Interactive Marketing: Tapping into the Potential

If you’re not integrating interactive tactics into your marketing mix, you could be missing a big opportunity. More and more frequently, marketing dollars are shifting away from traditional media to the interactive arena, and with good reason. When faced with budget reductions and the need for immediate sales in recessionary times, interactive tools offer lower cost, higher measurability, and better results for direct response.

If you’re looking to reach a younger demographic, interactive marketing is especially important. It is one of the best ways to connect with hard-to-reach buyers age 35 and under.

A $55 billion business

• Interactive marketing expenditures will reach
  $55 billion within the next five years.

• This means that these expenditures will represent
  21 percent of all marketing spending.

Source: U.S. Interactive Marketing Forecast (Forrester Research)

Top interactive tactics

• Search engine marketing
• Internet display advertising
• E-mail marketing
• Social media
• Mobile marketing

Online promotions that work

WebDecoder®

WebDecoder® products (created using a unique patented printing process) conceal a hidden message that can be viewed only on a website, in-store monitor, or digital television. When positioned over a computer screen, the game piece reveals a prize message, icon, or other marketing information designed to generate immediate action.

MobiDecoder™

MobiDecoder™ gives you potential access to nearly 50 million active users of the mobile Web. Incorporating patented hidden image technology, it delivers a digital game piece that the consumer must bring to a retail store or event location for decoding. Multiple key codes can be used in a promotion to track responses back to specific advertising media and/or distribution outlets, providing valuable data for evaluating ROI.

VirtualDecoder™

VirtualDecoder™ lets you connect with a consumer without having to print and distribute a physical game piece. Targeted participants learn about the promotion via e-mail, direct mail, radio, or other traditional media and are directed to visit a website. After providing their registration information, participants are shown a virtual game piece on their display screen. Using their mouse, participants drag a virtual decoder over the embedded hidden image area to reveal a prize or value offer.

Online Games

Online games, like this one developed for Act II popcorn, get your targeted audience involved in a fun and impactful way. Aimed at increasing sales in the commercial vending channel, the game offered a chance to win $1 million. To play, consumers had to register online with the freshness code found on their product package. Results were outstanding, with sales growing from 12 million to 16 million units during the nine-month promotion period.

Do more with less money

As budgets shift to interactive from traditional media, overall advertising spending is decreasing. Marketers are focusing on tools that drive immediate response and sales, according to Shar VanBoskirk, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. “As interactive grows, marketers’ need to invest in mass media advertising diminishes,” she says. “You can do more with less money,” she continues.

Strategy continues to be key when making the transition to some of the interactive media options we have highlighted here. We can work with you to design an interactive promotion that is strategically aligned with your marketing objectives to offer the greatest possible ROI. Call us today at 800.554.2902 to learn more!

Comments

[website marketing]

The content is very useful and full of knowledge on interactive marketing.In my opinion interactive thinking needs to be at the heart of all marketing strategy and interactive channels at the heart of all marketing delivery.