’s no skill in giving stuff away’ is true – but there IS a skill in attracting customer interest and continued loyalty by making your product or service attractive AND affordable.

FRONTLINE FOCUS:INTERVIEW - GET CARTER PRODUCTIONS

Paul is the founder and Managing Director of Get Carter Productions. He’s worked for radio groups across the UK, rising through the ranks to the level of Radio Group Creative Director, before launching his own company in 2001. He’s won many awards, including the highly coveted New York Radio Festivals and London Internationals. Paul creates campaigns for clients including Jet 2, Bristol Street Motors and Safestyle UK.

WITH PAUL CARTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR GET CARTER PRODUCTIONS

FRONTLINE THINKING / ISSUE FOUR

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How can local outlets of big businesses use social media platforms to enhance their local search visibility (directly or indirectly)?

I can only speak as a consumer – and tell you that radio advertising’s success is based on it being like a ‘word of mouth’ recommendation. If someone ‘likes’ your product or service online, and shares that information with their close and trusted friends – it’s more powerful than any brochure.

In the Marketing & Advertising world, there’s always a lot of talk about KPIs. Are there any KPIs that are uniquely local that encourage growth of national brands?

I think it’s as simple as foot traffic, phone calls, clicks or whatever measure you choose – directly and exclusively attributable to your local marketing activity. Again, a KPI is only a KPI if everyone is aware of it, and measures it. You’d be amazed at the number of clients (often spending massive amounts on media) who don’t figure this out until it’s too late!

What local brand campaign has inspired you?

Given that the brand is truly global, I’ve liked Land Rover’s ‘Hibernot’ campaign aimed squarely at us poor ‘local’ Brits in the middle of our winter misery. It’s smart, classy, low on copy but high on quality.

How have you worked with Acuity to address the disconnect between local and national marketing?

Our work on Acuity’s Citroën Ireland radio advertising has touched on it. We’ve produced strong single-message radio commercials for National transmission – very deal-driven, and aimed at conquest customers – then mirrored this with individual Citroën dealer commercials, designed to drive local listeners to named dealers in their areas.

Looking a couple of years down the road, what developments do you think are most likely to influence the way people find information about local outlets/franchises?

In Radio Advertising the significant changes will come about with advertisers’ ability to target listeners in individual streets, with tailored offers based on prior purchases – even down to available car parking spaces at the retailer’s outlet. In broadcasting terms, we are a lot closer to what we see in films like ‘Minority Report’ than most people realise! The future is eliminating ‘wastage’ by spending more on personalised delivery to the right customers.

Is there a local marketing tool you feel that national brands are overlooking? Or is there anything that they do or use that makes you want to say, “STOP! Don’t do that anymore.”

I have a fondness for local newspapers…they take me back to times when things were more naïve and innocent – but why national brands keep ploughing so much cash into such an impersonal and low quality medium (with a circulation that is literally dying) simply baffles me. They won’t even let you wrap chips in them any more!

For more information about your local marketing strategy, email Michael on michael@weareacuity.com or call 01923 244 241.

WITH PAUL CARTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR GET CARTER PRODUCTIONS

DEALER FOCUS:HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA HELP YOUR DEALERSHIP?

AUTOMOTIVE

OPTIMISING THE ONLINE MARKETSocial media should be an essential part of any auto dealership’s marketing plan. Even though many consumers want to physically see a car before they purchase it, a strong social media strategy can sell them on your dealership before they even walk through the door. It’s important to define a strong social strategy and develop a continual digital presence.

Here are a few ideas that could potentially help build your digital presence and convert prospects into customers.

1. Become a thought leader

Social media is a great place to promote original content from your blog. Having a strong social presence can help you become a thought leader in your industry, especially if you take on controversial topics or offer sound advice on how your consumers can get the most out of their auto buying experience.

2. Create a calendar

It is important to come up with a schedule for your posts and adhere to it as much as possible. If every Monday you showcase a new car, then adhere to that, and let it become something that your users look forward to weekly. Social testing is important, and although it may take time to find posts that your audience responds to, it’s essential that you remain consistent in posting across your platforms.

3. Less Sales, more Social.

It’s important that your social media audience feels like you are actually being social with them, and not just trying to sell them something all the time. Social experts suggest the 80/20 rule, which recommends that 80% of the time you speak to your audience on a social level, and only use 20% of your posts for sales promotion. Sales people tremble in their suits when they hear that only 20%

of their branding efforts will be sales-based, but in the long run it will build a loyal social audience that will enjoy interacting with your dealership. When they are ready to buy a new vehicle, they will already have a relationship with you and your company.

4. Drive conversation

It’s important to have someone at your dealership that manages your social media accounts and can act as the voice of your social outlets. If customers are having an active conversation on your social media profiles, interact with them and engage them; it’s the reason it’s called “social” media. This will pay off when customers are looking to buy a new car, as they will feel comfortable having an engaging dialogue with you.

FRONTLINE THINKING / ISSUE FOUR

DEALER FOCUS / 13

INNOVATIONS IN FRONTLINE MARKETING:APPLE WATCH HYPERLOCAL ADVERTISING

Relevant location-based ads are considered the holy grail of mobile advertising, and more companies like Facebook and Google are trying to tie people’s purchases in physical stores to digital ads. Cue the Apple Watch. One of the most exciting prospects of Apple Watch is in the virtual “screen real estate” it will bring to consumers. The introduction of a new digital screen in people’s lives, that unlike a smartphone doesn’t predominantly live in people’s pockets, presents a tremendous new opportunity for marketers in hyperlocal advertising.

Hyperlocal advertising uses the watch’s built-in GPS functionality to deliver screen advertisements about businesses in close proximity via a mobile ad

exchange platform such as TapSense. For example, a consumer walking down the street could be alerted to a nearby coffee shop’s promotion for a free drink, or they could be alerted to an available discount or voucher code while browsing a store in order to encourage a conversion – all delivered seamlessly to a consumer via an unobtrusive wristwatch alert.

TapSense believes its programmatic ad platform, which works by automatically deploying ads based on events and sets of rules to ensure ads are highly targeted and “hyper-local,” is a “natural fit” for a wrist interface like Apple Watch. A great example of frontline marketing at its best. It provides great opportunities for brands and developers to deliver engaging experiences to

consumers. Since the watch will support Apple Pay, Apple’s new mobile payments service, marketers could measure their campaigns based on people’s purchases in stores. Get ready now. Call Michael now to find out more on 01923 244 241 or email michael@weareacuity.com

RETAIL MOBILE MARKETING A SHOPPER’S PARADISE?

FRONTLINE THINKING / ISSUE FOUR

INNOVATIONS IN FRONTLINE MARKETING / 15

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