.gif)
Getting the online/offline balance right
We have all become so dependent on the Internet that search is the default consumer response mechanism. This poses a dilemma for marketers, particularly those specialising in offline channels.
Digital formats have ushered a new era of accountability and provide marketers with more accurate measurement tools. While digital is rewarded with increasing budgets for its ability to drive response, we are still none the wiser when it comes to the impact of offline formats on online response. The real barrier to campaign integration is not just at the creative output, but in understanding the role of each media.
Only by investing in tools that effectively overlay search results with campaign data retrieved from all other channel activities are we able to create a complete understanding of how different media impact all response. Increasing demands on ROI mean this holistic approach to campaign measurement will be crucial to the future success of integrated strategies.
This means the channels that have traditionally replied to requests for detailed measurement with 'brand building' and 'awareness' rhetoric are going to be held accountable for the success of their respective channels to drive consumer response. The development of accurate attribution modelling techniques will allow brands to identify the impact of every channel and inform future campaign investment.
The Internet has been revered as the answer to declining budgets above the line. But ploughing money into SEO and SEM is not the be all and end all as they need to be considered alongside traditional channels. Many agencies claim to deliver integrated campaigns, but unless sophisticated tools that can accurately measure the role of all channels in customer acquisition are deployed, true integration will remain a myth.
Gavin Sinden, EM2 Digital
Precision Marketing – 28/08/07
