The time has come to start communicating a new brand or product and the question arises: is it better to go for an offline or an online strategy? The answer is clear: the key to a successful brand experience is to integrate an omni-channel strategy.
When it comes to the question of what type of strategy a brand should opt for, there is no right answer as it depends on many factors: the target, the final objective, the budget… but what is certain is that opting for an integrated strategy is the ideal way to achieve a successful brand experience.
With the advent of social networks and the loudspeaker they provide for real-time commentary on what is happening anywhere in the world, we can see how more and more advertising campaigns that are developed offline have repercussions in the online world. A recent example of this is the controversy caused by a Dorsia brand banner, which the brand was forced to withdraw after a great controversy generated in the digital environment.
This is just one example of how “traditional” advertising has an impact on digital channels, so brands and agencies must take into account both universes when developing their marketing strategies.
Integrated strategies are those that take into account both offline channels and online media that a brand has, approaching the communication of a new product or service from all perspectives. However, we must take into account the coherence between the messages that the brand transmits so that the user experience is the same regardless of the channel through which it arrives, this is what is known as an omnichannel strategy.
What is an omnichannel strategy?
An omnichannel strategy is the culmination of the integration of online and offline channels, allowing to offer a uniform experience to the customer regardless of the channel through which they arrive. This makes the buying process much smoother and generates greater consumer confidence.
The first step to initiate this type of strategy is to know the consumer’s buying behaviour perfectly, including all its phases and analysing all the possible channels of access to the purchase.
We must also take into account that the message to be transmitted must be uniform across channels, but at the same time adapted to them. In this way, when a customer reaches our brand, they will receive the same message regardless of the channel through which they access it.
It should be noted that an omni-channel strategy does not mean being present in all channels, but rather that the channels selected for the advertising strategy maintain a common message and are directly related.
It is clear that the marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but if there is one thing we must bear in mind when developing our strategies, whether online or offline, it is to maintain consistency in the form and substance of the messages we convey.