The process of getting products into the hands of consumers has morphed into the multi-billion dollar marketing industry. Consumers are no longer content to be told what to buy. They want to be involved in promoting the products they love. They are eager to share ideas with the company about how the product can be improved. To illustrate this point, a survey conducted by ExpoTV.com found that 55% of consumers prefer to have ongoing communications with the companies they buy from. The survey also shows that 89% of the participants in the study said they feel more loyal to a company if they are given an opportunity to provide feedback about a product. For these reasons, many companies team up with a creative agency to help them hatch and manage a marketing strategy that will harness the power of interactive marketing.
Interactive Marketing = Customer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty
In the past, engaging customers in a conversation was difficult. But, with today’s technology, it’s easy to provide a platform that allows customer feedback and tracks customer purchasing behaviors. This interaction leads to improved products, customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty. Gone are the days of e-books, whitepaper, and blogs. Today, we rely on viral quizzes, interactive calculators, customer feedback sites, and seller reviews to help us choose the products we purchase. Researchers at Content Marketing Institute (CMI) predict that about 79% of marketers will be using interactive content in the coming year. They also show that 46% of marketers are currently using interactive content. Let’s explore this premise by looking at a few of the companies that have had tremendous success with their interactive marketing campaigns:
#1 Adidas
Adidas introduced their Adidas_1 Running Shoe using the most aggressive and effective interactive marketing effort seen in over a decade. At the time, this innovative product actually contained sensors and mechanisms that adjusted the cushioning in the shoe after each stride. This creative product deserved a marketing strategy that would generate the necessary buzz. By using a multi-pronged, interactive approach they were able to engage customers with the product and set record sales. More recently, Adidas launched their Neo Label by creating a Snapchat competition for the product. Users were able to customize the product and show their designs online. Four winners had the chance to have their designs incorporated into a real collection. The campaign helped Adidas leverage Snapchat as a platform for maximizing customer engagement.
#2 Heineken USA
This Dutch brewing company came up with an innovative way to attract potential employees. As part of a Human Resources campaign, Heineken created an interactive video to showcase the company’s unique culture. In short, the video checks a candidate’s personality. It also introduces them to the company by asking twelve questions. In fact, the company designs the questions to find candidates that fit their business. With this campaign, Heineken has seen an astounding 300% increase in the number of applicants. It’s also interesting to note that 67% of participants took all of the tests. They also watched the entire video. Therefore, there is no doubt that this was a successful hiring campaign for Heineken.
How Other Companies are Excelling in Interactive Marketing
Generally, interactive marketing allows businesses and their customers to have a two-way dialogue. It is one of the most common forms of marketing today. For many business owners, the best way to reap the benefits of this is to engage the services of a branding agency. A creative marketing agency such as Web Content Development can help a business excel in interactive marketing. This will then grow their brand. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how they will benefit your company.
