Marketing 4.0 is a marketing strategy based on research by Professor Phillip Kotler. According to both Caffeinated and Kotler’s marketing 4.0 principles, effective marketing requires more than just online engagement between sellers and buyers. Offline engagement also has a part to play.
Digital relationships as part of economic growth are just a part of the model that makes digital marketing effective. The other part is made up of traditional marketing
While brand evolution is being experienced with advancement in technology, the authenticity of these brands comes to play more than ever before.
Kotler’s approach can be further expanded in four main points:
Connection is Key
This works on the fact that it is important to establish connection and engagement way before customers even access the market. This is made possible by the availability of multichannel marketing platforms like Content and Email marketing, Google AdWords and Social Media Marketing.
These platforms require the use of meaningful content to maintain connections.
As people become more connected, it becomes easier to build relationships, disperse information and capture their attention. At this juncture, drawing their interest towards your product becomes more hassle-free.
Embracing the 5A’s
Marketing strategies come and go. They promise to work, or at least do until they are replaced by new ones. From 4P’s and AIDA, we now have Kotler’s strategy, the 5A’s, which work in line with the current online technology. Does the 5A’s model disregard the other ones?
Definitely not. In fact, he recognises other paths that customers can opt to use to purchase products. These can be traditional, digital or a mixture of both.
The 5A’s simply means:
- Ask
- Advise
- Assess
- Assist
- Arrange
The strategy requires you to make inquiries and research as per customers’ feedback, offering possible solutions, helping out and selling your products.
Staying in the loop with user experience
Taking a keen interest in your customers’ experience gives you insights into what will work to your advantage. Listening to them and answering their questions goes a long way.
Apart from what you are already offering; ask, follow up, and investigate what else they need and the problems they may be encountering.
Armed with this, devise methods of approach that will work best to reach out to them and help them solve the problems.
The 5A’s strategy works with the ability to collect conclusive data on your customers and deciphering it to make conclusive decisions on how you can keep them as customers.
Use of Multichannel Marketing Platforms
In which of these channels are your customers likely to come across your offer? Think of websites, emails, AdWords, LinkedIn, etc. They are the most suitable places for you to position your products thanks to advancement in technology.
The variety of these platforms means that customers have more chances of stumbling upon your offer. However, these platforms are different and so should the content designed for each.
One question that you should ask yourself is what attracts them to a particular platform? What do people want to see or indulge in? Once you understand these things, it becomes easy to tailor your content based on what appeals to them.
Furthermore, you can engage your users in ways that suit their unique needs and according to the particular platform’s mode of operation. This way, you are able to reach the target audience with the right offer and using the right channel.
User Engagement Marketing
This involves interaction with potential, active and former customers. It also includes possible go-betweens and people who are just interested in what you are doing.
The ways in which you can engage them include constant communication, use of relevant content, the offering of after sale services, and giving customers a platform to narrate their experiences and give their feedback.
You can borrow a few ideas from traditional marketing. Let people interact with your brand in ‘stalls and malls’ and community fares, among other places.
You can also embrace some tried and trusted methods like
- Printing flyers
- Using promotional materials like caps, pens, T-shirts, and umbrellas
- Offering coupons
- Collaborating with non-competitive merchandisers in your area
The idea is to increase your brand visibility and engage even people that are not your target customers. By word of mouth or interaction with others, non-targets can still refer you to possible leads.
While giving information is important, you should not be too uptight about it. Offer some inspiration and lightheartedness that allows your customer relate to you freely.
Engagement also translates to keeping the conversation going. This means that you are available to catch and address brand or service related issues before they become viral especially with such a connected customer base.
In today’s market place, customers interact with each other. Building an environment that encourages these interactions to fuel advocacy for your brand would be a great step towards hitting marketing goals. It also gives you an opportunity to get great insights and ideas on what you can do better.
Having these people on board and maintaining a social relationship with them can be a great advertisement for your business.
In conclusion
Marketing 4.0 is a blend of both traditional and digital marketing strategies meant to embrace the best of both worlds. It seeks to make use of both online and offline connections in marketing while stressing the fact that digital marketing cannot entirely replace traditional marketing.
Over To You
Do you have any thoughts on what you have read? Is there an additional benefit to Marketing 4.0 that you’d like to point out? Please share your thoughts with your fellow readers. Thanks!
You may also want to read: How to Create an Efficient Marketing Plan
The 9 Elements In a Successful Business Marketing Plan
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